DP Family of Dogs Celebrates in Philadelphia!
June 03, 2010 • Travel • Trends •
Written by Max (Nancy Woodward)
What better place to hold a family reunion than the City of Brotherly Love?
Philadelphia, Pa., won the affection of all who attended the third annual weekend gathering of DPFamily this spring.
DPFamily, which stands for “Where Dogs and People Are Family,” is an online site created in 2008 by Bob Shaughnessy of Manhattan. It has grown to include 239 canine members from all over the United States and numerous countries around the globe.
Previous get-togethers were held in New York City in 2008, hosted by Shaughnessy, and Charleston, S.C., in 2009, hosted by Darsey Mitchell of Hilton Head, S.C.
Members started arriving on Thursday by plane, train and car from all over the east coast for the event, which was the result of months of planning by Arden and Kevin Townsend of New Jersey.
Since most of the attendees were small dogs, it was fairly easy to find transportation, lodging, restaurants and events which welcomed both our four-legged and two-legged members. While there are numerous websites and books which list Fido-friendly places, we found it’s a good idea to double-check by phone because some of those we found online had changed their pets policy.
As the fifth largest city in the United States and the nation’s first capital, Philadelphia is a popular tourist destination which is within a five-hour drive of a quarter of the country’s population and attracted more than 36 million American tourists last year alone. It boasts a large number of pet-friendly parks, boutiques, outdoor restaurants and hotels, all of which helped make each dog feel like a Very Important Pet.
Among the Center City hotels members stayed at which welcome dogs are The Rittenhouse, Sofitel, Loew’s and Sheraton. Many are conveniently near Rittenhouse Square, one of the five original open-space parks planned by the city’s founder William Penn in the 17th century. The square is a favorite dog-walking destination for both area residents and visitors and DPFamily members took full advantage of its lush lawns and trees.
Members who arrived early got together Thursday evening at Devon’s and Rouge, eateries across from Rittenhouse Square.
The weekend’s activities officially kicked off on a Friday evening with an al fresco dinner at the Marathon Grill on Chestnut Street. The dress code for both dogs and their people was tie-dye clothing and while the rainbow apparel attracted lots of attention, it couldn’t compete with the sight of so many dogs gathered around the dining table.
After dinner, members strolled around city hall and LOVE Park, officially known as JFK Plaza and home to a famous sculpture by Robert Indiana.
Saturday morning’s highlight was a two-hour ride aboard a Trolley Works Victorian-style open-air trolley through the history-rich streets of the city. While our tour guide pointed out such landmarks as the Betsy Ross House and Independence Hall, our vehicle itself became a tourist attraction as many passersby took photos of the unusual trolley passengers.
A stop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art gave everyone an opportunity to stretch their legs and to run up the museum’s 72 front steps, which were featured prominently in “Rocky”. While there wasn’t a boxer in the bunch, every breed enjoyed posing with the statue of Rocky Balboa before continuing the tour.
Following the trolley ride, the group browsed though some of the city’s many great pet boutiques including Doggy Style and Just Dog’s Gourmet. Even though it had begun raining, the Continental Restaurant on Chestnut Street agreed to serve our party lunch at its outdoor tables.
Saturday night, DPF member Ruth McCormack hosted a dinner at her home in the suburbs a short drive. The menu was a Philly feast of foods ranging from hoagies and Tasty cakes for people and a variety of treats for the dogs including a cake from Daisy Delights Bakery and Boutique, Ridley Park, Pa..
After dinner, contests were held, including competitions for best-dressed dogs, most kissable dog, DPFamily trivia, best trick and the dog who could sit and stay for the longest time.
The winners were showered with an array of wonderful prizes from many members and friends, including members Jodie Morrish, of Australia’s Fashionable Furrys, Andrea Arden of Andrea Arden Dog Training
Ada Nieves of www.adanieves.com, Roberto Negrin, www.hec-lindesignsfordogs.com.
Other prizes came from, Dr. Becker’s Bites, FIDO Friendly magazine, U Lucky Dogs, Water Rover, Jakes Dog House, Abacus, Hannah’s Baskets, It’s All About Lucy pet apparel, Miss Minnie’s Pampered Pet Shop and Goleisureland.
Sunday morning, members gathered at each other’s hotels to say a final farewell and to begin discussing our next get-together in Washington, D.C.
We all marveled at how amazing it is that although not all the DPFamily dogs had met in person prior to coming to Philadelphia, each seemed to sense they were family and not a growl was heard all weekend.
If you are interested in becoming a part of our DPFamily, which is for adults over 18, please email cuba@chelseacommons.com. maybe we’ll see you at our 2011 family reunion, to be held in our nation’s capital April 14-17 2011.
