Best of Ottawa 2020: Places for pets

?After over 20-years writing about life in Ottawa, we think we have a pretty good idea of the best of what this city has to offer. In this weekly series, we share our picks with you — our top hotels, live music venues, local brews, bands and more. Check, share and discuss #OLMBest every week!

Tech Wall Dog Park — 551-575 Laurier Avenue West

This fenced-in dog park is located downtown, so it is perfect for the busy, city dog owner who doesn’t have access to a lot of green space for their furry friend to freely run around. It’s a great place for you and your dog to socialize with others, and the colourful and cool street art on the wall makes for an awesome selfie background for you and your pup!
Photo: The Pampered Pet via Yelp

The Pampered Pet — 2446 Bank Street

This adorable boutique specializes in all-natural dry food for dogs, cats and other animals. You can even pick up a brand-new pet there – they sell small birds and reptiles, including lizards, snakes, and chameleons. As a convenient bonus, they offer grooming services by appointment.
Photo: Cedar Lockwood via Google Maps

Bruce Pit — 175 Cedarview Road

Bruce Pit is ideal for you and your dog to run around or even just chill out at after a busy week. The park offers a vast green space and pond surrounded by trees, so it is a lovely place to get away from the loud bustling of the city. Let your dog run free while you sit on one of the benches with a snack and a good book. There are also handy poop bag disposal stations throughout the park.  Photo: Uptown Pet Grooming

Uptown Pet Grooming — 250 Greenbank Road

Uptown Pet Grooming is a one-stop, full service spot. Bring your pup there for all its doggy pamper needs like shampoos and trims to the less glamorous, but just as important, tasks like teeth brushing, ear cleaning and anal gland expression. Rest assured, your fur baby will be in good hands!
Photo: Duncan Ritchie via Google Maps

The Ruff House — 800 Industrial Avenue

The Ruff House is a 4-in-1 business, quadrupling as a grooming studio, food store, training facility and doggy daycare! Located in a spacious and clean facility, whether you’re interested in boarding your dog there for a few days or want to take some training classes, you and your dog will be treated like royalty.
Photo: The Ruff House

Conroy Pit — Conroy Road

Conroy Pit is pretty much dog heaven. This path way and large clearing is one of the city’s most popular dog parks. Dogs can run around unleashed here, so it’s the perfect place for you and your pet to get some fresh air and exercise. This place is really rural, with no busy streets or residential areas around, so you don’t have to worry about your dog’s safety.
Photo: Duncan Ritchie via Google Maps

The Hounds on Merivale — 1014 Merivale Road

Ran by a veterinary technician, The Hounds on Merivale is reliable and professional. Bring your dog there for basic grooming to full blown cosmetic teeth care like cleaning, polishing and scaling. Additionally, ownerKaren Jones also offers obedience training if you need some extra help with a misbehaving or in-training pup!
Photo: The Hounds on Merivale

Pet Circus — 274 Bank Street

With almost 40 years of business under their belt, Pet Circus is one of Ottawa’s most beloved and established pet supply stores. This family-owned shop carries a wide range of pet accessories, supplies, and food for not only cats and dogs, but also amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish. The staff has a deep love for and care for animals and are super friendly, so stop by the next time you need to grab something for your pet!
Photo: Pet Circus

Feline Café — 1076 Wellington Street West

This café is a great place to come for coffee and a good cause — while you enjoy a satisfying cup of java and some baked goods, you can hang out with some adorable cats! What makes this place so great is that all the cats in the lounge are foster pets seeking adoption. So, if you connect with one of the cute kitties, don’t hesitate to talk to one of the employees about their adoption process.
Photo: Feline Café

Central Bark Dog Grooming — 1200 Prince of Wales Drive

Bring your dog to Central Bark for good grooming and friendly, professional hospitality. Previously called Carol’s Grooming, the name change doesn’t mean a change in quality! Whether your dog is there for a nail trim or a full shampoo, rest assured they’ll have an enjoyable and comfortable stay.
Photo: Greg Burke via Google Maps