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Woodbury-based Independent Pet Partners Holdings, the parent company of Chuck & Don’s and several other high-end pet supply stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The filing will mean that 66 pet-supply stores under the Chuck & Don’s and Kriser’s Natural Pet (IPP) store banners will be sold. About 100 other stores will eventually close, including the Chuck & Don’s in downtown St. Paul, according to court papers filed Sunday.

The Lowertown store is the only Minnesota store on the company’s list of closing stores. IPP has a goal of completing the liquidation process by the end of February.

The other pet supply stores to close will be under IPP’s other flags including Loyal Companion and Natural Pawz. IPP will continue to operate under Kriser’s and Chuck & Don’s banners.

“We intend to use these proceedings to reorganize our operations and focus on our core markets where we have the strongest foothold including Chuck & Don’s stores” in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas and Colorado, said Julie Maday, recently appointed IPP chief executive, in a statement to the Star Tribune.

“This was a very difficult decision,” Maday said. “We worked diligently to explore all alternatives to keep all brands and markets going; however, in the end we concluded that the right path was to apply our focus to those markets and stores where we have the strongest market position today.”

IPP will sell the 66 remaining stores to a group of lenders including Main Street Capital Corp., Newstone Capital Partners and CION Investment Corp., which are providing a stalking horse bid that includes including a $60 million credit bid, the court papers said.

The company operates 160 pet care locations across a dozen states. Its stores included Chuck & Don’s, Kriser’s Natural Pet, Loyal Companion and Natural Pawz. The stores not