Doggy Style

Canine candy: Dogs at a Laci’s Café Yappy Hour earlier this summer really enjoy the treats donated by Dog Daze Bakery. MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

“If it has to do with a dog, I know
about it,” Sturgis says of her Internet search. “We got to talking
about it one day, and one thing led to another.” And Yappy Hour at the
Café was born. 

The owners of Laci’s are involved with
dogs personally as well as professionally. Serway and Seymour support
the Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue group (www.ytnr.com) and adopted
their own pup from the Golden Retriever Club of America.

Serway and Seymour aren’t alone in their
efforts to bring a little socialization among local dogs. Sturgis
donates all the treats, provided free for visitors, from Dog Daze, 2100
Park St. in the Regional Market plaza (475-9595), and at a new second
location, 309 S. Main St., North Syracuse (410-1278). She and her
husband David started the business 12 years ago, and it’s been a
storefront for eight years. Dog Daze sells all-natural, holistic and
organic dog and cat food, as well as treats and accessories, and is the
only store of its kind in Syracuse. The frosted and sprinkled treats
are a favorite at Yappy Hour, and Sturgis often stops by to meet her
fans and enjoy the atmosphere.

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“It’s not something only your dog’s
going to benefit from,” Sturgis says of Yappy Hour. “You’re going to
meet others who consider their dogs their children.”

An added perk for Serway and Seymour is
a rare chance to interact and socialize with their clientele as they
join them outside. They also get to witness the canine kids doing the
same. “You see a 90-pound German shepherd sniffing around a 4-pound
Yorkie,” Serway says. “It’s great.”

Yappy Hour also highlights the local
dog-friendly business Bella and Grace Canine Couture, 130 Seeley Road
(569-5955), which visits with a showcase of clothes, collars, dishes
and even matching outfits for dogs and owners. Serway laughs when she
mentions June’s opening day for Yappy Hour, when Canine Couture hung
out a clothesline of high-fashion apparel and there were dogs running
around in bathing suits and tutus. “It amazes us every time they come
here,” Serway says of Canine Couture’s popularity. “People really love
their pets.”

As with human happy hours, there are
doggie etiquette rules for Yappy Hour: no underage owners and a
zero-tolerance policy for unruly pets. Serway says there’s never been a
problem with biting or mean dogs, and all of the visitors know to keep
them under control. As Yappy Hour regular Mark Orr notes, “Animal
people are good people.”

Orr started coming to Yappy Hour in June after he
stumbled upon it while walking past to buy tickets next door at the
Palace Theatre. “I’m always looking for places to bring my dogs,” he
says. “I can’t bring them in the theater.” Orr brings Greta and Shelby,
his energetic labs, every Wednesday, where they enjoy treats and water
and all three of them get some exercise.

Orr is a genuine dog enthusiast: He
mentioned bringing his pups to Camp Unleashed, what he calls “the
greatest place for people and their dogs,” in Massachusetts, where dogs
and people alike enjoy massages, movies and hiking trails. (For
details, visit www.campunleashed.com.) Yappy Hour gives him a chance to
meet others just as passionate about their pooches. “It’s nice to be
with other people who love their dogs,” he says.

Yappy Hour first-timer Lindsey McCabe
brought her 3-month-old pug James, who spent much of the time playing
with dogs four times his size. McCabe is part of the online Syracuse
Pug Meet Up Group (yes, there is such a beast; check it out at
http://pug.meetup.com/33), where there is a calendar of local
dog-friendly events. One of the listings was for Yappy Hour.

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“It said there would be other dogs and
music, a fun way to meet people,” McCabe says of Yappy Hour, adding
that she and her husband had recently moved to the area and were
looking for places to take James.

Serway and Seymour had planned to end
Yappy Hour in August, but recently decided to extend it through
mid-September. “People are really loving it,” Serway says. But what
about the dogs?

Laci’s Café at the Palace is open
Mondays and Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesdays through
Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Yappy Hour at Laci’s will take place
outside every Wednesday until Sept. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. For more
information, call 463-2627.