Adopt don’t shop is a mantra for many dog lovers, and at this Los Angeles dog café, that (and coffee, of course) is the mantra. For $10, guests can enjoy a beverage and 55-minute block of time to hang with all the adorable adoptables. Visits are by reservation only; potential dog parents can make theirs online at The Dog Café’s website.
Founder Sarah Wolfgang, an animal activist for much of her life, raised $16,000 on Indiegogo to get the place up and running. The café will hopefully lighten the load for the South L.A. Animal Shelter, focusing their search in part for furry friends on those who have been there the longest, on those whose time is short.
“There are people who believe some dogs are unadoptable,” she told Los Angeles Magazine during the fund-raising process. “I don’t believe that. I think every possible option should be exhausted before euthanization is considered.”
The Café’s profits will cover the dogs’ various medical expenses.
“A lot of times, the only way people can go through dog adoption is to go to a shelter,” Wolfgang told Southern California Public Radio station 89.3 KPCC. “And dogs don’t have the opportunity to show adopters their true selves.”
The café’s relaxed atmosphere eliminates many of the stressful conditions found in shelter environments, allowing the dogs to be more playful, more themselves.
