Warmer Days Are on the Way! Get Out-and-About with Your Dog
If you and your pets are experiencing some cabin fever, we can’t blame you. It’s been a long winter, and we’re all ready to spend some time outdoors. Check out our suggestions for pet-friendly outings, including:
Parks
Restaurants
Shopping
Pet-Friendly Parks in the Cincinnati Area
We are blessed to enjoy both Cincinnati Parks and Great Parks of Hamilton County. While there are dozens of options in our area, we’re highlighting these three:
Smale Riverfront Park: Enjoy walks along the Ohio riverfront in downtown Cincinnati. All you need is a leash to explore the labyrinth, fresh spring gardens, porch swings and great views.
Otto Armleder Dog Park: Get off-leash at the dog park! 10 acres of freedom, divided by dog size, so everyone feels safe. Amenities include benches, trash cans and water spouts.
Ault Park: Another beautiful Cincinnati park that includes wooded hiking trails, expansive gardens, a panoramic river overlook and playground. Leash up and enjoy the splendors of nature.
Pet-Friendly Hang-Outs in the Cincinnati Area
Ready for some fun? Bring your pup along to these Cincinnati-area hang-outs:
Aces Pickleball + Kitchen: This destination has it all! Pickleball (of course), an off-leash dog park, and charming outdoor seating areas, plus a full restaurant and bar.
Pins Mechanical Co.: A dog-friendly bar with bowling and pinball– what’s not to love? The bar doesn’t serve food, but sometimes there are food trucks (and you’re welcome to brown-bag it).
13 Below Brewery:Dogs are welcome both indoors and on the outdoor patio. The brewery sports a food truck, as well. And there’s a park next door to take a walk.
Pet-Friendly Shopping in the Cincinnati Area
Chores are more fun with a friend. Your leashed dog is welcome at these two shops:
Findlay Market: Get your groceries and lunch in style at Cincinnati’s famous public market. Pets are welcome in all outdoor areas and outdoor tables.
The Home Depot: Well-behaved dogs are welcome in The Home Depot. Get your DIY on with your dog.
Enjoy these ideas for getting out into the world with your dog! Have a super spring!
Animal Adoption Foundation in Hamilton is hosting a massive, three-day yard sale to benefit the shelter animals in their care. Above, you can see just part of last year’s offerings. This year, you can be a part of this important fundraiser by both donating items and shopping the sale.
Here’s the address for AAF:
Animal Adoption Foundation
2480 Ross-Millville Rd
Hamilton, OH 45013
When to Donate for the AAF Yard Sale
Donations need to arrive in time for volunteers to organize them. Here’s when you can drop things off:
Donations August 3 – September 8
Saturday & Sunday: 9AM-1PM
Tuesday & Thursday: 4PM-7PM
Furniture donations are accepted only on September 12 from 11AM-4PM.
Please note, there are several items that can’t be accepted, including:
Mattresses or box springs
Upholstered furniture
Pillows, linens or stuffed toys
Small electronics, TVs, fans
Paint, flammables
Tires
Building material
Bathroom cabinets
Broken furniture
Broken items
Anything in poor condition
Last Year’s AAF Yard Sale
When to Shop the AAF Yard Sale
Now here’s the exciting part! Let’s get shopping! A quick survey of Facebook shows that over 250 shoppers are interested in this event so far (and Sunday looks to be the most popular day).
Organizers mention that they bring out new items each day, so every day has the best selection.
Seeing pictures of last year’s yard sale make us excited that 2024 is going to offer bargains for days. And the best part? We’ll unite to help shelter pets live happier, healthier lives.
Looking Forward to Autumn with Your Pup? Make Plans for Cooler Days Ahead!
It’s time to start dreaming about fall fun with your furry friend. Check out these upcoming dog-friendly events in and around Cincinnati, and mark your calendar.
Bonus: check out the adoption event and fundraiser that benefits Animal Friends Human Society at the end.
Dog-Friendly Event 1:
Yappy Hour at Washington Park
The first Wednesday of the month is a celebration of all things canine at Washington Park, Cincinnati’s second-oldest park. And these gatherings are free!
In September, the theme is Bark to School:
“Attention teacher’s pets! Bring your good-est pups out for a bark to school photo shoot against the beautiful backdrop of Washington Park.”
