We’re a city of furry creatures, and we’re not talking about the possums in the backyard! Philly is an incredibly pet-friendly city. In fact, we often hear that one of the main reasons people buy their first home is to gain more space to run, climb and snuggle with their pet. PHG agents are no exception. We’re a crowd of loving pet owners that will stop at nothing to make sure our babes are comfortable and living their best lives. Our team share their favs from dog parks to vet options throughout Philadelphia.
Kate Kyle
Both of my pups have been adopted from PAWS and Saved Me Adoption Center. We head to Ham and Bone for grooming - my girl looks good after. They have an excellent selection of pet supplies too! When we’re looking to socialize, we love to visit Mario Lanza Park and Seger Park. There’s always lots of friends to play with. Barkadelphia is Vita’s go-to daycare. They have monitored socializing and she's always so tired after a day there.
Rachel Shaw
What’s better than beer and cats? Enjoy them together at the cat adoption events on a Caturday at Philadelphia Brewing Company. Tune into their IG for announcements. If you have a pup who enjoys swimming, check out Wissahickon Dog Beach or Pennypack Park - just beware that they do ticket there on occasion if your dog is off-leash. Hint to homeowners wanting more room for their animals- Tacony is a great place to walk your dog. Deep sidewalks and big backyards. We often head to Disston Park to meet up with other neighbors!
Clare Parmer
Timber Creek is basically Disney World for dogs. It’s 9 fenced-in acres so everyone is legally off-leash, enjoying life. There’s a swimming hole to cool off in. You can even pack a lunch and eat under the gazebo together. For more fun, take a ride to Philadelphia Animal Hospital where you can buy a private swim pass for an allocated time or grab one for the year! Their pool is open 365 days a year for your pup to swim solo or with you. No other dogs or families will be in the pool while you’re hanging. As you can tell, we’re dog crazy. We’re waiting for our latest member of the family, Gumball, to join us from adoption group Bunny’s Buddies. He’ll be here within days and we can’t wait to welcome him with open arms.
Melissa LeGaspi
If my client's landlords are on the fence about accepting pets, I will suggest sending in videos or photos of their well-behaved dog or cat. This can help sway the landlords to accept them as tenants. Opportunity Barks is a must for dog owners. We attended a bunch of puppy socials, which are trainer-led, and help teach good behavior. They also have a farm bus that heads to Quakertown where your dogs can run supervised on the farm and on trails in the woods. I highly recommend watching the videos of the packs running on their Instagram. To get away from the hustle and bustle of the city’s dog parks, we’ll take a drive to Rolling Hills Park in Gladwyne and set out on one of the many trails. It’s peaceful for both Olive and us.
The Fegel’s
Allison - I swear by City Cat vets. We have 3 cats now (we were up to 5 at one point!). Having a vet that exclusively treats felines was important to us. The vets and technicians are amazing and we fully trust them to care for our cats. Follow our fur family on Instagram!
Christian - I always encourage my investors to be pet friendly and advertise that they are dog and/or cat friendly when they list their properties. With such a pet-friendly city, it gives you a leg up (no pun intended).
Peter Brooks
Indie Vet in Northern Liberties is my go-to. They are wonderful. I’ve taken Luke to Penn Treaty Park every day for about 8 years. It’s not officially a dog park, but at the right times of day it basically is. It’s by far the nicest park in the city (IMO). Nothing beats the views of the Delaware River, skyline, and Ben Franklin bridge. We also love hiking in the Wissahickon of course!
Jeanne Whipple
We have a dachshund with back issues so Wag, with its acupuncture and hydrotherapy pool, is a must. They provide a number of services including weight management, massage, and wheelchair fittings. Deuce and Dash get top-notch vet care at Queen Village Animal Hospital and when baths and grooming are needed, we head to Groom and Board. We don’t board the boys. Instead, we pack them up and travel. They’ve even been international! Philly Home Girls always shows Palmer Doggie Depot some love during their annual fundraiser.
Vee Gordon
I always send friends looking for new family members to STAR. It’s a great local adoption center located in Northern Liberties. If you’re specifically interested in older furballs, City of Elderly Love is a great senior adoption group. Andrei, my beloved American Staffordshire Terrier that has now passed, was rescued from Almost Home Animal Shelter in NJ in 2012.
Sara Smith
I have a reactive dog, so we need to make sure to only go to places respectful of being on leash. We have fun at nearby Grove Park in Glenside. For longer walks, we’ll head to Fort Washington Park. If you’re looking for a pet, set up a search on Petfinder. That’s how I found my dog, Brooklyn. They send you notifications and we were able to even search by personality. For people who want pet portraits, I highly recommend my friend Allie Coulas-Brunner. She captures your pet perfectly!
Dayna Hillis
Stella is a lap dog and loves car rides. Sometimes we’ll head to my old stomping grounds in Manayunk and enjoy the Pretzel Park Dog Park. Time it right and you’ll be able to swing by the farmers market at the same time. For grooming after a solid park run, I recommend Paw Prints in Roxborough. When the whole family needs a night out, we’ll go for dinner and drinks at In Riva in East Falls. There is a little outdoor dog park there so all can enjoy!
Bonnie Wisnowski
When our cat passed over the rainbow bridge, we used Lap of Love for at-home euthanasia. I can’t recommend them enough. They made the passing peaceful and comfortable for our girl. I also have two backyard cats at the moment. Head over to our Home Hacks blog and grab the recipe to get rid of unwanted smells (and strays bring them!). I have trapped, neutered and released one of the backyard gang with ACCT before. I follow PHL Community Cats on Facebook. If you are remotely interested in volunteering, fostering, or trapping cats, I highly recommend tuning to this group. It can be intense at times, but it’s where you can really make a difference.
Bottom line, your pets will feel as at home in and around Philly as you do! If you’re looking for new digs with more room for the animals, give us a call. Together we will find the best sun spots for that perfect stretch out for your fuzz butt.
