Healthy food stores are not just for people.

At Bark Avenue Market and Bakery in Colleyville, co-owners Tammy and John Doak said they and their staff strive to provide top-rated, healthy options for their feline and canine clientele.

“You could eat processed food every day,” Tammy said. “You would survive but you probably wouldn’t thrive, and that’s how it is with dogs. You could give them a bowl of processed kibble every day and they’re going to live, but if you want a dog [to be healthy, providing them with unprocessed food] is really vital; give them what they were meant to eat.”

The shop, which was Tammy’s dream for years, has been around since 2010. All of the food the store offers is produced either in the U.S. or in Canada, and the Doaks use the ratings on two websites—dogfoodanalysis.com and dogfoodadvisor.com—to assess which foods they want to offer.

Choosing pet food made with high-quality ingredients for her store is important to Tammy as she said two of her pet cats died from pet food that was recalled in 2007.

“It made me realize we have to be our pets’ advocate,” she said. “We can’t just trust these big companies, and that’s why we’re so picky about who we work with.”

Bark Avenue works with Glacier Peak Holistics, a company that offers a sensitivity assessment, which can help identify a pet’s specific needs and what to avoid feeding a pet to ensure they do not have problems with allergies. The results are then used to build  a nutrition and supplement plan.

Switching foods can be rough on pets’ stomachs, Tammy said, so Bark Avenue offers supplements to assist with the changeover.

In addition to premade foods and snacks, the shop bakes many of its own treats, such as pumpkin crunch and birthday bones. The bakery also makes birthday and holiday cakes as well as cupcakes known as Pupcakes.

5615 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 230,
Colleyville
817-656-2275
www.barkavenuemarket.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.