First dog cafe opens in US

Los Angeles, April 11: The first dog cafe in the US has been opened here in a bid to encourage dog adoption in the country.

'The Dog Cafe', which is opened in Los Angeles, allows people to have a cup of coffee or tea by paying USD 10 for an hour to spend time with dogs which are up for adoption after they were rescued and rehabilitated by cafe owner Sarah Wolfgang and her staff.

The cafe, which was opened here last week, aims to "revolutionise dog adoption by reinventing the way people connect with rescues," the LA Weekly reported.

"The Dog Cafe's mission is simple. We want to provide a second chance for shelter dogs that are often overlooked and for people to come in and cuddle with our pooches even if they aren't interested in adopting." Wolfgang said. "It offers a comfortable and fun space for humans and dogs to hang out with each other, away from overcrowded shelters, which can provoke fear and aggression in perfectly adoptable pups," the company said in a statement.

It focuses on rescuing dogs who have been at the shelter the longest due to health or behavioral issues and are at the highest risk of being euthanized, it added. Wolfgang said that visitors are not allowed to bring their own dogs to the cafe due to lack of city approval, but the staff is willing to coordinate meetings between dogs outside the property.

"Working with rescue groups both locally and in Seoul, Korea, the Dog Cafe will be stocked with dozens of dogs up for adoption, who are able to roam around freely and hang with potential adopters in an environment that is very unlike a high-stress animal shelter," she added.

There are over 77.8 million dogs in the US of which approximately 1.4 million dogs are adopted every year.

PTI