STOCKBRIDGE — Reuben and Amber Lara want to bring people together through their love of dogs.
“We are currently living in a time where a lot divides people,” said Amber, president of Barkshire Dog Trading Co. “It’s a very satisfying, unifying thing that just reminds us that we have things that we are all connected through.”
The Laras created Barkshire, an online dog-centric retail gift store, in 2023. They met over 20 years ago on the dance floor. “Teamwork is kind of the foundation of our whole relationship,” said Reuben, who has a background in arts, entertainment and advertising.
On Saturday morning, they ran a pop-up Barkshire tent at the Community Dog Show at the Stockbridge Library.
Barkshire Dog Trading Co. was founded in 2023 by Reuben and Amber Lara as a way to celebrate the decades-long tradition of dog lovers in the “Barkshires.” “We love dogs, we love vintage art and we love living in the Berkshires,” company President Amber Lara said.
“We love dogs, we love vintage art and we love living in the Berkshires,” Amber said. “We noticed that there was kind of a lack of products celebrating that.”
Barkshire Dog Trading Co. features eco-friendly apparel, organic cotton dog bandanas, custom pet art, and other cleverly themed gifts for dog lovers. “It’s creating products that just make people smile and celebrate their dogs,” co-founder Reuben Lara said.
The gift store features eco-friendly apparel, organic cotton dog bandanas, custom pet art, and other gifts for dog lovers. It prioritizes planet-friendly materials in its products and packaging choices.
The pop-up tent featured all of the products from Barkshire’s gift store. Its pet caricatures, in which digital photos are turned into hand-drawn art, were popular at the dog show.
Barkshire Dog Trading Co. offers pet caricatures, where a person sends a photo, and then it is hand-drawn and delivered as a high-resolution digital file to their email. “It’s creating products that just make people smile and celebrate their dogs,” co-founder Reuben Lara said.
Amber said that people are motivated to share beautiful, personal things about their pets, and they enjoy giving them a drawing. She said they feel privileged that people sometimes trust them to share their experiences with their animals.
“[People] say I want a caricature of my dog that died, and this is why my dog was important,” she said. People tell her, “’It helped me get through cancer,’ or ‘it was my service dog that helped me with my anxiety,’ and it’s really beautiful.”
All of the items needed for the pop-up fit into the couple’s vehicle. The couple said that it takes about an hour to set up, which Reuben says is “pretty quick” given the size.
Barkshire Dog Trading Co. co-founder Reuben Lara with his new luxury playing card set where he drew inspiration from artist Alphonse Mucha. The playing card set pairs the majestic and aerodynamic greyhound/whippet sight hounds with the elegant forms and fabric draping that Mucha was famous for.
Reuben is an illustrator and animator who has worked as a freelance artist and animator for a variety of clients over the last 25 years in entertainment and advertising. Despite the personal stories customers share, Reuben said he doesn’t feel any added pressure when making the caricatures and that he is constantly “entertained by drawing dogs.”
“I think it makes it more special for me knowing the backstories and everything,” Reuben said.
Recently, Reuben created a new luxury playing card set in which he drew inspiration from artist Alphonse Mucha. The playing card set pairs the majestic and aerodynamic greyhound and whippet sight hounds with the elegant forms and fabric draping that Mucha was famous for.
Reuben Lara is Mexican American and has incorporated his heritage into his work, notably with a Spanish graphic T-shirt that says “Saborea los Barkshires,” which means taste the Berkshires. Reuben and his wife Amber created Barkshire Dog Trading Co., an online dog-centric retail gift store in 2023 as a way to celebrate the decades-long tradition of dog lovers in the “Barkshires.”
Reuben is Mexican American and has incorporated his heritage into his work, notably with a graphic T-shirt that says “Saborea los Barkshires,” which means taste the Berkshires in Spanish.
The Laras have been married for nearly 21 years and have one dog, which they said is a rescue and is also the company’s logo.
The company is a side hustle for them; Amber works full-time as a registered dental hygienist. The couple says working together is a “collaboration,” and they enjoy spending time sharing creative ideas.
The couple said they always knew that the business was going to be slow to grow, but it is headed in the right direction, Amber said.
T-shirts are their most popular item, the couple said, adding that caricatures are also a big hit.
The Laras, who live in Dalton, also donate $1 of every T-shirt sale to the Berkshire Humane Society in Pittsfield and PupStarz Rescue in New York. The goal was to always give back to the community, Amber said.
“Especially since the pandemic, there are so many animals in need,” she said. Sustainability and giving back were important to our own personal convictions.”
You can find Barkshire at a variety of local farmers markets and events this summer. Their next event is Pup Cup Pop-up, hosted by Ayelada in Pittsfield, on Aug. 19. Their products can also be found at various retail shops, including Etsy. The bulk of Barkshire’s sales are online.
“Driving people online, spreading the word, and people sharing how much they love [the products] with other people,” Reuben said. “That’s our goal.”
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