Press Release

PHILADELPHIA INVITES ANIMAL LOVERS TO COME, SIT AND STAY
Many Hotels, Restaurants And Shops Welcome Four-Legged Fun

PHILADELPHIA, June 21, 2006 – Pet lovers are crazy about their animal companions and spend some $29.5 billion a year in the U.S. on pet services and accoutrements to prove it. Philadelphia and The Countryside™ offers a wealth of indoor and outdoor options for visitors who can’t bear to leave their best friend behind when they hit the road. From canine-friendly parks, hiking and walking trails to Very Important Pet (VIP) hotel programs, the Philadelphia region invites visitors to bring their furry friends along for the ride. Here’s how:

Rittenhouse Square

Photo by P. Butler for GPTMC

Four-"Bone" Hotels for People and Pets:

• In Delaware County, the Brandywine River Hotel welcomes dogs that weigh less than 20 pounds for a $20 fee per night. Don’t forget to bring a crate. Route 1, Chadds Ford, (610) 388-1200, www.brandywineriverhotel.com
• At the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, dogs weighing less than 15 pounds can bed down for the night at no extra fee. Management requests that pets are crated when left unattended. 1 Logan Square, (215) 963-1500, www.fourseasons.com
• The Hotel Sofitel allows up to two pets per room, no size restrictions, at no charge. 120 S. 17th Street, (215) 569-8300, www.sofitel.com
• Animals get the royal treatment at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel with its Loews Loves Pets program and Very Important Pet (VIP) menu of services. The hotel provides dogs and cats with loaner beds, bowls, leashes and collars, a map of dog-walking routes, veterinarians, pet shops and other resources. Pet walking and sitting services are available for an extra fee. 1200 Market Street, (215) 627-1200, www.loewshotels.com/philadelphia
• Mazzu’s Canine and Feline Hotel, the first pet-designated hotel in town, offers plush canine and feline rooms (with TV and DVD players), along with spa and dog-walking services. 334 N. Water Street, (215) 923-8326, www.mazzus.com
• The Residence Inn Center City welcomes leashed pets of any size or weight for $75 per stay. Pet sitting and walking available upon request. Market & Juniper Streets, (215) 557-0005, www.marriott.com/residenceinn
• At The Rittenhouse Hotel, pets of all shapes and sizes are invited to stay. While dogs cannot be left unattended, the concierge can arrange for a sitter. 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, (215) 546-9000, www.rittenhousehotel.com
• The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia allows dogs 50 pounds and under to stay for $125 per visit. While on the premises, Fido must be accompanied by his or her human companion at all times. 10 Avenue of the Arts, (215) 523-8000, www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/philadelphia
• The Sheraton Society Hill Hotel welcomes dogs at no extra charge. The property has its own pet-walking area, with other walking paths along the nearby Delaware River. One Dock Street, (215) 238-6000, www.sheraton.com  

Chow Time:

• At Rittenhouse Square’s Devon Seafood Grill, fresh seafood is on the menu, and a bowl of water is available for thirsty pets at the outdoor café. Devon’s neighbor Rouge offers a bowl of water and a treat to four-legged friends and upscale bistro fare, including some of the best burgers in town, to their human companions. Devon, 225 S. 18th Street, (215) 546-5940; Rouge, 205 S. 18th Street, (215) 732-6622
• Philadelphia Fish & Co. is just one of many Old City restaurants with outdoor seating open to leashed pets. Fork and the Continental also sport pet-friendly outdoor cafes. Philadelphia Fish, 207 Chestnut Street, (215) 625-8605; Fork, 306 Market Street, (215) 625-9425, www.forkrestaurant.com; Continental, 138 Market Street, (215) 923-6069, www.continentalmartinibar.com
• In University City, pets and their human friends can dine al fresco at Intermezzo Cafe & Lounge (free WiFi), Rx and, appropriately, at the White Dog Cafe. There’s also the 36th Street Plaza, a public green space located between Sansom and Walnut Streets, perfect for outdoor dining with furry friends. Intermezzo, 3131 Walnut Street, (215) 222-4300; Rx, 4443 Spruce Street, (215) 222-9590; White Dog, 3420 Sansom Street, (215) 386-9224, www.whitedog.com
• In Manayunk, just west of Center City, dogs and their owners are always strolling along Main Street, with its mix of chic cafes, boutiques and galleries. Bucks County Coffee Company, Le Bus and Derek’s are just three of the local eateries that provide a range of casual cuisine and bowls of water for Fido. Bucks County Coffee, 4311 Main Street, (215) 487-3927, www.buckscountycoffee.com; Le Bus, 4266 Main Street, (215) 487-2663; Derek’s, 4411 Main Street, (215) 483-9400
• In the countryside, four dogs or more are welcome outside in nice weather at Four Dogs Tavern in West Chester. The American Bar & Grill offers fine and casual dining, with outdoor seating available from spring until fall. Four Dogs, 1300 Strasburg Road, West Chester, (610) 692-4367; American Bar, 499 E. Uwchlan Avenue, Chester Springs, (610) 280-0800

