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| DAWG DOC: Dr. Amanda Randle and her patient, shy 4-year-old Dachshund "Rosey." BRYAN AMANN/Dallas Voice |
BEST VET
City Veterinary Center
2727 Oak Lawn Ave.
Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Closed Sundays and
major holidays.
214-219-2838
CityVet.com
For many gays, pets are like offspring. And like helicopter parents, queer pet-owners can get obsessive — fussing over Fluffy’s Pooch Parade ensemble or throwing themselves into fits of hypochondria, insisting that every cough is a new infection of bordetella.
City Vet has been caring for gayborhood pets since 1999, when their original location opened at 2732 Oak Lawn Ave.
They moved into swankier and bigger digs — on the other side of the avenue — on Oct. 12, 2007. And they have additional locations in Uptown and Flower Mound.
Besides grooming, boarding and prescribing pet food, City Vet’s first priority is making sure dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and other animal children get the best vet care possible. Even exotic pets get V.I.P. treatment.
According to Assistant Manager Leslie Barnes, the most unusual pet they’ve admitted was a serval, a medium-sized African wildcat similar in appearance to an ocelot (another fierce feline).
While most "parents" won’t have to worry about such specialized care, two things they can do to ensure good pet health is consistent heartworm prevention and dental care.
"One heartworm can kill a cat," Barnes says, emphasizing the importance of preventive medicine.
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| TAIL WAGGER’S LOUNGE: Pooch Patio’s Reon Roberson looks after the bow-wow club. BRYAN AMANN/Dallas Voice |
BEST PET CEMETERY
Toothacres Pet Care Center
1639 Parker Rd.
Carrollton
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m.-noon.
Sun. 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
972-492-3711
Toothacres.com
An animal burial ground might conjure images from Stephen King novels. But unless you’re a turtle lover, pet owners must prepare for the inevitable day when their prized companion passes on.
For three decades, Toothacres Pet Care Center has provided cremation and burial services. The name "Toothacres" is a mash-up, referring to the Clem family’s deceased champion field dog with Clem’s spread of land.
In the past, Dallas pets owners had few choices. There was a cemetery on the south side, but North Dallasites and the east sides had no options, according to Kelly Clem. That’s when Toothacres — which also provides pet boarding and training — devoted two acres to the "Garden of Memories" burial plots.
Caskets and memorial markers are available for your family members’ final resting place, as well as decorative urns to house ashes for home display.
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| BITCHIN’ SPREE: Petropolitan owner Christopher Watts and French bulldog "Ella" scope out the A Cheerful Pet toy selection. BRYAN AMANN/Dallas Voice |
BEST PET BOUTIQUE
Petropolitan
408 S. Harwood
Monday-Friday,
7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.;
Saturday
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
214-741-4100
ThePetropolitanDallas.com
Some pet owners can’t tolerate last year’s studded collar or a sweater that Paris Hilton’s pooch would sniff at. The Petropolitan is loaded with accessories — leashes, beds and treats.
Pet parents can shop for themselves too —cologne, art and even one-of-a-kind couture creations. Located in downtown Dallas, Petropolitan also offers "personal shopper" services.
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| TAIL WAGGER’S LOUNGE: Pooch Patio’s Reon Roberson looks after the bow-wow club. BRYAN AMANN/Dallas Voice |
BEST DAY CARE
Pooch Patio
3811 Fairmount St.
Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
214-252-1550
ThePoochPatio.com
Combing over suitable doggie-daycare centers can be like reviewing prep schools. Rather than worrying about the "gifted programs," most canine owners seek convenient hours and location, and reasonable rates.
Lesbian-owned The Pooch Patio keeps your prissy poodle socialized while you’re stuck at work. The Oak Lawn establishment was opened in 2005 by April Prohaska.
Three play areas are based on size: "Ruff House," "Mutt House," and "Pee Wee Playhouse." All are outfitted with webcams so diligent parents can check on their kids. They also offer party packages for birthdays, pet adoptions and "bark" mitzvahs.
And they also have grooming services and boutique gifts for the furry ones. For humans, there’s a coffee-beer-wine bar: an oasis to hang with other doggie lovers.
BEST GROOMIN
G
Bishop Arts Dog Grooming
837 W. Davis St.
Tue.-Fri. 7:30 a.m-5:30 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
214-946-6055
GregReyna.com
BEST ADOPTION
SPCA
362 S. Industrial Blvd.
Sun.-Sat. noon-6 p.m.
214-742-SPCA
SPCA.org
BEST HOME PET SITTER
Patrick Phelan
Pet Home Pal
Services from 7 a.m-7 p.m. daily.
214-418-8994
PetHomePal.com
BEST DOG PARK
White Rock Dog Park
8000 Mockingbird Ln.
Daily 5 a.m.-midnight.
Closed second and
fourth Mondays.
WhiteRockDogPark.com
BEST BOARDING/KENNELING
City Veterinary Center
2727 Oak Lawn Ave.
Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Closed Sundays and
major holidays.
214-219-2838
CityVet.com
BEST DOG WALKER
Patrick Phelan
Pet Home Pal
Services from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily.
214-418-8994
PetHomePal.com
BEST OBEDIENCE TRAINING
Man’s Best Friend
(Various DFW locations.)
2641 Westgrove Dr.
Carrollton
Mon.-Thu. 9 a.m.-8 p.m.
Fri.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
972-407-1704
MansBestFriend.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition March 20, 2009.
I would vote Petropolitan best all round Pet establishment. Their doggy daycare and grooming services are outstanding and our dogs leave happy, not traumatized.
One more category for next year: Best Pet Food Retailer. I would nominate GreenPet (https://www.greenpetdallas.com
They offer full lines of organic/holistic pet foods and offer great service, including delivery.