Approximately two weeks ago, we reported on Los Angeles getting its first dog cafe. We’re pretty sure a collective groan went up in NYC as dog lovers across the city bemoaned the fact that the greatest city in the world was yet to get one of its own.
However, an NYC dog cafe might actually become a reality thanks to Maggie Chan and Mandy Chow. According to the Gothamist, Chan and Chow started their fundraising efforts way back in December.
Chow spoke to BarkPost about the driving force behind the project:
“Aside from being dog lovers…it’s also all the depressing news I read daily about dogs being abandoned. That’s the driving force for us. Help promote dog adoptions in a sense. Having a dog myself, I can see how sad he gets whenever I leave home or how excited he gets when I come home.”
To ensure that they abide by all of the NYC Health Department’s stringent health and sanitary codes, Chow and Chen envision the space with a glass enclosed playground for the pups (accessible by a separate entrance), while guests enjoy drinks and snacks.
They hope to have shelter dogs come spend the day at the dog cafe, where dog lovers without dogs will get to spend time with them and perhaps take the leap forward in adopting these fuzzbutts:
“I can’t even imagine how heartbroken the dogs that get abandoned feel when someone they thought was the world to them drops them off at an animal shelter or even just anywhere outside. We want to be able to help each and every single one of these dogs find a better loving home.”
While Chow and Chen are a ways away from their goal and are pursuing crowdfunding efforts on Indiegogo, they also have some investors interested and will consider all funding options to realize their dream.
Help NYC get its first dog cafe before LA does, by visiting Indiegogo page and making your donation!
In 2013, Bark & Co. managed to put together the first puppy pop-up store to help Manhattanites find their shelter pup-mate. While it wasn’t a dog cafe, it managed to get a huge amount of foot traffic and helped a bunch of rescues find forever homes! This is a great foreteller that a more permanent Dog Cafe could indeed make a difference.