See Spot Sparkle:

• Bonejour, Old City’s premier pet boutique, caters to dogs and cats of all kinds. The boutique offers a wall full of fashions for Spot from the Canine Couture Collection. They carry a slew of far more practical items too, including food, leashes and carrying cases, along with natural and holistic foods and remedies. 14 N. 3rd Street, (215) 574-1225, www.bonejourpetsupply.com
• In Bucks County, Bow-Wow features a gourmet line of doggie pastries, cookies and treats. 102C S. Main Street, New Hope, (215) 862-9871
• Braxton’s Animal Works in Delaware County offers a huge selection of pet supplies and treats, including flotation devices for “bow wows” that like to boat. 620 W. Lancaster Avenue, Radnor, (610) 688-0769, www.braxtons.com
• At Canine Couture Collection, a full line of doggie coats and accessories are pawsitively precious. 966 N. Lawrence Street, (215) 625-3758, www.caninecouturecollection.com
• Chic Petique, just off of South Street, offers beds, bowls, carrying cases, toys, leashes and collars for pets of all shapes and sizes. There are pet snacks shaped like pizza, sushi, meatloaf and many other human foods. 616 S. 3rd Street, (215) 629-1733, www.chicpetique.com
• Doggie Style 2 keeps dogs looking and feeling good with accessories, toys, beds and attire. 2056 Locust Street, (215) 546-3670, www.doggiestyle2.com
• Pooch, Rittenhouse Square’s hip pet boutique, features designs by Nancy Adler, who uses vintage fabrics to make collars and leashes with matching belts for humans. 2020 Locust Street, (215) 735-0793, www.2020PoochPlace.com

Come Outside and Play:

• Rittenhouse Square, bounded by Walnut Street, Rittenhouse Square Street and 18th Street, is where all the downtown dogs go to sniff and be seen. The Center City Dog Park, located at 25th Street between Locust and Delancey Streets is enclosed and a safe and social place for dogs to run off their leashes. The Front & Chestnut Dog Park – its name is its address – isn’t completely enclosed but still attracts some informal romping.
• Outside of the city, parks for dog walking abound. Leashed pets are welcome at Valley Forge National Historical Park, a 3,500-acre park that was home to Washington’s winter encampment in 1777. Washington and his troops first visited the site of Fort Washington State Park, where walking paths and a 3 1/2-mile hiking trail are open to leashed pets. Animals are not permitted in the campgrounds overnight, however. Valley Forge, N. Gulph Road & Route 23, Valley Forge, (610) 783-1077, www.nps.gov/vafo; Fort Washington, 500 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington, (888) PA-PARKS
• Chester County is known for its open spaces, including French Creek State Park, nearly 7,400 acres of well-marked hiking trails and two lakes – truly a canine paradise. Leashed dogs are also welcome at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, a restored iron plantation with 848 acres of hiking trails and paths. French Creek, 843 Park Road, (610) 582-9680; Hopewell Furnace, 2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson, (610) 582-8773, www.nps.gov/hofu
• Dogs are allowed on leashes throughout the Haverford College campus in Delaware County, a beautiful setting with nature trails and a duck pond, while Smedley Park encompasses 120 pet-friendly acres of nature trials and picnic areas. Haverford College, 370 W. Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, (610) 896-1037, www.haverford.edu; Smedley Park, 521 Avondale Road, Wallingford, (610) 566-6365

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

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