By Loyd Brumfield
lbrumfield@neighborsgo.com

A bad case of allergies led to a new business venture for a Winnetka Heights woman.

The allergies belonged to her dog, and after a course of steroid shots and some hefty vet bills, Leslie McKay found some food that was more nutritious for her pet.

After some research, McKay became engrossed in environmentally friendly, all-natural pet foods, which led her to open her own business — Green Pet in the heart of the Bishop Arts District.

“The pet food recall [in 2007] really got me started,” said McKay, who has owned Green Pet for almost two years. “Through some twists and turns, I ended up working for people who sold the kind of food I was looking for, but I thought I could offer a better business model.”

McKay put her marketing background to work, and soon Green Pet opened its doors. At the start, she was the store’s only employee. About three months later, she hired Margot Gonzales, making Green Pet a two-person shop.

All of the store’s food and treats are human-grade, with no fillers or byproducts, McKay said. Her store sells hard-to-find brands such as Evo, California Natural, Primal Pet Foods Inc., and Merrick canned foods.

There is also a refrigerator full of packaged raw foods, which are ideal for coats, teeth and digestive health, McKay said.

“On the weekends, traditionally a lot of people come through the Bishop Arts District to sightsee and shop, so we tend to get a lot of foot traffic,” McKay said. “We give nutritional consults all the time, and a lot of people are impressed because we spend a lot of time with them individually, and they leave without spending a penny.”

Green Pet is home to three in-house dogs, and a cat is coming soon. Rocky, a Lhasa apso; Petey, a Brussels griffon; and Diggy, an American pit bull terrier, obediently sit still for visitors and perform tricks for treats.

“People come from all over the place to see Diggy,” McKay said.

GREEN PET

• 315 N. Bishop Ave. in Dallas

• 214-942-6042, greenpetdallas.com

• Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday
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Loyd Brumfield is the Best Southwest neighborsgo editor and can be reached at lbrumfield@neighborsgo.com or 214-977-7686.