About

Dee-O-Gee is a Montana-based franchise that has partnered with the nation-wide franchise of EarthWise Pet to provide all-natural pet food, eco-friendly toys and supplies, grooming services, and day camp to help improve the bond between pets and their people. Unique to Dee-O-Gee and EarthWise Pet is also a focus on providing education and information to pet parents to help guide them to build a better bowl for their pets.

The owner of Dee-O-Gee Helena, Diane Stilson, is a Montana Native, raised on farm/ranch near Lewistown. She was stationed in Bahrain when she resigned her commission in 2009 from the U.S. Navy, and had two goals for civilian life: To settle down and be a part of a community, and get a dog.

Upon moving to Helena in January 2012, she was finally settled enough to get a dog that summer - a rescue named Josie. She finally admitted Josie needed a friend while she was at work, which led to adopting a second rescue, Webster, in December 2012. She became involved in the Helena community through becoming registered with Josie as a therapy team and volunteered at local retirement homes, schools, and special community events. Although Josie is now retired, Diane is still active with Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) as a member of the leadership team in the Helena Chapter, instructor, and evaluator.

When Webster started developing escalating health issues in 2021, Diane found it very difficult to source quality food and supplements for him in Helena. She learned a lot about nutrition and health from the experience of trying to help him. It was also during this time that she was introduced to acupressure and massage to help him between appointments. She then studied and became nationally certified to practice acupressure for small animals through the National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage (NBCAAM) in March 2023.

Unfortunately, she had to say goodbye to Webster in September 2022, but his legacy is going to be felt by the Helena community since his health journey started her on the path to open Dee-O-Gee.

And the hole created in their household led to the adoption of another rescue, Drew, in the fall of 2022. From her experiences as a pet owner and involvement with pet therapy in Helena, Diane sees a real opportunity in opening a franchise with Dee-O-Gee in the Helena community. Opening this franchise continues to fulfill the goals she set when she resigned from her commission in the Navy in 2009. She wants the store to not only fill a needed niche in Helena for pet products and services but to truly be a part of the community. The mission statement for Dee-O-Gee Helena is to provide the best quality pet products and services in Helena, educate customers to make informed choices and promote a community of responsible pet owners to improve the quality of life for pets and their owners.