Vancouver is often voted the most Pet Friendly city in Canada and with all of its pet orientated services and pet friendly locations, it’s not hard to see why. Vancouver and the surrounding areas are renowned for their beautiful beaches, luscious forests, and sprawling parks, but these aren’t reserved strictly for us humans. Pets are welcome in the majority of these gorgeous outdoor locations, and many of the shops, hotels, and restaurants allow pets as well. When you’re planning your visit to Vancouver, don’t hesitate to bring your furry friends because you’ll find this city is very accommodating for pet owners and their animal pals.
Pet Friendly Hotels
The vast majority of Vancouver hotels are all pet-friendly. There may be restrictions on how many pets you can bring, what type of pets you can have with you, or the size of your animals. When planning your visit, check with your hotel about their pet policies and make sure they’re able to meet all of your needs. Some hotels may require an extra deposit or a fee to cover any cleaning costs that might be associated with pets residing in the room.
The Georgian Court Hotel is a great choice if you’re bringing any pets along for your trip. They provide pets with their very own list of amenities, including dog biscuits in your room upon arrival, food and water bowls, and small beds. The hotel staff will also help to arrange pet-sitting and reservations at pet-friendly restaurants.
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is so pet friendly they even have their own canine ambassadors, Ella and Elly. Pets staying at the Fairmont will receive a welcome mat in the room, a pet dish, a welcome treat, and an information sheet about pet activities. And as if that’s not enough, your pooch can even dine in style from their very own Canine In-Room Dining Menu.
Pet Friendly Bars & Restaurants
Vancouver is a city filled with patios attached to excellent restaurants and hip pubs. A great deal of these patios not only allow pets but they actually welcome them with bowls of water or special treats. Some patios may allow you to leave your pooch at special tie up spots, others allow you to keep them with you right at your table. So many Vancouver patios are street adjacent so even if the restaurant itself doesn’t specifically invite your pets to dine with you, you can still grab a table right by the sidewalk and tie them up next to you on the other side of the rail.
One of the most pet friendly patios you’ll want to check out is at The Parkside Brewery. This place loves dogs so much that you can’t browse more than five pictures on their Instagram account without seeing a shot of their most recent fur coated customer.
Red Truck Brewing is also a great place to take your dog for a pint. They recently had a special event on their patio called Barks & Brews. They hired a pet portrait photographer and offered various activities tailored to your furry friends.
Off Leash Areas
Vancouver has plenty of beautiful parks to visit and dogs are welcome at every one of them. They must be on a leash in these public areas but there are also 37 off leash areas within the city of Vancouver where you can allow them to roam free and interact with other dogs.
There are even a few beaches on the list where your pups can run in the sand and enjoy the surf, totally free of any leashes or harnesses. Spanish Banks Beach, Locarno Park, and Sunset Beach Park are gorgeous spots to soak up some sun, go for a dip, and play some ocean side frisbee with your pooch.
These are spots within the actual city of Vancouver but you’ll find plenty more parks in the outlying areas of the Greater Vancouver district if you and your pup need more spots to explore.
Hiking with Pets
Most trails in and around the Vancouver area allow dogs but not all of them permit off-leash hiking. When hiking with your dogs be sure to watch for signage that indicate if off-leash walking is permitted and if so, in which areas. Some really great trails that have off-leash areas include Capilano Canyon, Quarry Rock, Baden Powell Trail, and Derby Reach. These are hardly the only trails that are dog friendly though. Check out Vancouver Trails and select the “dog friendly” filter to explore all of your hiking options.
Pet Friendly Shopping & Services
Pretty much any pet store, whether it’s in Vancouver or any other city, will allow you to bring your pets inside to shop with you. Vancouver has so many pet stores, you could actually make a whole day out of just browsing the wares with your four legged friends.
Catfe is a really neat cafe to check out if you love cats. If functions as a temporary foster environment for rescue cats as well as a place for cat lovers to enjoy cat-themed drinks and snacks. Pawsh Dog Spa is the best place to go if your pooch is in need of some pampering and plenty of TLC. For raw pet food and pet accessories you can check out Moonlight Dog Cafe. They offer free wifi, a library, and a seating area to simply hang out with your pets, work, read, or meet up with other pet loving friends.
It’s not just the pet shops that allow your pets to shop alongside you. Many other stores, from small boutiques to outlet giants, will actually allow you to bring your pets inside with you. Canadian Tire on Cambie Street, Chapters on Granville Street, and Michaels on West Broadway will all allow your dogs to come inside as long as they’re on a leash. If you’re out shopping for the day and want to know if you can bring your pet into a store with you, just give the business a call and you’ll actually be surprised at how many establishments are okay with pets coming in.
A City of Pet Lovers
Vancouver is a city that celebrates its beautiful landscapes and its many spots to commune with nature. It makes sense that this city of nature lovers is filled with so many animal lovers as well. Many of the business owners are pet owners themselves, which is probably why so many establishments and public areas allow pets. On your next visit to Vancouver, skip the pet sitter and bring your furred and feathered friends along for the trip.
The post Pet Friendly Vancouver: A Visitor’s Guide appeared first on Vancouver B.C..
