Make a pit stop in the MUTTROPOLIS

Pee Pee Dance
Image source:
Sammy Vicious – WordPress

A few weeks ago, some hoopla over a supposedly controversial “Get Off in Richmond” billboard sign along I-95 went trending (something about sexual innuendo).  According to the sign sponsors, the piece was intended to be a local tourism draw for passersby.  My take:  Whoever smelt it, dealt it.

I propose another sign along I-95 that encourages travelers to get off, and yes, make some smelly things. When you’re traveling with your furry family, they need to hit the rest stop here and there, too.  In the spirit of trip efficiency, you try to take care of your business and your dog’s at the same time—but that doesn’t mean you want to mosey around the dumpsters of a McDonald’s.

Consider this:  A designated “Pet Pit Stop” with lush grass and neighboring parking in Shockoe Bottom near the rising train shed which is a shovel ready project for a central tourist hub in the city.  While we can promote the leisurely incentives to hopping off I-95 into the heart of Richmond, the imperative—i.e., having to pee—is usually a no-brainer.

So your pooch might not do the pee pee dance from the passenger’s seat, but who wouldn’t want to take that pit stop at an attractive destination where they can simultaneously sample our downtown?

At a recent charrette workshop for Shockoe Bottom revitalization I suggested we literally stand up a giant faux pineapple to signify the gateway of southern hospitality.  I think my idea was pretty cool (toot-toot) and the pineapple can welcome both our two-legged and four-legged tourists in chorus.  Plus, economic data reveals the money people spend on their dogs is astonishing.  Think of the potential payback if the train shed housed a Three Dog Bakery in company with a pet pit stop.  On the other hand you don’t need a dog-industry specific storefront; you just need retail that welcomes dogs so families with Fido in tow can patronize businesses.

It’s legitimate to worry about the residual—the poop.  I assume this topic would be one of much debate.  Let’s not miss the point that this dog-welcoming entrée to Richmond could very well pay dividends, economically and for quality of life, in a place where we’re trying to reinvigorate what has in recent history been plagued by blighted property and vagabonds.  We can find ways to mitigate the potential problem with proper disposal stations.

Travelers can stick with the traditional Rest Area dog walks that require them to stay back a gazillion feet from public restrooms where you might feel like you’ll be carjacked and no one will hear the screams because you’re parked in desolate real estate in Intercourse, PA (now that is a sexual reference—ok, so it’s not exactly near I-95 but you get the point) OR; they could stroll around a first-rate puppy pit stop in the heart of charming Virginia.  For many dog parents, your pooch is your kid, and no mama bear wants to hang around some nasty gas station restroom.  So slap on a snazzy (or not so snazzy) sign along I-95 and let the Bottom boom.

Hello world!

I moved to Richmond, twice.  The first time was for six months.  On the third day, before my apartment furniture had even arrived, I was en route to the airport to pick up much more valuable cargo—a dog.

We hadn’t met at this point.  It was a blind date that would last a lifetime.  I was three hours late thanks to misinformation on the arrival ticker.  I distinctly remember the surprisingly pleasant Delta airline attendant who told me she had made a makeshift leash for my dog that sat with her behind the lost and found counter.  “He must be so excited to see you,” she said.  A lump formed in my throat as I considered the responsibility I was about to take on.  I’m bad with kids—this is like a furry kid.  But before I could respond to her assuming comment, out from the side of the counter slowly peered this straggly, ball of white poof with dark eyes and a button nose.  He wasn’t excited.  He didn’t give in to my high-end organic treats lure that even I found appealing.

On the ride home I stopped for a sandwich.  It was the fall, and even though I was a new dog mom, I knew the dangers of leaving a pet in the car.  But the temperature was a perfect balance so I left my blind date on the passenger’s seat.  I was back in a jiffy, sitting in a seat of urine.  I cried.  What was I thinking.

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Before my second move to Richmond, I served as a proud Blue Star spouse to a U.S. Army captain.  I was acutely aware of the realities of war that so often go unnoticed.  It was a silent service that I embraced but the absence of a loved one, the unknowns and the what-ifs that I had experienced on tour one and now vividly anticipated for tour two, were ever present.  The busyness of the day—working in the United States Senate—kept mind over matter, except in the evening without fail it always hit home.  The bed sheets: cold; the smell was always of generic fabric softener, not the familiar and comforting scent of home.  Though this second time around it was different.  There was a straggly white poof ball that without a doubt sensed the anxiety and would nuzzle on loyal standby.  He is the reason I got through the silent service unscathed.

I don’t believe in love at first site, however I do fall in love and I fell hard.  The blind date has a spot in the bed, on the couch, a frequent flyer membership to doggie day care, and all the love that I could possibly pump into such a little body that brings joy which no human ever can.

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RVA Muttropolis isn’t a blog about dogs.  It’s the seed and platform for an advocacy alliance of local organizations, businesses, and individuals that are committed to making Richmond one of the most dog-friendly cities in the United States.  This is a grassroots initiative to marry two things that I have found Richmonders love: pups and economic development.

The mission:  To promote the economic and quality of life benefits of a dog-friendly urban community to garner public and private support in adopting dog-welcoming work, life, and city-styles.

So what makes Richmond an ideal place to aspire to be the most dog-friendly city in the United States?  The concept actually has legs.  Take for example a Spring 2011 op-ed: Hinkle: Welcome to Richmond, dog capital of the world, by renowned Richmond Times-Dispatch opinion contributor, Bart Hinkle, who suggests Richmond aim even higher for dog capital of the world:

“Granted, New York City has the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden.  And New York can keep it.  Richmond should embrace a muttier ethos – the kind that thinks dogs belong not on a display shelf, but on the couch.  And on the bed.  And the front seat.  Or even in shops, offices buildings, and restaurants, as you can find them in some parts of Europe.”

Stay tuned.