Sometimes a man’s best friend is not only that, but his conduit to the world.
Stuart Harrod, owner, operator and sole employee of Folkbike Re-Cyclery, and his dog, Rusty, have become icons in downtown Frankfort.
Inside Stuart’s shop, donated bikes in various conditions clutter almost all the floor space. At his post at the front of the shop, Rusty stands watch over the entrance, greeting visitors with a wildly swinging tail and an inquisitive sniff.
“I loved his picture on Petfinder,” Stuart says. “He looked so bright. He was already housebroken!
“I’ve pretty much always had dogs. I love them, and I can’t live without them.”
Almost every day Brittany Hulette, who works nearby, stops by the shop to give Rusty a treat. As soon as Rusty hears her walking down the street, he jumps from his bed and waits by the door for her to come in, tail wagging.
When Stuart was 16, he started working in his father’s concrete business. After the death of his father, Stuart took over the quality control lab, and his older brother David began managing the day-to-day aspects.
One morning, still dressed in his bathrobe, a revelation came to Stuart while he worked on a friend’s bike in his basement before work: This is what it’s supposed to be like.
“I couldn’t wait to dive back in,” he says.
Stuart remains a silent partner in his family’s concrete business. Though he is no longer involved in the daily operations, he is supported by a small income from the business, which allows him to maintain Folkbike Re-Cyclery. Stuart believes the bike shop is a resource for the community, and Rusty is his connection to the people he helps.
“People have said I live vicariously through my dog,” he says. “I’d say there’s some truth to that.”
