Wallyreader Yolanda writes:
It would be great if you could do a spot on dog-friendly Wallingford.
Especially with the summer heat a lot of people are out with their dogs, many stores offer air conditioning, a safe space outside of the hot and dangerous car plus treats and water.
So, on one of our few warm and sunny days, I leashed up Wallyhood Rover Reporter, Scout, and set out to do a recon mission to see just how many stores in Wallingford are dog friendly. Turns out, there are quite a few! But before I share the list with you, I’d like to first post a few ground rules:
First off, the FDA has federal guidelines that prohibit live animals (except for fish in fish tanks) in any places that serve food. So, even if you see a pooch or two in a restaurant, there’s a chance that it’s a service animal or someone’s bending the rules. Either way, I didn’t include any restaurants, bars, coffee shops or food stores.
Secondly—and I say this as a fellow dog lover and owner of two generations of dogs here in Wallingford–please be a responsible pet owner and keep control over your dog at all times. Not everyone is a dog lover. In fact, many people are fearful of dogs. So even if you think Fifi would rather lick somebody to death over mauling them, it’s not cool to let her jump on people.
Dog Friendly Places in Wallingford
- Bedrooms and More (with a caveat that you won’t let Fido jump on the beds!)
- Chase
- Comics Dungeon
- Edward Jones Investments
- Fast Girl Skates
- Frame Central
- Golden Oldies
- Hawaii General Store and Gallery
- Jiffy Lube
- Kids on 45th (ask first because the store is pretty tight to begin with)
- Mirage Comfort Shoes
- Not a Number
- Paper Delights
- Pharmaca
- Sock Monster
- Swansons Shoe Repair
- Sun Drycleaners
- Terra Hemp
- Tweedy and Popp
- UPS
- Viola Gay Optometry
- Wallingford Dry Cleaners
- Wells Fargo
- Wide World Books and Maps
This list doesn’t cover every single dog friendly business in Wallingford, so if you’re a business owner and we’ve missed you, post it in the comments section and we’ll add you to the list.
A little sad that places that “bend the rules” weren’t included. I like to know about those, it’s fun to go into doggy restaurants.
@B — yes, but doing so would put those folks on regulators’ radar. Or could anyway, if you remember the art police a while back… 😉
Thank you so much for this list!! I love to take my greyhound around the neighborhood with me as much as possible but I get nervous taking him in to new stores. This is awesome! (Now if only you could do it for the whole city…just kidding I know this is a Wallingford blog) 🙂 Thank you!
Gotta say, I have found that Wallingford is super dog friendly… I resist taking my dogs into shops because they are just puppies (pretty well behaved puppies, but still puppies) and I get encouraged to bring them in all the time, and often are plied with treats… You forgot Durn Good!
The Wallingford Center is dog-friendly, and air-conditioned! It’s a great place for our Alaskan Husky to cool off on warm summer days.
Great…just encourage people to bring there dogs everywhere, with no real reflection on the possibility that this is not universally delightful.
People are afraid of dogs, people are allergic to dogs, people have children who are afraid of dogs, (or are badly un-afraid of dogs)–plenty of people just don’t want to have dogs everywhere they go. And, yes, there are dog owners who are irresponsible and have badly-behaved dogs.
I just don’t see why there need to be dogs in the bank.
Yes, I like dogs–there are one or two dogs at my work most days. But, I knew that when I took the job. It’s not the same as suddenly facing down a muzzle in the crowded aisles of, oh, Pharmaca (which I would think would be covered under some health regulation).
Oh, Newtonian–Thanks for not bringing the puppies everywhere. As for the Dun Good, food stores are legally dog-free zones.
Thanks for the last paragraph of your post. I have a little girl who is terrified of dogs. She will run into traffic to avoid a dog, and the fear is so great that no logical argument works. And I think she is too young for behavioral therapy! Since she is also allergic to dogs, we can’t have one to help her get over the fear. The rest of the family loves dogs, and I don’t know where this comes from, but it is not something we have taught her. I try to teach her that the dogs’ owners will make sure the dog doesn’t do anything to her, but sometimes I am wrong.
Here at Seattle Bank we host neighborhood dogs all the time. Stop by to do your banking and get a dog treat.
Awesome article and great research. Just my opinion but…it may look like restaurants are bending the rules a bit but I don’t think they are. Service dogs are not required to be vested so a dog in a restaurant that is well-behaved and under the control of the owner at all times AND has been identified as a service dog does have the right to be with a disabled owner. And remember, not all disabilities are physical, some are hidden such as seizures. 🙂
Thank you, Cinders. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog in a restaurant here in Wallingford, other than when Babalu used to be SBC and they’d let our Retriever inside. I have seen it in other neighborhoods, though (Fremont’s “Norms” comes to mind). I think, too, you raise a good point about service animals, and what’s more, the dogs can even be “Service Dogs in Training”.
I’m trying to be polite about this, but for crying out loud, people–could you stop thinking about how to skirt the law by lying about your dog being a service animal, and instead give some consideration to the fact that plenty of people want to eat, and shop for food, WITHOUT dogs around? (except genuine service dogs, which are extremely well trained)
I love my dog and wish I had a way to take him with me when I walk into the ‘hood for shopping or coffee, but I won’t take him inside and I’m uncomfortable leaving him outside because he’s small and attractive. The only choice is to leave him at home when I have errands. I also love other people’s dogs for the most part, but I’m in total agreement with fruitbat above.
Some owners are completely oblivious to their pet’s annoying behavior, and we all know how Seattleites love to confront a problem–not! Inviting any and all dogs inside places of business can be a very bad idea. We live in a city, lots of us are sharing a small space. It’s a matter of respect.
On the other hand, if ours is really such a dog-friendly environment, wouldn’t it really be nice to see walk-up windows for customers at some of the places we adore but dogs can’t go–say the Fainting Goat, for example!!? If Dick’s can do it successfully…
We have been, and always will be, dog-friendly. As long as your pooch is sociable with other dogs and reasonably well behaved they’re always welcome.
Fruitbat – I hope you are not implying that I am trying to skirt the law. A lot of time, energy, training and money goes into a REAL service dog that is well-mannered and under the owner’s control. However, there are fakers out there (and they are subject to large fines if caught). Dogs who are out of control – barking, aggressive, etc. should not be in public places of business at all.
Iyqtoo–You are a shining example to dog owners everywhere. It would be nice to have more middle ground–outdoor areas where dogs could be, safe “parking” places for dogs. Walk-up windows are nice, but don’t suit all businesses, are expensive and aren’t useful year round. Maybe Wallingford can put in some creative thought about solutions pleasing to all.
Cinders–I apologize, I didn’t read closely enough. You are not advocating fakery. I’m just sensitive because I have encountered pretty obvious fakes (the dog is not well trained; the person didn’t seem too clear on whether or not the dog was a service dog). I do think some kind of ID for service dogs would be useful.
Not A Number Cards and Gifts allows dogs.
Thanks, I’ve added it.