You probably work with at least one person who watches live streams from their doggy daycare, excitedly waving you over to her desk every time Mr. Sniffles trots into the frame. Or maybe you are that person, and Mr. Sniffles is such a good boy! Who’s a good boy?! Every kennel seems to have its own system of cameras now, so we can all spend our lunch hours watching our pets sniff a water bowl, run in circles, or try to mount a strange Goldendoodle.
But according to WOWT, a soon-to-open Omaha, Nebraska facility is taking it to the next level, allowing dog owners to drink while they watch their four-legged loved ones run around on the other side of a large pane of glass. Last week, the Omaha city council granted a liquor license to Barks N Brews, provided that dogs aren’t allowed in the drinking area. (Seriously. This was a concern.)
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“My husband and I have always had a passion for dogs,” Barks N Brews owner Danielle Hargens told MUNCHIES. “Our schedules were always very sporadic so we would utilize doggy day cares and dog sitters. We also looked for patios that allowed dogs so we could bring them with us while we went out. Moving to Omaha allowed us the opportunity to fulfill our dreams and let us open our own facility that encompasses everything we want.”
And everything they want is apparently a place where dog owners can have a pint while they stare at their pets through a large window—or they can take their beer into the same room with their dog, provided that they wash their hands before going back to the bar for a refill. Hargens also says that the dogless will be welcome, if they just want to get pleasantly buzzed while watching strangers’ animals sniff each other.
Barks N Brews is truly a daycare: The company does not currently have plans to welcome overnight guests of either species. Although this is a brand new kind of kennel for Nebraska, there is precedent for this kind of thing. Last year, the Animal Den Pet Resort in Sacramento, California, became the state’s first and (so far) its only doggy day care to get its own liquor license.
“Our bar is open on the weekends during our public swim sessions where the dogs swim and the owners can enjoy a drink,” owner Lisa Chafee told MUNCHIES. “They can also rent our facility or pool privately [including] the bar.” Yes, the Pet Resort has a swim center, where dogs can splash around in their own beach-entry pool. (And “I’m sorry, my dog has a swimming appointment that day,” is now my excuse for getting out of literally everything.)
Although these two facilities are breaking new ground for getting shitfaced around your pets, we’d expect to see more like them in the near future. If you’re in Omaha, Barks N Brews is honest-to-god hosting a birthday party for a two-year-old dog named Ben next weekend. That means you have several more days to teach your dog how to get an Uber.
