The foster mother

Avenue Barket is a lost and found for pets

Little tattooed paw prints fleck Cindy Embrey’s left foot. She’s planning a few more since the tattoos represent the dogs she has loved, which are many. Embrey opened Avenue Barket, the Lower Greenville pet store, about two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, she has become the point person for lost and stray dogs in the neighborhood. “People dump dogs around here,” Embrey says. “We get many, many.” It’s not unusual for Embrey to be outside coaxing a scared dog out of the bushes. Once she reels the animal in, she takes it to a vet for medical care and then starts working on finding a place for the dog. She typically finds homes through Facebook or word-of-mouth. And it’s not just street dogs. Sometimes Embrey rescues dogs set for euthanasia at the Irving pound. She has found homes for them as far away as England, and she has a lot of happy customers. “My partner and I will be forever in debt to Cindy,” Jerry Gutierrez says. “Our dog Patty is the love our life, along with our other rescue dog LeeRoy.” Embrey also has fostered about 50 dogs, along with her two chihuahuas and a rescue, Bubba, who is also the shop dog. Avenue Barket focuses on healthy pet food and treats. Although Embrey likes cats, the shop mostly caters to dogs. “I’m terribly allergic to cats,” she says.

—Rachel Stone

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