Meow: Barkery, Apawthecary To Open In Tiverton

TIVERTON, RI — Tiverton native Kim Lewis and her business partner Amy Burgo, of Fall River, Mass., are opening a new shop at Tiverton Four Corners. Called 'A Passion Fur Paws,' the store will sell oils and other natural products for animals. But it's one-stop shopping for the whole family because the balms and oils also work for people who want to pursue a holistic approach to health, they said.

Lewis and Burgo have developed a product line for dogs, one for cats, and one for horses. All the products are safe and also good for humans. One of their best sellers, for example, is designed to relieve arthritis. Collies and shepherds, for example, famously suffer from this ailment, as they age. But plenty of people are buying the product to deal with their own aches and pains, Lewis said.

"We've been in business over a year," Lewis said. Their products are in a couple of local markets, including Newport Jerky Company on Swinburne Row; Simpson Spring Company in South Easton, Mass., and Cutie Curls, in Tiverton. Their new store will be right next to Cutie Curls, they said. Over the summer, they also had a booth at the New Bedford, Mass., Farmers Market, and traveled to equestrian shows and some home shows. Many of the events happened on Cape Cod. Plus, they have a presence on Amazon and Etsy.

Also, Kevin Harrington, one of the original television sharks on Shark Tank, has contacted them about a future infomercial. His company, As Seen On TV, wants to work with them, Lewis said.

Burgo said she and Lewis conected because she used to take her dog to a pet daycare and boarding kennel, which Lewis co-owned. They'd had a conversation or two about holistic approaches for keeping the pets healthy and realized they shared the same vision. When Lewis decided to leave her daycare business, she talked to Burgo about working together.

"Let's see where it takes us," they decided. By then, Burgo had been working with "essential oils" and testing some formulas for about five years.

So what are essential oils? Patch wanted to know.

They're the oils that come from "the most concentrated part of the plant or herb or spice," Burgo said. If you distill a lavender flower to get the oil, the pure oil is the essence of the plant, hence the term "essential oil." In most cases, the oils are used topically, she said. So, you just rub them on to relieve "many ailments and conditions," she said.

She started into holistic health for pets partly because she had become a vegetarian and started exploring natural foods and products.

"I immediately took to it, she said. And then her dog at the time had developed cancer. She wanted to keep her pet strong for as long as possible. As she delved into the subject of holistic medicine for pets, she realized a lot of people were heading in the same direction.

"I can't tell you how many people have told me their dogs are on Prozac," she said, and they're looking for an alternative that's a natural medicine. Go to a traditional veterinarian, she said, and the first thing they offer is a prescription. But people have started looking to Eastern medicine for natural remedies, like essential oils. They can also help with anxiety, and do it without introducing a drug. For example, her calming spray has no preservatives, and it works, she said.

She also has developed an insect repellent spray that works on fleas, ticks and other pests, and it's all natural, she said. The dog treats baked in the Barkery are all natural. Other best sellers are "pawtection" to keep the paws safe from ice melt and salt; three types of shampoo, itch relief; allergy balms and a linen spray that helps overcome insomnia.

When the store opens at the end of January or beginning of February, visitors might glimpse a lucky dog or two. Burgo now has Boo, another pit bull, which she adopted. Lewis has a chocolate lab and a pit bull. They're best buddies, they said.