Xena can have at it now. She can cut loose and scramble about and play to her heart's content.
She can romp, fetch and do all sorts of very cool, fun dog stuff.

It wasn't all that long ago that Xena didn't have it quite so good. Her master, a loving soul, lives in a downtown San Diego condominium.

For an urban professional, that may be classy and hip. But for a dog, particularly an 80-pound Alaskan malamute who likes a lot of space?

No, it's not so good.

But then Dogs and the City, a day-care center for dogs, opened in the heart of downtown two months ago. Now Xena is one happy pup.

“I'm always busy and on the go,” said Jimmy Woo, a dentist and Xena's owner. He had a dog walker come in, but he didn't think it was enough. “I was concerned for her.”

That's not the case any longer.

Downtown San Diego has a new ballpark. It has the very slick W Hotel. It has bustling bistros and restaurants and, in spots, $20 parking.

And now it has a $35-a-day day-care center for dogs.

Pets must pass an interview to get in. Once there, they get to drink filtered – not, heaven forbid, tap – water and are walked three times a day.

Treats? They're organic, of course. Some are made with broccoli. Yum.

Jill Schall, a deputy district attorney and owner of two French bulldogs, is among those who have signed up her dogs (they passed muster). Schall lives in Leucadia and used to feel guilty about leaving her dogs home alone all day. Sometimes, she puts in 12-hour days.

“It's been a lifesaver for me,” Schall said. “I can even come over and visit.”

She also can check out her dogs via computer, because a Web cam allows owners video access to their pets.

About the only other place like this in the downtown area is Puptown Doggie Day Care. It's on 16th Street, east of the ballpark and outside downtown's bustling hub. But business is good there, too.

While Puptown's owner, Corey Danner, views the new business as competition, she is also heartened that more dog-friendly businesses are coming to the area. There's a need, Danner said.

At times, she has had to turn away dog owners because she can't handle the demand.

Dogs and the City is on C Street, near the Hall of Justice and other key downtown work sites, so movers and shakers have a place to let their dogs move and shake.

“We want the dogs to play and have fun,” manager Carla Concha said. “When the day is done, they're exhausted, and that's good.”

But not everybody sends their dogs daily. Some bring them just one day a week, Concha said. Monthly unlimited use is offered at a discounted $560, not much less than tuition at some children's day-care centers.

And that dog-interview thing? Don't get the wrong idea. It's not about pedigree. That's just to make sure the dog can get along with other dogs. Aggressive dogs – not mutts – are the ones that are frowned upon.

“We don't want to spend all day restraining dogs from each other,” Concha said.

Concha used to be a professional dog walker in New York City and owns three dogs herself. When she saw this job opening, she thought it was too good to be true.

She had been working as an inside sales representative for a semiconductor distributor and was going nuts. Now she's all smiles.

Even at 7 a.m. on a recent morning, which is when the place opens. It closes at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to daily doggie day care, it also provides boarding, spa services, grooming and pet portraits.
You can also pick up a CD titled “Relaxation Music for Dogs and Cats.”

The dogs are a hit with downtown. People come up to the plate-glass window to look at them romp.

Homeless people even ask Concha if they can play with the dogs. She has to tell them – politely, mind you – no.

Right now, Dogs and the City gets as many as 14 pets on its busiest days. Naya is normally the first to arrive. A golden retriever, Naya was being trained to be a service dog, said Lynn Chavez, her owner, who works for the San Diego Police Department.

That meant Naya could go just about anywhere with Chavez. But a kidney ailment ended her training and her free rein. Chavez has had to keep her home more often.

“She loves this place,” Chavez said. “The closer we get, the faster she walks.”

By Michael Stetz, STAFF WRITER

Most pet owners now take it for granted that there will be pet supply stores, grooming facilities, veterinary hospitals and boarding facilities in their communities here in San Diego. But this was not always true for the pet owning residents and workers downtown, they had close to zero in the way of these types of businesses and facilities.

Back in 2001, Corey Danner was one of the first brave souls to open up a badly needed day care facility for dogs located at 205 16th Street near Imperial St., downtown called Puptown Doggy Daycare. Now a second dog day care facility has just opened up at 555 W. “C” Street between Columbia & India Street called Dogs and the City. Coowner Kriston Gallipeau of Dogs and the City says, “we provide a safe environment for play and social interaction with dogs.”

Dog day care facilities are still a rather new service that is starting to pick up in popularity and is especially important to pet owners who work long hours. Although pet sitting and dog walking has been around much longer not all dogs are suitable to be left home alone for long stretches and now day care facilities can fill a very important need.

Dogs and the City has 2,100 sq.ft. of indoor, climate controlled cageless space with Tuflex rubber flooring to protect your dogs joints while playing. Plus they have web cams that allow you to log onto the internet to view your dog during the day. They also offer up to 3 outside walks a day for fresh air and elimination purposes for the dogs. In addition they have full service grooming plus overnight boarding is available on a limited basis to those who are enrolled in the day care program.

For more information, please contact them or better yet take a tour.