Mutt Mart is making a Pawsitive impact on Hamilton community

Nicholas Shelly
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

What started as projects to help the Hamilton community of northeastern Baltimore City and drive customers to small businesses have evolved into a Mutt Mart that barters with pet fans and “Dogs and Diamonds” fundraisers.

“A lot of people don’t shop at small businesses,” said Krista Cushman, president of the Hamilton Business Association. “There’s just a lot of assumption that small businesses are overpriced and don’t have everything you need, but that’s often not the case.”

Mutt Mart was Cushman’s first project to help the local community. She is an avid volunteer at Maryland Pet Sanctuary, MAS, and started to collect used pet items for MAS until the donated goods began to overrun the place.

“People would be like, ‘I have this crate I’m going to throw it away unless you want it’,” Cushman said. “I’m very eco-friendly, so that was upsetting for me to hear that this big metal and plastic thing that is never going to biodegrade in a million years is getting thrown away in a landfill.”

Cushman said she began to offer these items to customers, friends and others when they fostered a dog or donated to the rescue. The model of reusing items to benefit the shelter became a full business for Cushman, who said she now allows people to bring in used pet supplies in exchange for store credit at Mutt Mart.

“Until you look at the prices, you can’t even tell what’s used and what’s new,” Cushman said. “It’s awesome because you get high-quality supplies into the hands of people for not as much money.”

Every month, Cushman said she features one local animal rescue in her store. She has a donation jar and hosts two fundraising events for the rescue groups in the store’s backyard.

“Krista is very young and energetic,” said Marcia Lakein-Snyder, co-owner and great-granddaughter of the founder of Lakein’s Jewelers of Hamilton. “I think it’s awesome, she’s really involved. We have a really good community through the businesses in the neighborhood.”

Located near Mutt Mart, Lakein’s Jewelers was started in Hamilton in 1934 by Isadore Lakein after he immigrated from Russia to Baltimore with his family in 1913. The store has been run by his family for five generations.

“People come in and we hear mostly one of two things,” said Rachel, Marcia Lakein-Snyder’s daughter: “‘My mother came here,’ ‘my grandfather came here,’ ‘my whole family came here.’ Or, we get, ‘I’ve been pass this place a thousand times and have never been in.’ It’s one extreme or the other.”

Lakein’s Jewelers of Hamilton is the oldest business in Hamilton, unless you count the church, said Aaron Turnbaugh, a Lakein’s employee, with a laugh.

“You can buy anything on the Internet, but you can’t buy what we sell,” said Marcia Lakein-Snyder. “You can’t buy our advice. You can’t buy our opinion. You can’t buy our experience. You can’t buy our expertise.”

Mutt Mart has partnered with Lakein’s Jewelers to create a yearly event called ‘Dogs and Diamonds.’ This event allows customers to dress their dogs up in costume jewelry and get photos taken. The event collects money for the animal rescue groups featured in the mart.

“We network and try to coordinate fun activities that we can do with the neighborhood,” Cushman said. “We work to promote each other’s businesses.”

Aside from Mutt Mart’s events and outreach, Hamilton’s businesses host an annual street festival providing live music, art, food, and community in downtown Hamilton.

“A terrific addition to Hamilton all around,” Jen M., Yelp reviewer from Baltimore, said. “Mutt Mart is a wonderful example of small business entrepreneurial spirit that Baltimore needs.”