When appropriate, I like to bring Oscar along for window-shopping walks. He's a bit of a people magnet, and enjoys the attention; he's patient, and curious, and predictably jazzed by the bouquet of freshly changing smells that bathe the heavily trafficked streets of a popular retail strip. A few weekends ago, the Beast and I again ventured across the river to the sunny hum of Newbury Street. And whether I had planned to stop in or not, as soon as O-Town's sniffer passed the "never-ending treat can" tied to the wrought-iron railing in front of pet boutique Fish & Bone, it was decided: we were going inside - and we weren't coming out empty handed.
Fish & Bone is owned by the charming Kathy Palmer, and is the younger, southern sibling of pet supply outpost Fetch, in Portland, ME. Fish & Bone's Newbury location does not boast a heap of square-footage, but what space there is positively overflows with bright, unique, tastefully designed, and meticulously sourced product: collars, leads, stuffies and chewies take up much of the front, while a nom-nom nook towards the back teems with healthy food options, for dogs and cats alike - at least that's what it looked like - we only really made it as far as the á la carte canine treat display...
While Oscar busied himself investigating a bucket of antler chews and pigs ears, I went to work filling a small paper bag with an assortment of novel yet wholesome looking treats from the neatly organized self-serve treat shelf. Each treat type* was labeled in it's own giant, glass, lidded jar, and with names like "Lamb Wonder Wieners" and "Philly Cheesesteak Meatballs", I couldn't help but grab one of each.
*I'm pretty certain Oscar can detect the flavor nuances between venison jerky and chicken crunchers, what I'm not certain of is whether he gives two shakes about diversity (this is the dog that inhales paper wrappers if they so much as smell like they once swaddled a muffin). All things considered, if I can read into excessive drool and an unusually hasty attention to commands as any indication of "like", I'd say each all-natural, no preservative little nugget has so far been a home run in the flavor department. Below, a selection of the varietous treat-scape you can expect to find on the Fish & Bone shelves...
Of course every Beast becomes an angel when there is good food to be had... and there was no shortage of good eats for this dog at Fish & Bone. From the company website:
Throughout the years our mission has remained the same: to improve the quality of life of animals and their people with healthy natural diets & other edibles, a great selection of gear, a depth of knowledge in a creative atmosphere, and a spirit of good fun… and to support animal welfare, the arts and the environment along the way.
Our thanks to Kathy and the sweet staff at Fish & Bone for making an impromptu Saturday pit stop such a thoroughly enjoyable affair. We'll surely be back - and we'll bring a bigger shopping bag next time!
Oscar, you certainly do look happy to be in this store! Glad to hear your Mum set you up with some goodies!
Posted by: Holly Buttura | August 21, 2012 at 04:06 PM