wr it e n e x t d oor with columnist Colleen D’Angelo Photos courtesy of the Borchers and Partridge families
Pawsitively Dublin Life isn’t so ruff for dogs in Dublin Greeting deer and dogs on the Muirfield bike paths and planting spring flowers are some of my favorite things to do with Mason by my side. Mason is my family’s 6-year-old spaniel who never lets me out of his sight and is always up for a cuddle or an outdoor adventure. As is the case for many pet owners, Mason is an integral part of our family and brings us incredible joy. Seventy percent of U.S. households own a pet, according to the American Pet Products Association, which is up from 56 percent in 1988. Staying homebound during the pandemic brought many of us even closer to our furry friends as we leaned on each other for emotional support. Consider the 23 million American households who adopted a “pandemic pet” – including President Joe Biden and his new dog, Commander – and business is booming. Total pet industry expenditures in the U.S. totaled $123.6 billion last year, up 19 percent from 2020. So, what do we do with our dogs? We don’t want to leave our four-legged friends at home, and fortunately restaurants, shops and hotels are taking notice. Many Dublin patios are dog-friendly and several establishments even offer yummy treats! Dubliner Randi Bicking enjoys taking her daughter, Kamryn, and their 3-month-old rescue dog, Tucker, to Starbucks for a whipped cream puppuccino. Casey Clarke, and her daughter, Jo, Kamryn Bicking with her 3-month-old rescue dog Tucker, enjoying a Starbucks pup cup.
Jo Clarke walking her black standard poodle in downtown Dublin. 44 • August/September 2022
purchase similar pup cups at Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea when strolling in the Bridge Park area with their standard poodles. Johnson’s Real Ice Cream offers scoops of vanilla ice cream topped with a dog treat, while Winans Chocolates + Coffees has waggie bones dog treats with yogurt based white chocolate. At Graeter’s Ice Cream, the first Thursday of the month, AprilSeptember, means free frozen treats for Fido from 6-9 p.m. Many Dublin restaurants, including Condado Tacos and Dublin Village Tavwww.dublinlifemagazine.com
