Walk anywhere in downtown San Diego and you’re bound to see a dog. Terriers, bulldogs, chihuahuas – prancing around or being pushed in a stroller. Canines are everywhere.
Last year, San Diego was rated the sixth-most dog-friendly city in the United States, according to USAToday. The newspaper considered dog-friendly bars, restaurants and accommodations in its rankings.
The Downtown San Diego Partnership says 42% of residents have pets and 77% of those pets are dogs. Doing some street math, that means nearly 40,000 downtown San Diegans have rounded up almost 15,000 dogs into the urban core.
Nationally, dog culture has been on an upswing and downtown San Diego’s sprawling concrete landscape is a microcosm of that trend.
Little Italy, in particular, is a doggie hotspot. Many area restaurants offer deals for pets (and their owners). Landini’s Pizzeria advertises a monthly Doggies on the Deck! event. From a $2.50 slice of pizza deal, a portion of the profits goes to A Way Home For Dogs.
Little Italy resident Marcus Smith and his dog, Radar, like to cruise the area.
“There’s a lot of very dog-friendly businesses, especially with the restaurants’ outdoor COVID seating,” Smith says. “There’s a lot of opportunities you can do – eat brunch, whatever – and some places will even have dog burgers on the menu.”
There’s a pet boarding site for overnights, food stores, groomers and pet supply stores like Doggie Style Pets within walking distance, Smith says.
Little Italy resident Rachel Seders frequents Doggie Style Pets whenever she decides her dog, Leo, deserves care, treats or toys.
Seders often “patrols,” as she calls it, with Leo for up to three to four hours at a time. Sometimes they head over to Waterfront Park, enviable for its large, expansive, walkable greenery.
Seders has learned city dogs need a certain kind of care.
“It’s important to clean their paws because of all of the stuff on the streets,” she says. “All the bacteria, and everything.”
Seders and other Little Italy pet owners buy paw cleansers from Doggie Style Pets. Over in East Village, City Dog Pet Supplies & Dog Wash Manager Jasmine Rivera sells similar cleaning supplies.
“Something common we see with dogs that live downtown is that they either wear booties, or their owners will wipe their feet down before they go inside, because it’s gross out,” Rivera says.
Downtown resident Rivera has owned three dogs, all rescues, including Nani, a 14-year-old Welsh terrier.
While she walks her dogs, Rivera keeps an eye out for glass, needles, dirt and grime. She says paraphernalia is evident on the ground at places like Fault Line Park in East Village.
“Nobody takes their dogs in [Fault Line Park’s rocky dog run] when they can go on the grass right there on the other side of the fence,” Rivera says.
Rivera says this encourages pet owners to let their dogs off-leash, even in areas where leashing is required, something she especially sees at Fault Line Park.
“[Security] is not really enforcing leashes because everybody knows each other well,” Rivera says. “I think they’re afraid to step on toes.”
For all downtown’s doggie-lifestyle-related faults, Rivera is happy with the ambiance and collegiality of being an urban pet owner.
“I love being a pet owner in downtown because everything is so pet-friendly,” Rivera says. “The dogs know every route where they can stop and get a treat from a business or valet stand.”
Pets bring people together, she says.
“It’s wonderful – I’m often like, ‘My dog’s here for a treat,’” Rivera says. “And you’re making connections with people you probably wouldn’t have met if you didn’t have a dog.” SDSun
