Dear Crabby,
Our family has been talking about adopting a pet for some time now and my wife suggested we go looking before involving the kids. Well, color me surprised when she didn’t suggest we head to our nearest local shelter, but rather a… dog café! Have you heard of these?
Thanks,
Ned Newfie
Dear Ned Newfie,
First of all, let me congratulate you on deciding to get a dog. Nothing really compares to man’s best friend. That is of course unless your wife insists you get one of those small, yappy things. But since you mentioned kids, I’ll assume you’re getting a dog with a little more meat on its bones. Second, I think you’re smart to adopt rather than buy from a breeder. I mean why would I want a Nederlandse kooikerhondje when I can’t even pronounce it?
Of course, the first dog café popped up in La-La Land and then New Yawkers decided it would be a good idea too. From what I understand, the purpose of these places is to be able to get your dog fix and if you see one you like, you can adopt. Seems pretty straight forward and a win-win for everyone. But it doesn’t stop with dogs. Nope. There are also cat cafés as well. Back in my day there was a cat that lived on my block, but wasn’t owned by anyone. We sort of all looked after the little fella, feeding him and such. So, I guess you could say we were pioneers of the open-air cat café. Ha! Now here’s the bad news: I don’t think there are currently any dog cafés in Michigan. I guess we’re just not hip enough yet. But if you’re a cat lover, then you’re in luck. There’s The Catfe Lounge in Ferndale (I’m guessing they’re left leaning) or Happy Cat Café in Grand Rapids if your pet to be a little more conservative. Same concept as the dog café, but with cats, which in my opinion are just OK.
Sorry I had to burst your wife’s dreams of waltzing into a dog café and then out again with a new four-legged family member. On the other hand, maybe you should open the first dog café in Michigan! You could call it ‘Detroit Ruff’ or ‘Downriver Doggie Diner.’ You get the idea.
Anyway, good luck finding the dog of your dreams.
Dear Crabby