If any dog in Horseshoe Bay goes missing have a look for them at The Flour Bakery.
So says Monica Schaffer, who owns the store with her husband Boris. She explains that a friend once made that joke to her because many dogs in the area enjoy stopping at the shop for a biscuit treat. Any “missing” dog may have just taken it upon themselves to head over for treat on their own, she notes with a laugh.
The couple, who bought the business in January, wasn’t planning on taking on such a venture but did it for a unique reason: they wanted a sustainable source of funding for dog rescue organizations. To that end, they are donating 25 per cent of their overall profits to dog charities.
“It’s going very well. We have a lot of support in the community,” says Monica, who has a full-time job as a chemical engineer.
Initially the idea was to rent a space with commercial ovens just once or twice a week to bake some items to sell as a fundraiser for dog rescue groups. When they inquired with a friend about her daughter-in-law’s bakery, they found out it was for sale, so they decided to buy the bakery rather than rent it.
Boris manages most of the day-to-day operations of the business as Monica still works as an engineer. But her interest in helping dog rescue organizations was sparked years ago, and led to her teaching herself how to knit.
She wanted to make warm blankets for dogs in need up north, whom she had seen while working there as an engineer. Beginning knitters generally start with learning how to make scarves, so that’s what she did. And then she decided to sell those scarves to raise money for dog rescue groups.
Three years later, Monica now volunteers her time with three other knitters across the country to make scarves, blankets, and toques that she sells through her Facebook page For Rescues With Love.
The knitted items are also sold in the store with 100 per cent of those proceeds going to a different dog-related effort each month. “We’re trying to do as much as we can,” explains Monica. “We want to be able to donate as much as possible to the rescues because I personally know what bills the rescues have on a monthly basis.”
The bakery is hosting an adoption event June 5 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the store (6363 Bruce St., West Vancouver) for CAARE (Companion Animal Advocate Rescue Effort).
