by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Evelyn Couture

Age: 35

Occupation: Co-proprietor of Bark & Fitz

Bio: This earthy NDG resident had been running her own pet-sitting business, Paws and Pals, until selling it a year-and-a-half ago and finding herself “looking for something new to do.” Running across upscale pet emporium Bark & Fitz while on a trip to Toronto shortly thereafter, Evelyn says she and her husband Mike “immediately went, ‘Oh-mi-god, this is perfect,’” and quickly moved to pick up a B&F franchise here in Montreal, which they opened at 5674 Monkland almost a year ago to the day. Offering only the finest—and arguably priciest—pet foods and supplies to their primarily well-heeled clientele, Evelyn says, “I think most regulars who shop here view their pets as part of the family—not just an animal in the backyard—the same way that we feel about our dog Owen. It’s a way of life.”

Do many people from below the tracks come up to Monkland to buy $240 dog blankets? “Many people have the impression everything we sell here is overpr…I mean, expensive, but that’s not the case. Sure, if you want to spend $80 on a dog leash, you can, but if you only want to spend $16, well, we have that too. We sell a wide range of products.”

Something Evelyn wouldn’t be caught dead feeding Owen: Commercial dog food. “You’d be quite surprised to learn what goes into these foods—like the remains of euthanized animals who wound up in rendering plants.” For more info on what Poochie is really eating, Evelyn suggests you visit www.whole-dog-journal.com.

What holistic dog food goes for at Bark & Fitz and why it’s so wonderful: “A five-pound bag ranges from $14 to $19—and the most anyone will pay is $66 for a 30-pound bag of Natures Variety Lamb. As for quality, for starters, all the meat in these foods is considered fit for human consumption.”

Has she ever been tempted to eat any of these fine pet foods herself? “Yeah, I’ve tried some of the baked goods, and some of them, like the cinnamon swirls, taste okay.”

Do they carry any cat foods made from 100 per cent mouse? No.

Is that because these foods are marketed towards what pet owners might find deliciously good as opposed to what the animals themselves might prefer? Probably. “But we sell hemp mice toys with organic catnip inside. They’re about $6.”

Does a hemp cat toy generally have the effect of making cats want to listen to music and eat a lot of crap before finally nodding off in front of the TV? “Nah. But it’s true, we have gotten some crazy feedback about these catnips.”

How much their priciest organic dog bone will set you back: $27.

Do animals gnawing on $27 bones tend to have an air of superiority about them? “No, they’re all pretty down to earth.”

Musical preferences: Interpol.

Last book read: Cross Bones, by Kathy Reichs.

Words of wisdom: “Love me, love my dog.”

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