We are completely infatuated with Saratoga Springs, NY. Though we were only in town for a few days, we came away feeling this town is one of the most pet friendly cities we’ve had the good fortune to visit.

Lying at the southeastern edge of the Adirondacks, and known mostly for all things equine, Saratoga Springs is extending the love to canines. As we reported on Friday, the community was officially launching its Dog-Friendly Downtown initiative on Saturday. Starting almost a year ago with just 12 businesses, the number of shops identifying and marketing themselves as dog friendly has grown to 35. And just to be clear, dogs are allowed INSIDE if you see the above decal on a storefront – you don’t have to ask.

So on a radiant Saturday, teams of people and pooches sniffed out 23 businesses (listed at the end of this post) participating in a dog-friendly scavenger hunt. Amy and Ty parked the Winnebago in front of Sloppy Kisses and got to meet and introduce GoPetFriendly to the dog lovin’ town-folk. Meanwhile, Buster and I hit the streets. Our mission: track down the answers to 23 dog-related questions specific to each of the businesses.

I am happy to report that Buster could not have performed any better that day. I’ve previously written that Buster has his challenges, one of which is meeting other dogs when he is on leash. However, while walking the city blocks, I got the ultimate compliment. A woman, whose two dogs were barking loudly and pulling to get at a non-plussed Buster, asked me how I managed to train my dog so well! I am not sure what aura I was projecting that day, but I wish I could’ve bottled it. Oh yeah … we got all 23 questions answered, too!

After the scavenger hunt, answer sheets were tallied and winners were announced at a yappy hour held at Putnam Den. Prizes were awarded by Mayor Scott Johnson, who attended the event with his wife, Julie, and their newly rescued Cocker Spaniel, Chase. Buster and I won a gift bag of cool doggie items donated by Impressions of Saratoga that we’ll be giving away – stay tuned for details.

Here’s a list of the 23 businesses that participated in Saturday’s scavenger hunt. You’re all top dog in our book!

• 80 West, 510 Broadway
• Aggie’s, 454 Broadway
• Allerdice Building Supply, 41 Walworth
• Brindisi’s Restaurant, 390 Broadway
• Clothes Line, 486 Broadway
• Compliments to the Chef, 488 Broadway
• Crafters Gallery, 427 Broadway
• Gemset of Saratoga, 454 Broadway
• Gideon Putnam Resort, 24 Gideon Putnam Road
• Impressions of Saratoga, 368 Broadway
• Just Plain Good, 490 Broadway
• Lifestyles, 436 Broadway
• Mary Martin & Co., 65 Long Alley
• Pink Paddock, 358 Broadway
• Roohan Realty, 519 Broadway
• The Arts Center, 320 Broadway
• Silverado, 446 Broadway
• Sloppy Kisses, 493 Broadway
• Speck Boutique, 353 Broadway
• Spoken Boutique, 27 Church
• Stella’s of Saratoga, 494 Broadway
• Violet’s of Saratoga, 482 Broadway
• Virgil’s House, 86 Henry

And one more note. Summer yappy hours are scheduled every other Thursday – May 27th through September 2nd – from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at rotating watering holes around town. Woof!

Planning a pet friendly trip of your own? We’ll make it easy:
Pet Friendly Hotels | Pet Friendly Destinations | Pet Friendly Activities