“WHEN the owners walk by their dogs stick their faces through the door and want to come in.”
There is no doubting what shop is favoured by canines in one area of Bradford.
“People say that even when they drive past their dog barks,” says Julie Bourke, who runs Bark to Basics with her husband Carl.
“We have a picture on our Facebook page of two huskies waiting outside for the shop to open. We welcome dogs in the shop and have a treat jar for them.”
Opening in October last year, Bark to Basics - our Telegraph & Argus Trader of the Week - is full of nutritious, carefully selected, food for dogs.
From premium raw meat to high quality dried food, the Harrogate Road shop stocks products made from natural ingredients ‘to ensure dogs enjoys optimum health’.
“We did a lot of research prior to opening and we are very selective over what we stock,” says Julie. “Our ground raw meat is called 80-10-10 which is 80 per cent meat, ten per cent offal and ten per cent bone. It’s very nutritious.”
The couple, who have been married for 32 years, met while serving in the Armed Forces. In later years Carl became a self-employed electrician, while Julie worked in customer services roles for various companies.
As dog lovers - they have two Hungarian vizslas Stanley and Maggie - they had thought about running a dog-related business for years.
“It was our daughter Harriet’s idea but we didn’t have the opportunity,” says Julie. “Then last year a property owned by a friend became available to rent and it seemed perfect.”
The couple put their stamp on the shop, in Harrogate Road, making use of many recycled items.
“We used pallets which we sanded and burned to create the look we wanted,” says Carl, who has continued with his electrical work while working at the shop on evenings and weekends. “We like to be able to reuse items.”
Harriet, who lives in Suffolk, designed the logo and has helped with leaflets, while the couple’s son Daniel, helps on the supply and delivery side when he is not at work.
Opening the shop was nerve-racking, says Julie. “On the first day we took £5.99 and thought ‘oh no, what have we done?’, but from then it got better and better.”
Adds Carl: “Now people come not just from the local area but from all over the district. We have had great support from the community and have made so many new friends. We have had some really good reviews on Facebook.”
The couple know most of their canine customers by name. “We love seeing dogs stop outside the shop and look inside while being walked,” says Julie.
The shop doesn’t only attract dog owners. “Some people buy food for cats and kittens and one customer buys meat for her birds of prey,” says Julie. “Every day is different - running the shop is so rewarding, we absolutely love it.”
*Bark to Basics, 342 Harrogate Road, Bradford; the shop has a Facebook page; for inquiries, call 07359407018
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