Pet-owners have something to wag their tails about in downtown Baton Rouge.
The inaugural “Dog Days of Summer” debuted this week as pups from all over the Baton Rouge area flocked downtown for the festivities.
From June 17 to 21, businesses all over the downtown area will be accommodating pet-owners and their pets with special events such as “Yappy Hour” at Capital City Grill and Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar and Restaurant. Specialty drinks featured at the events include “The Pomeranian” and “The Maltese Martini.”
“Dog Days” was a dream that came true for Alicia Baron, managing director of the Downtown Business Association of Baton Rouge.
“My two favorite things are downtown Baton Rouge and my dogs,” said Baron. “And when I realized that “Take Your Pet to Work Week” was this week, I said, ‘Why don’t we do it in conjunction with that week?’”
Happy’s Irish Pub was also one of the businesses that took part in celebrating local canines. The pub tweaked its “Happy’s Running Club,” which convenes each Tuesday afternoon to run a 5K, temporarily changing its name to “Yappy’s Running Club.”
Hotel Indigo, which is known for being pet-friendly year-round, hosted a hot-dog lunch on Wednesday with their star live-in greeter, Huey, who is a mixed-breed dog adopted from Iberville Parish Animal Control. The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine partnered with Hotel Indigo earlier this year to adopt Huey from the shelter.
After a casual conversation among colleagues about a hotel in Atlanta that has a live-in dog, Hotel Indigo Director of Sales and Marketing, Margaret Maggio-Chappuis, said they also wanted to implement the creative idea.
“We talked to Gretchen [Morgan], [LSU School of Veterinary Medicine Director of Alumni Relations], and asked her if she could help us find one because we had to have a certain personality; a dog that would be able to handle other pets, people, tons of owners, and be okay with it,” said Maggio-Chappuis. “About a week later, they found Huey for us. They sent us a picture and that was it.”
The week of events will close on Friday with Pets of the Plaza & K-9 Alley, a “fun, pet-friendly festival,” that will take place at the North Boulevard Town Square.
The festival will feature various vendors from across the Baton Rouge area that specialize in animals and what pet-owners need to help make owning a pet much easier. Confirmed vendors include Capital Area Animal Welfare Society, Sweet Feet, The Royal Treatment Canine Salon and Spa and the Garden District Animal Hospital.
