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Entrepreneurs Are Crowdfunding for First Dog Café in America

A group of dogs enjoying themselves at a dog cafe.

While the cat café in New York City has received massive attention from the likes of ABC News, CNN and USA Today, two entrepreneur don’t want to let the kittens have all the fun.

Sarah and Aaron Wolfgang are currently trying to raise $200,000 on crowdfunding site Indiegogo to open The Dog Café in Los Angeles. The coffee shop will serve up Grounds & Hounds coffee (obviously), be decked out in cozy couches, a play area to boot and free smooches from furry pups.

The inspiration behind The Dog Café came from when Sarah used to live in Korea and volunteer at an animal shelter. Instead of the traditional U.S. approach to dealing with homeless pups — dogs stay locked up in cages until a potential adopter asks to visit the pooch — the Korean shelter had a more laid back style, allowing all dogs to roam free in the shelter. By doing so, Wolfgang believed dogs deemed as too shy or too “barkey” had a chance to show their true colors.  She hopes The Dog Café will offer the same comfortable environment for rescue dogs.

Related: 10 of the Best Dog-Friendly Offices

“The reality behind these dogs is that most of them are highly adoptable, yet so many do not get a second chance because we don’t get to appreciate their real personalities, she says on her crowdfunding site “The Dog Cafe is going to put a spin on the way people adopt by totally reinventing the way we connect with homeless dogs.” The Wolfgangs are aiming for 104 dogs to be adopted in the first year.

While $200,000 may seem like a big chunk of change, keep in mind the Wolfgangs have to find a location, make it dog-friendly (i.e polished concrete) and hire a staff to make sure people and pups are happy (and safe).

For those looking to help these entrepreneurs get their vision off the ground, the crowdfunding campaign offers a slew of perks, including prepaid ticket to cuddle with dogs ($5), a Dog Café mug ($30), your name engraved on a plaque to be placed on a table ($5,000) and everything in between.

Head over to Indiegogo to make a contribution.

Related: The Only Beach That Requires People to Have a Dog

Check out the video below for more information:

By Christina Tesoro

Christina Tesoro lives and writes in New York City with her mischievous Min Pin mix, Nela. She has also written for The Toast and Quantum Fairy Tales.

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