Animal Lover Creates Café For Thirsty Dogs

• Six years ago, Kaya Kristina started putting water around a public garden in Toronto for dogs who walk around the park.
• When the pandemic hit last year, Kaya leveled up her game and added treats, menu and a stick library for dogs.
• Furry parents and dogs alike were so happy about the dog café Kaya built herself.

Take a look at this adorable neighborhood café — exclusive for dogs! It has refreshments, small treats and a stick library for every dog running around High Park, one of Toronto’s most popular public gardens.

The dogs’ corner was first put up by Kaya Kristina six years ago, starting with just water for thirsty dogs.

“On hot days, I noticed some of the dogs coming home from the park looked thirsty and tired,” Kaya told The Dodo. “I thought I should put out some water and a sign that said, ‘For thirsty dogs.’”

Since then, Kaya has kept her little project of supplying local dogs with water. Furry parents have noticed the café and have been so glad that their pups can have some extra entertainment and refreshment in their usual walks. The neighbors then leave thank-you notes in the café to show their appreciation to Kaya’s goodwill.

The pandemic that hit last year didn’t hinder Kaya to sustain her little hobby. Instead, it led her to keeping up her game — leveling up the café with some treats made even more inviting with a stand-up menu. Thus, StarPups Coffee was born, providing water, milk-bones and specialty all-natural treats for dogs.

“I made a bunch of mini treat bags, made a little menu so people knew what they were giving their dog and put a little stand out with options,” Kaya said. “It was so cute seeing the dogs go by and pulling their owners to my house to go get a snack.”

Soon, the café earned regular visitors, so Kaya created an Instagram account to build a little community.

Everything was smooth-sailing, until the entire café setup went missing one day. Kaya was heartbroken over the stolen café she set up herself. She shared what happened on Instagram and unexpectedly received so much support from the community.

“That evening, when I got home, my mailbox was full of cards, notes, photos of people’s dogs, Pet Valu gift cards and even a sweet drawing of my dog,” Kaya said. “It turned out to be a good thing, because I had felt so isolated all year with COVID, and now I felt like I had an army of friends.”

The kind act encouraged Kaya to build another StarPups Coffee, this time, a more permanent and weatherproof setup on her lawn.

With the lockdown in Ontario, Kaya’s café stands resilient, especially that dog-walking is still allowed.

“So many people are struggling mentally and physically, so this is something they can do to bring a little joy to their day,” Kaya said of what StarPups Coffee aims to give.

Source: The Dodo