As the most dog friendly town in the United States, it’s not surprising that a new canine-centric specialty store in downtown Bend had its tail-wagging opening last month. Owner Tawna Storey categorizes Bendy Dog as a cozy little boutique with artistic creations for dogs and their people.
“We fit perfectly into Bend with it being a mix of art and artistic creations for pets,” she said. “I’m really trying to focus on local artists with my inventory. We have local metal artists, a local soap maker, watercolorists, acrylic painters and a line of fun, whimsical products that I enjoy as a dog owner myself.”
The quaint shop stocks eclectic items your pup will howl for, like protective eyewear for dogs called Doggles, I Luv Pet Head’s fragrant shampoos, paw wipes and freshening sprays, colorful silicone dog bowls by Silipint, Bend City Bones’ grain-free peanut butter biscuits and Majesty Buddy Pops, 100 percent edible dog lollipops and healthy supplement wafers, and a rainbow of Lodi and Lewi and Dutch Dog collars and leashes.
“I moved here from Southern California last year and tried to find a place to live that I loved where I could become part of a community,” Storey explained. “I wanted to start fresh in a new place and came up with the genesis of Bendy Dog. The whole town has been very supportive and encouraging and excited to have a local shop that supports our addiction to dogs and appreciation for the arts.
“All of the featured artists in the store like Sarah Hansen, Vicki Shuck and Rebecca Baldwin are available for private pet portrait commissions, Sarah will be the in-house artist for our First Friday Celebration in August.”
Another important contributor to the shop is Chelsea Crawford, who created a company called Wonder Dog Apparel that makes jersey-style shirts and hoodies for dogs with inspirational rescue messages written on them, donating 20 percent of her profits to no-kill shelters and local rescue organization.
“Nancy Goode supplies us with a line of hand-made essential oil-based bar soaps, shampoos and freshening sprays and walnut-wood dog dish holders. The super-popular Dog is Good line, consists of t-shirts, totes, hats, refrigerator magnets and stainless steel dog water bottles with a carabiner to attach to your belt for walking or hiking,” says Storey.
Next month Bendy Dog will be opening the upstairs, where they’ll have an entire art gallery filled by pup-loving works in all media, including paintings, wine barrel dog beds, dog houses and dog toys by local craftsmen.
“I’m really excited to see where the shop goes and what sort of artists come knocking on my door to share their wares,” she said. “We’re extremely pet friendly so come in to meet Maggie, my chocolate lab, the inspiration for the store and see what new doggy creations are on the shelves.”
Bendy Dog, 112 NW Minnesota Ave. in downtown Bend. 541-419-6463
(Photo above: Bendy Dog owner Tawna Storey | Photo by Jeff Spry)