October is time for TAIL-gating:
“Today is all about celebrating the Orange & Blue – oh, and furry friends too! Yappy Hour meets FC Cincinnati Pre-Match at The Park presented by ProLink for this mid-week paw-ty! Bring out your pup in their most fetching FCC gear to celebrate in the park!”
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Wednesday, October 4, 2023 6PM – 8PM
Washington Park
1230 Elm Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Dog-Friendly Event 2:
Dogs and Doughnuts at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park
The final dog-friendly event of the year, October 5 is Adoption Day at Dogs and Doughnuts. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Pyramid Hill describes what to expect:
“Bring your furry family along to craft pet-friendly treats & treasures, enjoy light refreshments, and take a walk around the beautiful 300+ acres of Pyramid Hill at our Dogs and Doughnuts series.”
Sunday, October 1, 2023 10AM – 2PM
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum Pavilion
1763 Hamilton Cleves Road
Hamilton, OH 45013
Dog-Friendly Event 3:
Pink Your Pup at Fretboard Brewing
Bring your dog to this breast cancer awareness celebration and fundraiser– all while getting to enjoy Fretboard Brewing’s new Factory 52 location. Admission is free, and all proceeds benefit the Karen Wellington Foundation.
“Enjoy delicious food from Angilo’s Pizza. There will also be a gift basket raffle, a pink-out dog costume contest, and of course the pink-colored strawberry blonde ale, ‘Reba’, on tap!”
Thursday, October 5, 2023 4PM – 7PM
Fretboard Brewing Norwood
2750 Park Avenue, Suite O
Norwood, OH 45212
Bonus: Ales for Tails Adoption Event and Fundraiser
The 6th annual Ales for Tails dog-friendly event by Animal Friends Humane Society is happening soon. It includes half-off adoption fees and on-site microchipping for your pet.
“This is not an event you are going to want to miss! This 9 hour long event is full of fun for your two and four legged family members!”
Saturday, September 9, 2023 12PM – 9PM
Municipal Brew Works
20 High Street
Hamilton, OH 45011
Check out these three activities for outdoor fun all summer long. There are plenty of date options to fit your schedule. We just love pet-friendly events!
Dogs & Doughnuts at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park
Enjoy a stroll through the 300+ acres of beautiful Pyramid Hill Sculpture park with your pup! Plus, enjoy light refreshments (like doughnuts!) and a special craft activity each date.
Price: Included with Park admission (Free for members, non-members are up to $10/person)
June 3: Joni Fleming will draw complementary caricatures of you and your pup(s)
July 1: Craft activity TBA
August 5: Craft activity TBA
October 1: Adoption event with Animal Friends Humane Society
Saturdays from 7-9:30 PM, bring your family and pets to to this Lawrenceburg, IN winery for an outdoor music festival, featuring different artists each evening. Bring a picnic and enjoy a wine tasting. Here are a few of the musical acts on the schedule:
June 3: Mark Scheper, Trop Rock, Beach Boys
June 10: Josh Wells, Acoustic Classical Country
June 17: Ethan Hopper, covers and originals
June 24: Boomerang, cello, guitar and violin trio covers 70s-90s
At the Barn Winery
4152 N Dearborn Road
Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
Washington Park Dog Park: Washington Park, across from Music Hall, offers a fenced-in dog play space. It features a water feature, cement and artificial turf (so no mud!)
Sharon Woods Park: Hike beautiful trails with your leashed pet. There are plenty of wooded and lakeside areas.
Simmonds Family Dog Park: A park designed just for dogs! Four fenced-in areas for small dogs, large dogs, agility and all dogs.
“are able to provide unconditional love, emotional support, comfort, joy, and a pleasant distraction from the everyday stresses in life by allowing our pets to interact and bond with the people they meet.”
Fox19 featured canine and aquatic therapy earlier this month, diving into the research that shows the benefits of pet therapy for reducing blood pressure and heart rate. Animals also help us release endorphins, that help us feel better while reducing stress and anxiety.
Therapy pets from Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati serve many types of communities and populations. They visit:
Schools
Hospitals
Retirement communities
Libraries
Colleges
And more
For instance, teen and tweens can interact with therapy dogs at the Covington branch of the Kenton County Public Library on Mondays in summer from 12:15 – 1:30PM.
Location to hold meetings or Therapy Team Evaluations
Donation of copy/print services for workshop handouts
Contact us about other special equipment or needs (for workshops, etc.)
