On Saturday, April 27, Mint Hill’s finest four-legged friends gathered with their two-legged companions at Woof ‘n Hoof for Mint Hill’s first “Pup Crawl.”
A fun twist on the traditional “Pub Crawl,” the afternoon of socializing and spirits featured stops at three different dog-friendly establishments: Vintner’s Hill, Pour 64 and Mint Hill Roasting Company.
“Realizing a lot of local dog owners were not aware of some of the dog-friendly establishments in Mint Hill, I touched base with a few places,” says Woof ‘n Hoof owner Patrick Holton. “They eagerly jumped on board.”
Although Mint Hill is home to many parks, it lacks a dedicated dog park where dog owners and their four-legged companions can gather and socialize. The Pup Crawl not only addressed this need but also brought attention to local small businesses and raised funds and awareness for the Charlotte Humane Society.
The first stop on the Pup Crawl was wine bar Vintner’s Hill. A dog owner himself, owner Chris Coy knows how important it is for sheltered animals to find their “furever” homes. “It was a no brainer for us to participate. Our motto is, and will always be ‘Where Community and Fun Come Together,’” says Coy. “Vintner’s Hill has been and will always be dog friendly as our patio is open for our fur friends and their owners. We always have dog treats on hand from local shops, and provide water for the fur babies walking in this wonderful town.”
“We wanted to participate to encourage and illustrate how easy it is to walk around Mint Hill and that many of the places in town are dog friendly,” says Mint Hill Roasting Company owner and dog mom Annette Dance. “At the coffeehouse we have a great front porch which is available to dogs and humans alike. We offer free a puppuccino for anyone who asks for it.”
“My wife and I brought our puppy, Jemma,” says Jason Healey. “We want to socialize her with other dogs. We try to show up to most of the events that Woof ‘n Hoof hosts because they are always a great time with great people. My wife likes wine, I like beer, and who doesn’t like a good coffee? It was great to meet other dog owners in the area to converse with.”
The Pup Crawl also brought much-needed attention to adoptable dogs. Buddy Jerge, a loyal Woof ‘n Hoof customer and volunteer with Rover’s Rescue and Retreat, brought four adoptable dogs to the event. “Woof ‘n Hoof is a great partner of the rescue who hosts many adoption events during the year,” says Jerge. “We love to #shoplocal supporting Woof ‘n Hoof and the other great shops that participated in the event.” Thanks to the Pup Crawl, families are looking into adopting two of the dogs that accompanied Jerge.
The Pup Crawl attracted over fifty dog families that “crawled” from Woof ‘n Hoof to Vintner’s Hill to Pour 64 before wrapping up at Mint Hill Roasting Company. “We got a ton of donations to help the Charlotte Humane Society, and in turn we had a great gathering of dogs and their humans,” says Holton. “The weather was perfect and it was very apparent that Mint Hill has a lot of wonderful dogs and dog owners. We had such a huge turnout that there will be another Pup Crawl in the fall!”
