Watch: Cork City set to go barking mad for dog cafe
Pupcakes, pawscotti, and pawsecco were on the menu yesterday as Cork’s first dog café opened for business.
And judging by the reaction of the first four-legged customers through Bark & Bumble’s door, the city is set to go barking mad for the venture, which includes a boutique shop for your style-conscious pooch and a dog treat bakery.
Brave shih tzu Cookie, who was on death’s door just four weeks ago, was the early centre of attention as she arrived for her 18th birthday party.
“That’s 104.48 dog years,” said her proud owner, Annette Gibney, from Midleton, as her son Marcus and his pals Alex and Sam held party balloons.
“She’s like my first child. She’s fed first. But you’re either like that or you’re not.”
As bemused Cookie sat quietly while customers sang her happy birthday, Annette said: “She’s been so ill. She has cancer for the third time and if it wasn’t for vet Conor Gould, she wouldn’t be around.
"Anybody else would have given up on her and nobody else would put up with us.
“So it’s been very up and down. We thought we’d have to put her to sleep four weeks ago, so we had to mark this birthday.”
Pavlina O’Connor fed treats to her four-year-old staghound cross, Nelly, for performing tricks in the cafe’s doggie play area, complete with ball pond.
“We’d have to Google dog-friendly venues and friends would suggest places. But it was quite hard — there’s not that many places we can bring dogs. There are a few pubs and beer gardens, but few cafes,” she said.
Nelly was raised in Australia where dog-friendly venues are very popular, and moved to Ireland with Pavlina a few years ago.
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Naval Service officer Sub Lieutenant Jason Croke and his partner, Vivienne O’Grady, a teacher in Bally-phehane, enjoyed coffees as their lively four-month-old border collie, Danny, settled in.
“You are limited in where you can go for a coffee with him,” said Jason, as the puppy bounded into the ball pond.
“Normally we have to sit outside cafes with him. And Cork is lacking cafes with outside seating areas. But this is excellent.”
Bark & Bumble co-owners Margaret Smith and Sabrina Dent, who met through their work with a dog rescue group, both admitted to being “crazy dog ladies”.
“Our cafe is dog-focused rather than people focused,” said Margaret.
“As well as dog owners, we also want to encourage anyone who loves dogs, but who hasn’t got a dog or who can’t have one, to come in and interact with the dogs we have here.”
Sabrina, who ran an SME web marketing and digital design business, said she has spent the last 20 years building businesses for other people and was looking forward to building her own.
She said they have worked closely with the health authorities to ensure the cafe meets the various hygiene regulations; there are strict house rules for four-legged customers, and those who breach them could be asked to leave or face some time in the dog-house.
And yes — they do provide doggie bags.
Bark & Bumble on Langford Row is open 10am to 6pm, Tuesday to Sundays.
It will also be open this bank holiday Monday.
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