Doting on our precious pooches and feline friends is pure pleasure when you've got the proper resources. In Dallas, many businesses have elevated pet care and supplies of all manner to high art. These shops cater to those who adore their animals and want the best of everything, from day care and dog walking to stylish carriers and adorable accessories.
We've updated our list from a few years ago — some places still earn a place in the primo pampering pantheon of North Texas. Other businesses have joined the ranks of the best spots to indulge your furbaby, from food and supplies to grooming, boarding, exercise, and overall care.
Ardy’s For Paws
Don’t let the lack of glitz and glam of Ardy’s Far North Dallas strip center shop distract you — groomers Ronny Junkins, Brenda Moore, and Clay Williams are experts at what they do. To be exact, they know how to create the perfect breed-specific fur cut for Fido. Breed-specific is the quintessential cut you think of when you imagine a breed. Lhasa Apsos are Junkins’ specialty, as he has been a top breeder and exhibitor for over 25 years. The prices are also extremely reasonable. If you want your woof to look like she belongs in Westminster, Ardy’s is the place to go.
Downtown Pawz
This all-natural pet store has earned a devoted following with stellar service and a broad selection of natural pet foods — its cat food, in particular, gets rave reviews. It's not a chichi establishment, and that seems to be part of its appeal: just the best food, dog walking, and bathing and grooming services. If scheduling is a problem, Downtown Pawz offers curbside pickup of your beloved pet, and free delivery within downtown.
Lucca Bella Doggie Spa & Boutique
Human pedicures are nothing unusual, but how about a doggie pawdicure, blueberry vanilla facial, or full-body massage? At Lucca Bella, luxe treatments are de rigueur. In the Turtle Creek couture boutique, peruse sparkly collars and beautiful accessories to make your hound look haute, or take pampering to the next level with day care for doggies under 25 pounds. Mom and dad can keep an eye on their furbaby with webcams, and there's a "pet taxi" for pickup and take-home within a 5-mile radius. The grooming facility offers aromatherapy shampoos, fur coloring, doggie perfume, and more to give dogs that je ne sais quoi.
Lucky Dog Barkery
Dapper doggies find their stylish duds at this Plaza at Preston Center pet shop, where well-dressed pets get sparkly rhinestone collars, fancy outerwear, leather leashes, and other essentials for the on-trend four-legged friend. It's equally well-known for stocking health-conscious foods and treats, whether organic, natural, or raw. Additionally, shop among the wide selection of toys, where squeakers reign supreme and there are tons of tugs, chewies, and games. Designer pet beds, bowls, art, and pet-centric gifts make for tempting buys, too.
Pawtique Grooming
This beloved East Dallas institution earns raves from clients for pet-centered care, all under the watchful eye of owner Doloris Petty, known as the "Texas Dog Whisperer." Petty and her staff offer dog grooming for all types of pooches, including puppies, seniors, those with behavioral issues, and sick or handicapped dogs. Petty has been doing business in East Dallas for many years, as her many long-term clients can attest.
The Petropolitan
Co-owner Chris Watts started The Petropolitan in 2006, when there were few other pet care options available in or near downtown. He's carved out his niche as an exceptional provider, perhaps because he treats pets like family, readily handing out his mobile phone number so owners can call in case of pet-watching emergencies (one person rung Watts at 3 am after a family emergency, needing immediate dog boarding in order to leave town). This 4,000-square-foot spot offers doggie day care and extended care, with lots of exercise and grouping of dogs based on size and temperament. There's also dog walking, longer urban hikes, and grooming services. They even offer transportation, in-home visits, and in-home overnight stays.
The Pooch Patio
If drinking "mutt-mosas" on a patio and bringing your dog along sounds like a great time, the Pooch Patio is your new favorite place. Not only can you do it casually, you can make your four-legged pal the center of attention at this Oak Lawn spot with an “ulti-mutt” birthday party. When you're busy adulting, bring your pooch here for day care, where your dog is a V.I.P. (very important pooch) in one of three environments. There's also boarding with webcams and late pickup, as well as grooming (including a DIY option for those who prefer not to mess up their home bathroom). In the retail area, browse among a seemingly endless selection of dog accessories, as well as designer pet colognes and fresh-baked organic treats.
Raw by Canines First
Raw by Canines First is to dog food what Whole Foods is to people food. This is the place to get holistic brands that are hard to find elsewhere: Orijen, Ziwi Peak, Stella and Chewy's, and Primal. Bring in your dog to try the free samples and see what he likes best. Heck, try some yourself. This is human-grade food. They’ve also got treats sure to please your pooch, like dried duck’s feet and elk antlers. As an added bonus, Raw by Canines First offers free delivery within the city of Dallas south of 635.
Three Dog Bakery
Owners Mark and Dan started baking from-scratch dog treats in the 1980s, selling them on weekends. They soon outgrew their kitchen and opened the world's first dog bakery, Three Dog, in 1989. Their selection includes wheat-free cookies; low-fat "beg-als"; oven-baked biscuits; and birthday "bone cakes" in your choice of flavors, iced with a low-lactose, low-fat yogurt frosting with carob writing on top. It's what all the pampered pooches are asking for on their birthdays. Three Dog also sells dog chews, collars, harnesses, and leashes. Three locations.
The Upper Paw
Dogs and cats clamor for the food and treats at downtown's Upper Paw, an oasis of hard-to-find brands like Victor, Pure Vita, and Nutrisca. It carries the exclusive EzyDog line of harnesses, leashes, and collars, as well as other popular brands, and a noiseless, glow-in-the-dark tag that will end the late-night clanging of metal tags that drives many pet owners crazy.
Urban Paws
The newest pet retreat in downtown, Urban Paws offers more than 19,000 square feet of oversized townhomes, indoor and outdoor parks, grooming, DIY bathing stations, and retail for discriminating pet owners. With boarding and day care, dogs get windows to look over downtown, hours of play, and the attention of staff trained to understand pack mentality. Many owners bring their four-legged friends here after playing in nearby Deep Ellum Bark Park for a bath with all-natural shampoo and add-on treatments, like the Furminator.
The Petropolitan in downtown Dallas is one of the few pet care spots in town to offer in-home visits and in-home overnight stays.
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