I have to admit that I had some reservations about the cat and dog cafes that are popping up in the trendier parts of Seoul. Why? Cleanliness, aggressive behavior, cleanliness, animal rights, and oh yeah, did I mention cleanliness? But after being away from my beautiful Cappie Baby for two weeks, I caved.
We stumbled upon a cafe in Myeong Dong, but I can't recall the name. It was on the 4th floor and there were double doors to help prevent escapes. Once you enter, everyone in your party is required to purchase a drink costing anywhere from $5-$10. Don't arrive hungry because no food is served.
After you order and pay, you must read a small list of rules and clean your hands with a generous gob of hand sanitizer. Huge jugs of hand sanitizer, the small of disinfectant, and tons of rags/cleaners behind the counter . . . I was feeling much better already.
There was also a "Most Wanted" sheet with mug shots of the naughty dogs. Don't pet them!
My favorite dog was the Golden Retriever, of course!
And then there were the pugs. Oh dear those pugs were adorable.
Don't expect a lot of doggy interaction. Most of the dogs would tolerate some affection from the smattering of patrons, but for the most part, the dogs only wanted to be with their mommy (the woman in the green jacket).
The cafe that we went to was surprisingly clean. Poop and pee were cleaned immediately, there was no doggy smell, and the worst thing I can say about the place was that it reeked of disinfectant.
The little dogs had ample room to play and exercise. The larger retrievers appeared to have good muscle tone and most importantly, the dogs appeared to be HAPPY. Except for the pug. The pug needs hugs.
