Colleyville pet owners can bring their dogs and cats to Bark Avenue on Oct. 26 for treats, a silent auction and a costume contest.

Store owner Tammy Doak said the proceeds from the event will support two local pet rescues: Trinity GAP Rescue and Big Dog Rescue Project.

“We're trying to collect as many donations as possible because these rescues take in a lot of dogs that need medical care, and a lot of them are heartworm positive,” Doak said. “This is our way to give back to the community.”

The event will be at the Bark Avenue store at 5615 Colleyville Blvd., Ste. 230, Colleyville, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event will start with a raffle drawing for prizes donated by vendors, followed by a pet costume contest at 11 a.m. There will also be a silent auction happening throughout the event.

“Some of the costumes people come up with, especially the ones that they make themselves, are amazing,” Doak said.

Although the costume contest is a highlight of the event, Doak said her favorite part is calling the rescue groups afterward..

“The biggest thing is when we get to tally up the results and contact the rescues and say, ‘Hey, here's what you're going to get,’ because we don't take a dime from that,” Doak said. “Whatever we collect that day, it goes into a big pot, and then we just half it between the two rescues.”

Doak is passionate about rescuing dogs because of her experience with rescuing several of her own dogs including adopting her mastiff mix from Trinity Gap Rescue.

“We adopted a 9-year-old mastiff mix from Trinity GAP Rescue last year,” Doak said. “When she came in, she was emaciated, and she didn't have any fur because she had mange and horrible fleas. She was heartworm positive. But you should see her now. She doesn't even look like the same dog. The thought of a dog being put down because of overcrowding is terrible. That's one of the reasons I love these two rescues, is because they will help these dogs find a home that are just about to get euthanized. Then they get adopted, and they have a wonderful family and a wonderful life.”

Doak is also passionate about high-quality pet food and helping pet owners know exactly what is in their pet’s food. Bark Avenue’s mission is to improve the health, wellness and longevity of dogs and cats. Doak has a certification in animal naturopathy where she has studied many topics extensively, including carnivore nutrition, understanding the role that vaccines play in pet health and the importance of living a pesticide free life.

As part of this mission, she hosts a podcast called “Pets Who Thrive” where she talks about how to care for pets in a holistic way. Guests interviewed include veterinarians, nutritionists, product representatives and more. Individuals can listen to “Pets Who Thrive” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

For more information on Bark Avenue or the store’s Halloween fundraiser, visit the store’s website.

The above story was produced by Multi-platform Journalist Mary Katherine Shapiro with Community Impact's Storytelling team with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.