Of course, you may wish to volunteer with your pet!
Pet Therapy Cincinnati: Which Animals Can Be Therapy Animals?
Many domesticated animals can become therapy pets. We have all seen therapy dogs, but also consider:
Horses
Cats
Rabbits
Goats
Llamas
Cockatoos
African gray parrots
And more!
Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati cautions that wild or exotic animals like snakes, ferrets or lizards cannot be therapy pets.
Pet Therapy Cincinnati: Pet Therapy Guidelines
Therapy pets need to have a certain disposition, including being friendly with strangers and enjoying human touch. The animal also needs to be well-cared for and properly groomed. For dogs, specifically, there are certain obedience training guidelines:
Dogs must walk docilely on a leash, turning with their human and stopping when the human stops
Dogs need to remain calm in crowds and with loud noises
Dogs should follow basic commands like sit, lay down and stay
Dogs should come when called
Dogs need to behave around other dogs
There are many guidelines provided by Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati. Check them out here. If you decide pet therapy is a good fit for you and your pet, enjoy serving our community in this important way!
When the Bengals won their first playoff game since 1991 last year, we celebrated with beautiful Bengal cats— a breed of cat reminiscent of their tiger cousins.
Help Animal Friends Humane Society & the Animals in Their Care
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month is a great time to support our local shelters. Check out these fun events from Animal Friends Humane Society.
October 19: MacKenzie River Pizza
Dine in or take out from the Fairfield location of Mackenzie River Pizza on Wednesday, October 19, and 20% of the price of your meal will be donated to Animal Friends Humane Society. Make sure to print out the Community Night Voucher and show it to your server.
Check out their menu to get some ideas. We think the street corn nachos sound pretty tasty. There are also some yummy-looking take and bake pizza options.
This is a truly special raffle. Four of the animals at Animal Friends Humane Society required hospitalization in September, and 100% of the proceeds will go towards their care.
And the prizes are pretty spectacular. The raffle is valued at $775, but really, it’s priceless. Win a professional portrait of your pet, a beautifully-unique fine art print from Iris Scott and a tasting at Napa Valley vineyard Pope Valley Winery.
You don’t even have to leave your home to win. The raffle will be drawn during a Facebook Live event October 25. Tickets are sold until October 24.
Santa is coming to Animal Friends Humane Society to spread some Christmas cheer! Professional portraits with Santa will be printed off for you while you wait, and the prices are very reasonable. Also, adoptions will be 50% off during the event.
Companion Care Animal Hospital has invited Santa to take pictures with pets in the past, and it’s always been a lot of fun! Don’t miss out on this opportunity to get a wonderful holiday keepsake, all while helping out animals in need.
From Artsy to Zany, See What’s Happening in the Cincinnati Area
Looking to get out of the house to do something fun? We’ve found these unique and interesting gatherings in the Cincinnati area.
Make a Blown Glass Pet Bowl
Neusole Glassworks is a glass art studio open to the public, located in Forest Park. They cater to all ages and skill levels.
Join glass blowing artists as they guide you in making a beautiful bowl for your pet’s water or food. There’s even an option to emblazon your pet’s name on the bowl! This event runs through August 2022.
MadTree Brewing in Oakley hosts this Harry-Potter themed event. Enjoy craft beer while a professional artist guides you in painting a one-of-a-kind likeness of your pet.
You’ll submit your pet’s photo ahead of time, and an artist will sketch it on canvas. The event is Saturday, August 20, 2022.
Bring your best bud to Great American Ballpark for a memorable game! Enjoy pregame activities (and maybe a hot dog). Remaining Bark in the Park games are August 16 and September 12.
It’s time to register your dachshund for Oktoberfest Zinzinnati’s Running of the Wieners. Registration is limited to 100 dogs, so hurry! The race is September 16, 2022 and is always popular.
The month of June has a lot going for it. The weather is fine, school is out… and it’s Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat month! Take the family to these two Animal Friends Humane Society events to meet some wonderful cats (and dogs) looking for fur-ever homes.
June 11: PetMobile at Hamilton Flea
Animal Friends Human Society’s PetMobile visits Hamilton Flea every second Saturday from June 11 through September. Enjoy shopping the market and visiting with animals… maybe you’ll even find just the friend for you.
