A night of fun in dog-friendly Annapolis

April 25, 4:15 PMColumbia Dogs ExaminerMary Love

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We've been hearing so much about the dog-friendliness of Annapolis that we decided to check it out for ourselves. During the warm-weather months, Paws Pet Boutique teams up with the Loew's Annapolis Hotel to sponsor Canines & Cocktails for a Cause. Each of these events occurs on the last Friday of the month and supports an animal cause. Yesterday's event (April 24) was pirate-themed and supported Golden Retreiver Rescue, Education & Training (GRREAT).

I was very curious to see how this all would work with a bunch of dogs in close quarters with people eating and drinking. Well, let me tell you, it was an unbelievably pleasant surprise--and that's coming from someone who's been organizing dog walks and events for the past year (for Columbia Dogs-on-the-Go). There were at least 100 dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds milling about on the hotel terrace. And they were the most well-mannered bunch of Friday-night party-goers you could ask for.

The video gives a taste of the action. Dogs competed for prizes but mostly enjoyed the wealth of butt-sniffing opportunities. (This is my very first "movie," so I apologize for the funny looking title page.) The Paws Pet Boutique provided prizes for categories like the Barkaneer Award and the Aurgh Arf Award. GRREAT was on hand with information and dogs for adoption, and Pet-aw-graphy took photos of the pirate pooches in a wooden boat.

Loew's has a reputation for being pet-friendly--even allowing us to enter the hotel with our pooches to use the restrooms. And parking was easy. And free!

Afterwards, we strolled through Annapolis and saw many of our new doggy friends enjoying the balmy weather and dining with their humans at the town's plentiful restaurants offering outdoor seating. We chose the Reynolds Tavern on Church Circle and were warmly welcomed by the staff who brought out a big bowl of water for Riley and Cody and let them know they were cute and special. Richard and Richard (my husband and his Annapolis-resident friend) were very happy with the restaurant's Shepherd's pie, and I had no complaints about my beer-batter fish and chips. The dessert was just right--a sampler of 9 different treats--and coffee was served in a coffee press and just right. 

The dogs enjoyed watching all the activity on the circle--much more interesting than our usual evening of sprawling on the sofa and watching TV--and having passerbys affirm how adorable they are. The highlight for them was the horse-drawn carriage that passed by periodically. I don't think they had ever seen a horse.

I don't know how many times we asked ourselves, "Why haven't we been coming here more often?"  It's only about 30 minutes from Columbia. The drive at rush hour was manageable. Most of the eastward bound traffic was headed for the Bay Bridge and was quite backed up, but we pretty much sailed through to our destination.

I'm marking my calendar now for May 29, the date of the next Canines & Cocktails event, supporting the SPCA of Anne Arundel County.

Upcoming Canines & Cocktails for a Cause: