MADELEINE BRAND, host:
This is DAY TO DAY. I'm Madeleine Brand.
Pets are big business these days. Many owners spend a small fortune on not only food but canine clothing, puppy massages, even psychologists. But there's one thing man's best friend has generally had to do without and that's happy hour, until now. Joshua Levs sent us this audio postcard from Atlanta.
JOSHUA LEVS reporting:
It's Tuesday evening at a swank hotel in midtown Atlanta directly across from the historic Fox Theatre. Guests from around the country are mingling with locals on the patio, but this isn't your typical two-legged crowd.
(Soundbite of dogs barking)
LEVS: It's canine cocktail hour at Hotel Indigo. And while a couple of furry patrons momentarily get rambunctious, most sit calmly, gazing at the surroundings and eyeing each other. They can't go too far since they're attached to leashes being held by their owners. Kelly Sinclair doesn't like to be without her mutt, Phoebe(ph).
Ms. KELLY SINCLAIR (Dog Owner): So a place like this that'll cater to dogs is, I mean, top-notch.
LEVS: That's cater in the literal sense. These dogs get a constant supply of snacks from their servers, such as A.J. Jackson.
Mr. A.J. JACKSON (Server): Yes, we walk around, make sure the dogs have enough water, make sure they have enough snacks to eat. You know, just anticipate their needs.
LEVS: A giant array of doggy treats is laid out on a hot dog cart, and Jackson swears they're only the best.
Mr. JACKSON: No, it's not the cheap stuff. Nothing here at Indigo is cheap. Everything is good.
LEVS: No happy hour is complete without the proper beverages, of course. So these pooches get plenty to wash down those snacks. Nicky(ph), a nine-year-old chow-collie mix, gleefully laps up a dish full of the good stuff.
(Soundbite of dog drinking)
LEVS: This is tap water, although Hotel Indigo makes available bottled water for dogs at 2.50 a bottle. The doggy menu also includes a $6 sirloin steak and $5 grilled chicken.
Ms. GABRIELE WEBSTER (Hotel Indigo Proprietor): And anything else that they would like we can prepare, just like we prepare for the humans.
LEVS: That's the hotel proprietor, Gabriele Webster, admiring the scene from the lobby. She's the dog lover who thought up this popular pet party. The hotel also has a special floor for guests to stay on if they bring their pets. Webster says the pet friendliness has helped distinguish Hotel Indigo in a crowded marketplace, and the weekly cocktail hour has especially helped draw people from Atlanta.
Ms. WEBSTER: The humans socialize and the dogs socialize. They make friends. It's the guests interacting with the neighborhood, being part of the community. That's really, really what we like.
LEVS: She says it's also a moneymaker. It is clearly attracting a crowd. Tonight there are about 40 people, including Michelle Ray(ph) from the local shelter. She brought Pippin(ph), a one-year-old Chihuahua-terrier mix who's available for adoption.
Ms. MICHELLE RAY (Shelter Worker): As a pet lover, it's just nice to have a place that you can go where your dogs can go with you. And you can talk to people who like dogs and your dogs can sniff other dogs and have their own little conversations.
LEVS: What do they talk about here?
Ms. RAY: I don't know. I think they like the decor.
LEVS: While many of the pups are interacting, just like any happy hour this one has some who seem just a little too cool for everybody else. Billie(ph), a seven-and-a-half-year-old Jack Russell terrier, seems to be leading her owner, David Weir(ph), through the festivities.
Mr. DAVID WEIR (Dog Owner): Mostly from Billie's point of view, it's a lot of barking and yapping and ankle biting. But that's...
LEVS: Ankle biting? I should step away.
Mr. WEIR: Well, you know, that's OK. Watch your ankles.
LEVS: Organizers say I don't have to watch where I step. In fact, they tell me cleaning up after the canine cocktail hour is no tougher than cleaning up after most people. I'm Joshua Levs in Atlanta.
BRAND: DAY TO DAY returns in a moment. I'm Madeleine Brand.
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