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Bringing Your Dog to NYC

A Visitor’s Guide for You and Your Dog in NYC

In a city of eight million plus people, there are also some 600,000 dogs that call New York City home. Not only that, NYC hosts another 3,000 picks of the litter every year who vie for top honors at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. And licensing statistics even track them by name  (New Yorkers are especially fond of Max and Bella). Tourist canines often have names befitting royalty (a recent Best in Show winner was named Tashtina Lookin’ for Trouble. How's that for fancy?)

Pedigree notwithstanding, dogs are welcome in NYC and visitors are usually comfortable bringing along their canine companions. Oftentimes traveling with a dog in tow is a conversation starter and you'll likely meet New Yorkers who share the same fondness for four-legged friends as you have. 

Hotels can be especially welcoming to their doggy visitors, offering amenities like bathrobes, special room service menus, beds, and even massages and appointments with pet psychics.

Advance planning offers the best insurance that you and your pooch will have a safe and enjoyable trip to the city. That said, the information provided below can help you navigate the rules, regulations and unwritten protocols that apply to dogs in NYC. We’ve also gathered a few leisure and social activities to help make your trip fun and memorable.

Pet or Service Animal?

Service dogs get the all-access pass to NYC, from Carnegie Hall to Yankee Stadium to the top of the Empire State Building. But the city narrowly categorizes service animals as those helping humans with handicaps – which include guiding the blind, pulling a wheelchair and the like. Unfortunately, emotional support and therapy animals don’t qualify, simply popping a vest on your pooch won’t get you too far.

Packing

Leashes are essential (local law requires that they're no longer than 6 feet), and make sure your dog has an appropriate collar—with an ID tag. If your pet is not microchipped, it's wise to bring along a clear photo on your phone or in your wallet. You should also have proof of hometown registration and a certificate of rabies vaccination. And even if your pooch is not prone to biting, muzzles are recommended. They're required on the Staten Island ferry and often reassure nearby humans who are afraid of dogs.

Size Matters

The smaller the dog, the easier to transport. (That may explain why the most popular purebred pooch here is the Yorkie.) Nearly every car and limousine service, including Dial 7, Carmel,  SuperShuttle and GoAirlink happily transport pets, but be aware: prices vary by weight. If your best friend is a Great Dane, you may want to consider a specialty service like Pet Chauffeur or Canine Car or Pet Taxi New York.

NYC mass transit—which includes the subways, buses, and ferries—require that pets be contained in a way not to disturb other passengers. Certainly toy dogs fit easily into purses, backpacks, and sometimes even pockets. Larger pooches often ride in stroller-like carriers, but navigating the subway platform is no picnic and boarding a crowded city bus can be fraught at best.

NYC law states that taxis are not required to transport animals. But locals who drape a towel over the shoulder and demonstrate a well-behaved dog can often persuade a cabbie that they're a reasonable bet. It’s also a classy move to wipe your seats and to tip generously. By the way, Uber requests you inform your driver before pickup.

Comportment

New York canines grow up surrounded by and acclimated to crowds, noise, crowds and random surprises. They're generally even-tempered and often bypass humans and other dogs. You'll often see a large pack in perfect formation under one-handed control by a professional walker (cell phone in the other hand of course). If your dog is nervous or overly friendly, it's wise to restrain him or her from approaching or jumping up on strangers. Such behavior is often misinterpreted as aggression and can have unpleasant outcomes.

Pet-Friendly Hotels

Here's some good advice. If you can't keep your dog with you in your hotel, then it will be impractical to bring your pet to the city. That said, there are a number of hotels in the city that are more than happy to accommodate all breeds. If you've found a hotel you love always call ahead and know what their pet policy is. Some of the best pet-friendly hotels in the city include the SoHo Grand Hotel which has no weight or size limit and will even accomodate your pooch for free; and The Muse New York, which has a Pampered Pooch and a Hers and Furs packages that give the dogs in-room pedicures as well as other treats.

Exercise and Leisure

Mapping the human genome was a snap compared to unraveling NYC’s complex regulations about pets in public parks. Dogs on leashes are welcome in most areas of most parks most of the time lol. Leashes can come off in many parks before 9 am and after 9 pm, but only if Fido doesn’t disturb or damage any people, animals, trees, plants, or flowers (no kidding, that’s the city code).

That said, the city is a mecca of off-leash dog runs, with 28 in Manhattan alone. Many are separated into areas for small and large dogs and some have water features to keep your pet cool.

Central Park has no enclosed dog runs but is, nonetheless, a focal point for canine activities. Check out Central Park Paws for helpful information, including a map of dog-friendly, and forbidden areas. There’s also a master calendar that includes canine-oriented events like monthly bagel barks and the annual hound hike.

If your dog likes to swim, head to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. During off-leash hours (5am–9am and 9pm–1 am), Dog Beach is open for business.

To escape the hustle and bustle of the city, go to Inwood Hill Park and follow the two-mile trail that winds through the woods and offers Hudson River views. 

Special Events

Whether your best friend is a Border Collie or Chinese Crested, there are breed-specific Meetups held in NYC. While your dog socializes with like-minded souls, you can too.

There are far too many annual dog-friendly events to list, but some notable gatherings include the Tompkins Square Dog Run Halloween Dog Parade (usually held the weekend before the 31st), Bark at the Park at Citi Field—Mets special promotion games when dogs are welcome. This year's Bark in the Park games are:

April 11th versus the San Diego Padres
May 31st versus the Philadelphia Phillies
September 12th versus the Arizona Diamondbacks

There's also a similar event hosted by the Brooklyn Cyclones at MCU Field in Coney Island. (why not treat your hot dog to a Nathan’s hotdog while in the vicinity?)

Food and Drink

Technically only Service Animals (those privileged few) are allowed inside NYC restaurants and bars, but the sidewalks (and some patios) belong to plebeian pets. 

Healthcare

No worries if sundaes and bar-b-que are too much for Fido’s constitution. NYC is a veterinary capital of the world. Many canines come here for specialized treatment from oncologists, neurologists, holistic vets and the like. No need to go to a clinic for top flight veterinary care. House Call Vet NYC will come right to your hotel room. InstaVet is another New York service that offers 24/7 support, including a pet ambulance. Call or text their Pet 911 Hotline (917-525-2579) for help.

Babysitting

Sometimes you will want to get away from the “kid” and sightsee on your own (or dine indoors for a change). Your hotel’s concierge can arrange a dog walker/babysitter, or you can drop Lady off at one of NYC’s dozens of doggie daycare centers. These range from no-frills play spaces to full-on luxury spas. Try to time your pickup with the “yappy hours” some hold weekly.

In Case of Emergency

In the unlikely event that you are separated from your pet while in NYC, dial 311, the city’s information hub to report the incident. Then fill out a lost pet report on the NYC Animal Care and Control website. Your pet will likely be found and transported to the NYCACC’s Manhattan shelter on 110th St. The agency has a searchable lost and found database.

Bring Home a Souvenir

Petfinder.com lists more than 150,000 dogs in the vicinity of NYC who need forever homes. One of them could be yours. The neediest cases can be found at the NYC Animal Care and Control, which takes in thousands of dogs annually and does its best to place them. Some have experienced neglect or abuse, and others were surrendered due to poverty. All dogs up for adoption have passed temperament and health assessments. For the cost of a good meal, you can rescue a loving dog and keep the memory of your NYC trip alive for years to come.

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