Pledging for pooches: VIP clubs where NYC’s doggie 1 percent hangs out
When Mariana Lucero’s mini Australian shepherd Artie was 4 months old, she took him to the dog run at Tompkins Square Park for the first — and last — time.
“A completely unsupervised dog went after Artie, nipping him so hard that he stayed under a bench shaking and refused to come out,” said the dental assistant who lives on the Lower East Side.
From then on she relegated his off-leash play to School Yard at School for the Dogs in the East Village. The canine academy arranges exclusive groupings of six pre-screened pooches to safely frolic under the supervision of both owners and a trainer.
“I love the security and the fact that Artie is learning to trust other dogs again,” Lucero said of her now 1-year-old pup. “School Yard has really changed his life for the better.”
While any old mutt can run around off-leash in one of the city’s 140 dog runs, some pet owners are opting for swankier members-only setups that promise play with well-behaved animals, cleanliness and supervision.
“Every dog run would be better off if there was someone in charge, a lifeguard if you will,” said Annie Grossman, owner of School for the Dogs.
Not every dog can join in the experience. Before being accepted, owners take a quiz about rules and etiquette, submit a video of their dog interacting with others off-leash and do an in-person interview. In the end, 25 percent of applicants are ultimately rejected.
“We don’t accept everyone because sometimes it’s clear that this won’t be the right environment for the dog,” Grossman said, adding that when she leads a session, she opts to play the Beatles, Beach Boys or “music for dogs” on Spotify. “We want this place to have the right vibe for both our human clients and their dogs.”
And, while Grossman acknowledged that the $2,200 annual dues for off-leash membership (or $200 per month) for five sessions per month is pricey, she noted that this is one of the most valuable ways a dog can learn to socialize safely, and that clients really appreciate the presence of a trainer.
“We have a kind of client who is really interested in being the best possible dog owner and giving their dog the best possible life within the constraints of New York City,” she said. “It’s really a dog social club and we bill it as a way to set up a dog for success in their leisure time.”
Nearby at Ruff Club, dog owners gather in a repurposed century-old tavern on Avenue A to sip locally roasted coffee, use the free Wi-Fi and hang with their four-legged friends in a space that bills itself as a “contemporary pet care hub.” All members must apply first and schedule a temperament assessment before paying $149 per year for access to the space, with day care priced at $40 per day.
Naturally, Greenwich, Conn., also has its own exclusive pledging system for pooches. In September, Jessica DelGuercio plans to open a boutique-style membership called PAWS of Greenwich Canine Club. Monthly VIP membership starts at $1,200 for adults and $1,440 for pups and includes “drop and go” day care from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
“In some cases the dogs — or their owners — may not be the best fit for the style of our club,” said DelGuercio. The enrollment process, which starts at $125, includes a behavior evaluation and two day care trials.
A more affordable city offering can be found at Acme Dog Run, which opened in Gowanus, Brooklyn, at the end of 2019, offering well-behaved pups indoor play in a 4,000-square-foot space that used to be an upholstery factory. For $15 for two hours, pups get to frolic while owners enjoy complimentary coffee, tunes from a jukebox and comfy benches.
For Ed Stickradt, 70, a real estate agent who lives in Park Slope with his 2-year-old Mountain Cur mix, Roxie, Acme was just what the neighborhood needed.
“I was attracted to it because all the dogs were vetted so the danger of harm was greatly reduced,” he said. “That’s something which is impossible to control during off-leash hours in the park.”
Back at School Yard, Cassondra Bazelow, an art director who lives in the East Village, raved about how happy the pricey play group has made her and her 4-year-old Bassett hound, Sally Long.
“I enjoy doing things with Sally and I can see that she’s so much more comfortable with the other dogs because she’s known them for a long time,” Bazelow, 37, said. “It’s a safe zone for her and that’s important to me.”
