Dogs About Town

Attorney Melissa Fertel and her purse-size poodle, Gigi, enjoy an afternoon of shopping at Azuz. (Photo: www.lawellphoto.com)

Ahh, to be Gigi. She’s the center of attention with those black and white, soft curls and dancing eyes. And she’s dripping in jewelry.

“The first thing people say is, ‘Oh, she’s so cute; she’s so tiny!’ Then it’s, ‘Look at that bling!’” says attorney Melissa Fertel, whose 4½-pound, toy Parti poodle is dressed to the ca-nines for shopping excursions.

The glitzy pooch eagerly jumps into her pet purse for outings to Grace Anna’s Boutique and White House Black Market, among other favorite haunts in Rice Village. “People gravitate to Gigi. I’m just wallpaper,” quips Fertel, who handcrafts her dog’s necklaces, dubbed “Gigi’s Gems.” They even wear matching jewelry from a “Mommy and Me” line.

“It’s probably easier to list the places where I don’t take her,” jokes Fertel. “Gigi has never had a bad day in her life!”

Fee-Fee and Fido needn’t be left behind when the shopping urge strikes. Some local shops as well as national chains welcome four-legged family members. Old Navy, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, T. J. Maxx, Marshalls and Bed Bath & Beyond are a few with pet-friendly policies. Nordstrom has welcomed dogs for 20 years.

Policies vary. Some chains leave it up to the individual retailer’s discretion as to what’s allowed, so best to check before venturing out with pup in tow. Shop owners decide if dogs are welcome on leash as well as in a carrier, says a city spokesman. But health code dictates that only registered service dogs are welcome in grocery stores. Several restaurants have patio permits for owner-dog dining.

“Oh gosh, yes! We welcome all dogs,” says Helen Stroud, owner of the French-inspired home shop, Olivine, in Rice Village that touts easy-care living for both people and pets. Stroud has never met a dog she didn’t like and has a menagerie at home. Her part-chow, Pippi, is longtime doggy ambassador at the shop.

Realtor Julie Webber and her English cream golden retriever, Libbie, are regular Olivine customers. “They’re always so attentive to her,” says Webber. “Libbie is ultra-calm and really sweet and loves meeting people and other dogs. She loves to go there.”

At home, golden retriever Cooper bolts for the door, tail wagging, when owner Danna Burkett reaches for the car keys. “Oh yeah, he totally knows what that means,” she says of the mild-mannered dog who accompanies her to the furniture, accessories and gift shop, Renovate, on Westview.

“He’s my third golden retriever. They have great temperaments. You can just tell him to lie down in the store, and he does that while I shop. A very sweet boy.”

Jennifer Lyon’s terrier-mix, Elizabeth, isn’t one to lie down when they visit Bering’s Hardware. “She’s all over that store. She loves the place. She does a really good job of going all over and showing me what the new items are,” says Lyon. “She totally knows when things are changed up and points them out. That’s kind of her thing.”

Joyce Lehrfeld, retired from a career in corporate development, is rarely without her 15-pound Havanese therapy dog, Lola. They frequent Lululemon Athletica, Chico’s and a host of other shops together. “Pretty much any place I go, she goes,” explains Lehrfeld, whose furry bundle eases her symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. Well, almost.

“When she sees me getting dressed up and putting makeup on to go out, she doesn’t think she’s going,” says Lehrfeld, “so she goes in my closet and starts pulling my casual clothes off of the hangers like ‘Put these on. Don’t get all dressed up and leave without me.’ She’s a pistol.”

Any dog within eyesight of Penny Packer will be ushered into her Rice Village clothing boutique, Azuz, for royal treatment. The animal lover enthusiastically calls out to those walking their dogs, welcoming them into the shop and handing out treats. Packer recently “lured in” a Chinese Crested hairless dog and owner.

“Fashion is a passion, but so are pets,” says Packer. “Our store is really an extension of our home. We have great customers who come in with their dogs. We had an Irish wolfhound come in once. Looked like a horse.”

The boutique has held fundraising events for Freedom Collie Rescue and the animal welfare group, Barrio Dogs.

Cotton Club Collection clothing boutique in River Oaks is sensitive to the owner-dog bond too. “We welcome all sizes, standard poodles to teacup Yorkies,” says owner Lisa Spain.

Jackie Barish, senior vice-president of Chair King Backyard Store, frequents the boutique with Poppy, her curly-coated Lagotto Romagnolo. “She’s a great companion when trying on clothes,” Barish says.

“She just comes in, sits down and offers no judgment. Nice to have no comments.”

Editor’s note: Have photos of your pooch shopping with you? Email [email protected] or share them on our Facebook page at facebook.com/thebuzzmagazines.

More per-friendly spots

For local restaurants, bars, hotels and dog parks that allow dogs, see dogfriendlyhouston.net.

For pet-friendly travel spots, see tripswithpets.com.

The Buzz is a dog-friendly workplace. You’ll often see Bailey, a sweet golden retriever, hanging around the office on Fridays.

We want to give a shout-out to other local businesses that welcome pups. All of these listed below advertise in the magazine; we know them well and that’s why we are familiar with their pet policies.

If you know of other pet-friendly local businesses, we’d love to include them also. Please add them in the Comments section.

Azuz: Penny Packer, the owner of this Rice Village clothing boutique, welcomes all well-behaved dogs and even hands out treats.

Bering’s: Bering’s is happy for friendly, well-behaved pets to accompany their owners. There are two mascot parakeets in the store.

Blue Willow Bookshop: Owner Valerie Koehler said she would hate to see a pet left in the car. Well-behaved, leashed pets are welcome.

French Cuff: French Cuff Boutique welcomes clients who shop with their leashed pets at both the Bellaire and Woodway location.

Loop and Raspberry Rose: In both shops, pets are welcome as long as they’re on a leash and well-behaved.

Renovate: This interior design and home furnishings studio welcomes well-behaved pets.

Uptown Pharmacy: A bulletin board displays photos of pets whose prescriptions come from the pharmacy. Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome.

Zadok Jewelers: Two staff members bring their puppies to work every day, which Helene Zadok said raises the spirit in the store. Well-behaved pets are welcome. Years ago, one customer used to bring a pet monkey in to shop.