One of the things I truly miss about Fort Collins, Colorado, where I spent a good part of the aughts before moving back here, was how absolutely dog-friendly every place was. From the sheer abundance of dog-parks to the way every eatery in Old Town and beyond was accommodating with waterbowls and leash hooks galore, it was a daily occurrence to get out and spend money at local small businesses with your canine companion in tow.
So it was kind of a rude re-awakening to come back home—a newfound “dog person”—and have to leave the pups at home when I went to the store or, really, anywhere, as there was now no place for them. I felt so sorry for them about this disruptive change in their routine; they were so used to going everywhere that, as I was pulling away, I could see their heartbroken little faces, confused and bewildered as to why they couldn’t come, whimpering as if they did something wrong. Poor doggies.
It was during a conversation about this very subject that a friend handed me a Christmas present—a $25 gift certificate to a new joint down on Western called Fat Dog Kitchen and Bar—a place that, he thought but wasn’t sure, allowed dogs in the patio area. If this was true, I thought to myself, my black lab Hoogie and I might just have a place to hang out at when the weather gets warmer.
(Too bad my little one, Harry, didn’t live to see it. Way to go, OKC.)