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Tuesday, March 11, 2003

By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

A Child's Heart has charming displays of antique dolls and bears as well as brand-new dolls and plush animals. But what really lures window shoppers into the Blawnox shop is the little black cocker spaniel that goes to work there every day.

	Mary Lennox, a cocker spaniel, makes the rounds between A Child's Heart and the shop in its basement, Beyond The Garden Gate, which has an indoor koi pond. (John Beale, Post-Gazette photos)

The dog watches the merchandise as well as the front windows. When people stroll by, the dog springs into action, jumping up and down, yipping and wagging her tail.

"People see her and come in to meet her," said shop owner Georgia Petrus.

Her name, visitors are told, is Mary Lennox -- just like the saucy little girl in the classic children's book, "The Secret Garden."

The name is especially apt, for the canine Mary Lennox also works in the garden shop in the basement of the doll-and-bear shop. It's called Beyond The Garden Gate and is owned and operated by Petrus' daughter, Ann Petrus.

Those two shops are part of a bustling business district in the tiny town of Blawnox, which is about 20 minutes northeast of Downtown and has a population of 1,626, according to the 2000 census. A four-block stretch of Freeport Road -- Blawnox's "main street" -- includes many unique independently owned and operated shops and boutiques. There's not a "chain" store in the batch.

The owners and operators of 16 shops have loosely banded together to produce a small brochure, called the Shop Guide for Blawnox. Nine of those shops are antique stores. The rest sell gifts and collectibles. Adding to the cachet, a number of the shop owners bring their dogs to work.

Olivia, an English bulldog puppy, greets visitors at The Cottage Antiques, where the specialty is Victorian furniture, glass, china and silver. Sydney, an Australian shepherd mix, stands outside the Doodlebug gift shop, all but begging customers to step inside. Then there's Mary Lennox's co-worker, Charlotte, a buff-colored cocker spaniel.

Other shop owners also occasionally bring their dogs to work.

"I think the dogs are what really set these shops apart from others," Georgia Petrus said. "Regulars come and the first thing they ask about is the dogs."

On a recent blustery winter day, Charlotte snoozed in a little basket under a display table while Mary Lennox made the initial overtures to customers.

"Charlotte is a bit more laid-back. Even a bit shy," Petrus explained. On this day, Charlotte was wearing a burgundy sweater although the shop was warm and cozy.

"She just likes wearing sweaters," her owner said.

Both spaniels accompanied a visitor on a tour of the shop, where Petrus showed off her favorite dolls and bears. There's also a display of doll-sized tea sets and dishes and handmade doll clothes fashioned from vintage fabric.

Petrus, who has owned A Child's Heart for 17 years, also operates a doll hospital out of the shop, which is located at 334 Freeport Road. She gently cradles a beautiful bisque-faced blond doll in her arms.

"She's 100 years old and needs repairs that will cost about $200," Petrus said. But the doll is worth about $2,200.

Although antique dolls are her real love, Petrus also repairs ordinary dolls that have no real value except to the little girls who have loved them nearly to death. Some of those repairs are only a few dollars.

Mary Lennox watches the familiar routine, her stumpy tail wagging constantly as she gets ready for her big customer-pleasing trick.

"Mary Lennox! Where are your fish? Show us the fish!" Petrus says.

Mary Lennox runs down the steps and jumps up onto a stone wall surrounding the indoor koi pond that is the decorative centerpiece of Beyond The Garden Gate. The dog braces her legs, puts her head down to peer into the water and uses her paw to gently push water lilies aside so that she can get a better view of the 24 orange and white fish.

"She just loves her fish," Petrus explained.

Ann Petrus opened the garden shop five years ago after college, which came after a seven-year stint as a dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She sells unique garden accessories, many of them animal-themed, including a life-sized garden statue of a cocker spaniel that resembles Charlotte.

Sydney, an Australian shepherd mix waits for customers just inside the doorway at Doodlebug.

At The Cottage Antiques, 231 Freeport Road, the house dog is even more laid-back than Charlotte. Olivia is an 11-month-old English bulldog, and at 56 pounds is nearly as wide as she is long. She never barks and never jumps up on people. In fact, she doesn't move around much.

"She'll sit on the steps all day on Saturday, just watching people," said Betty Fenn, who owns the shop and dog with her husband, Don.

"We hadn't owned a dog for 28 years, and we did research. This breed is very low-key. She just sits all day and doesn't make a peep. We are very pleased," she said.

A sign on the front of the plum, blue and tan cottage identifies it as the Hamilton House, built in 1876. The interior sparkles with china and silver and Victorian antique furniture -- none of which has ever been marred or mussed by Olivia. The Fenns have been selling antiques in Blawnox for 15 years, the past three years at the current location.

At the other end of the Blawnox district, at 469 Freeport Road, Sydney sits at the door wearing a yellow neckerchief with the name of the shop -- Doodlebug. Like Mary Lennox, she seems to be actively trolling for customers. People who bend down to pet her get their faces slathered with dog kisses.

Doodlebug, which opened last year, is owned by Leslie Barbour and Sally Falkner, both avid dog lovers. Falkner's three dogs take turns working at Doodlebug. On other days customers are greeted by Lulu, a shepherd-collie mix, or Elsa, a border collie-Labrador retriever mix.

"People stop in because of the dogs, and each dog has their own fan club," Falkner said.

Barbour's dog, a Bouvier des Flandres named Hooter, is too big and boisterous to hang out in the small gift shop, but he does go to work with Barbour at her other shop, Monogram It, 1310 Freeport Road.

The women describe their wares as "unique gifts for all occasions. Things that you won't find in other places."

The shop has a wide array including handmade soaps, breath mints and lip balms; cotton night shirts; candles; unique jewelry; and sweaters hand-knitted in Peru. Because many of the items are animal-related, Doodlebug will be selling its wares at a booth on April 5 and 6 at the Western Pennsylvania Kennel Association dog show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.