Downtown Boosters Show Canines To Promote Area’s Pet Friendliness

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By SEAN CHALK


Contributing Reporter

A business group and a cathedral are teaming up to give downtown dogs their day.


The Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral are inviting all dog owners who live downtown to meet their neighbors at the cathedral at 6:30 p.m. July 31 for “Dog Day Afternoon.”


Surprisingly, the conversion of downtown buildings into condos has resulted in a dog-intensive environment. In the most recent poll of downtown residents, 18 percent of those responding said they own a dog. Since there are about 29,000 residents, that implies there could be 5,000 dogs amid the high rises and new condos in the center of the city.


The event is open to people of all faiths, but organizers hope only downtown residents attend. Pet owners can register for the event at [email protected].


Hal Bastian, vice president and director of economic development of the downtown BID, will be in attendance with his golden retriever, Buddy, which he refers to as the mascot of downtown. Monsignor Kevin Kostelnik, pastor of Our Lady of the Angels, will also help host the event with his black Labrador, Joaquin.


Kostelnik said he and Bastian hope to create a greater sense of community among human residents. But they also wish to create kinship among the canines.


“I’ve noticed a lot of new people moving downtown and a lot of new dogs,” Kostelnik said.


An urban center of condos with little green space may seem like a place built without pets in mind, but many new apartments and condos were rebuilt with epoxy floors that will resist pet stains.


“We figured this would be a good way to make the buildings pet friendly without making tenants pay a security deposit,” Bastian said.


“Many young adults are moving into the condos and apartments downtown and after a year or so they will be evaluating their quality of life here,” Kostelnik said. “We at the cathedral want to do what we can to create a sense of what it means to live downtown.”


Keeping with the theme, Dodger Dogs will be provided by Levy’s Restaurant for the humans, though.

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