If a dog could craft a perfect living environment, it might look a lot like Austin. There are dozens of lakes and streams to play in and a tremendous variety of critters to chase. Many businesses cater to your pooch as well, offering gourmet treats and a place to hose off after an afternoon at play; while many human-focused restaurants welcome pets to their outdoor seating areas.
Austin’s landlords are relatively dog friendly too. Of the 1,488 properties listed for rent in on realtor.com, 1,164 of them — nearly four in five — allow dogs (by contrast, only 22 percent of New York’s property owners welcome their tenants’ furry companions). The city and local organizations estimate Austin’s canine population at between 175,000 and 200,000; about one dog for every four people.
Exploring Austin can be as much fun for canines as it is for humans. There are 11 off-leash dog parks, nearly 100 pet-friendly hotels and hundreds of dog-centric and pet-welcoming businesses.
Run. Fetch. Play.
Many of Austin’s city parks offer off-leash areas, but only one is designed to serve the canines first and humans second (if at all). Red Bud Isle juts from Town Lake just south of the Tom Miller Dam, and its 13 teardrop-shaped acres are paradise for a dog’s dog. A canopy of trees covers the muddy half-mile trail that leads to the end of the island, and easy access to the river at many spots along the trail leads to many wet, dirty, happy, slobbering dogs.
Red Bud may be an ideal place to socialize and exercise your dog, but the parking area is tiny and the facilities are sparse: a few trashcans line the trail but there are no bathrooms, primitive or otherwise. With the closure and uncertain future of Auditorium Shores — arguably the most popular dog destination in the city — Red Bud will likely bear larger crowds in the months to come.
The Friends of Red Bud Isle (www.friendsofredbudisle.org) work to keep the park free of litter and dog poop. Volunteer Coordinator Rochelle Satterfield said the organization’s members and park users “are all committed to maintaining it by picking up after all of our dogs.”
“Lots of people come and neglect being good park users, occasionally complaining about dog waste but walking right past it,” Satterfield said.
The city’s Watershed Protection Department recently began a “Scoop the Poop” initiative to help make dog owners better aware of the health and environmental pollution that comes when pet waste is left uncollected. All of the city’s off-leash areas and many parks have waste bag stations and signs with slogans like “Pet Waste Poo-lutes!”
With Auditorium Shores closed, dog owners will likely be exploring new places. One small but conveniently placed off-leash area is at West Austin Park between 10th and 11th near Lorrain Street. For a bigger adventure head west to Emma Long Park, where 12 miles of trails and an easily accessible lake offer a myriad of things to sniff.
Convenient to North Austinites and worth the drive for everyone else is Cedar Bark Park inside Veterans Memorial Park in Cedar Park. The new facility features a doggie swimming hole, plenty of poop stations, drinking fountains and dog showers.
Sit. Stay. Eat.
Chances are that if a restaurant in Austin has an outdoor seating area, they’ll welcome your pet. Dogs are frequently spotted on the patios at The Draught House, Red’s Porch, and The Spider House, and for good reason. Each offers a spacious, easy-to-navigate outdoor seating area with paw-friendly landscaping and a staff trained to sidestep an affectionate spaniel while holding a tray full of drinks.
Other popular eateries where dogs are welcomed by staff with a smile and a bowl of water include Contigo’s, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que and Magnolia Café. But in true openhearted Austin spirit virtually any restaurant with an outdoor seating area will welcome you and your dog with a smile and pat on the head, respectively.
Good dog.
There are plenty of Austin businesses that serve dogs and dogs only: gourmet food and “dessert” shops, dozens of grooming salons and day-care facilities, countless dog walkers, and in true Austin style, a dog treat food truck.
Bow Wow Bones was launched by Lara Enzor in July 2012 in a converted ice cream truck she found in a Florida Craigslist ad. Enzor and Kim Golden, her partner of 22 years, have rescued and raised six dogs together (as well as fostering several others).
“The more our pets become our family members, the more we’re concerned with what we’re putting in their bodies as well as our own,” Enzor said.
With this concern in mind, Enzor uses only natural, local, human-grade ingredients in her products.
“I’ve had a bite,” Enzor said. “I’ve tested every one of our treats.”
Enzor takes her truck to various dog parks and special events (for up-to-date location information, visit her site at www.bowwowbones.net) and also offers doggie ice cream from Groovy Dog in Westlake along with treats by Chloe’s Barkery and Healthy Hound.
When it’s time to hose Fido off after your day of exploring Austin’s best dog-friendly spots, head to one of six Dirty Dog self-service dog wash locations. There you can give your pooch a luxurious bath in an oversized steel tub with a flexible hose and stairs for easy access. Shampoo, towels, ear cleaner, nail clippers, brushes and blow driers are also provided.
Dirty Dog was started in 2003 by two Dallas transplants and charges sliding rates based on the size of your dog. To see a full list of services, fees, and locations, visit their site at www.dirty-dog.com.
Traveling Dog.
If you’re just passing through Austin and need pet-friendly lodging, have no fear. The area’s two Red Roof Inns and three La Quinta locations offer affordable lodging with no pet fees. If you’re staying more than a couple of nights and want a more refined lodging experience, head to the Driskill Hotel.
The Driskill bills itself as “the nation’s most pet-friendly hotel” and for a $100 fee per pet per stay will provide a bed for your dog, designer food and water dishes, gourmet treats, a free toy, and a map of pet-friendly places in Austin.
So whether you are vacationing here for the first time or have lived in Austin since Houston was the capital, both you and your dog should have no trouble finding no end of places to run, play, sit and eat.