By ELAINE ALFARO

With approximately 30% of San Diego citizens owning a canine friend, according to National Pet Alliance, the newest business in the Rolando community offers a treat dogs and their owners can enjoy together.

The Rolando community welcomed The Dog Society with a bow-wow bang in late February.

Owner Sara Broetje along with chief operations and marketing officer Cameron Gomez form the dynamic female duo who dreamed up and built The Dog Society to foster a sense of community for all the dog lovers in Rolando and beyond.

“People joke all the time, ‘You’re a dog person or a cat person,’” said Gomez. “We’re definitely dog people and we know there are so many other people out there just like us. We have a place for those people to come and be a part of this family, of this society.”

Located at 6331 University Avenue in what was once a furniture store, Broetje’s vision transformed the place into a two-story “dog-centric” business that offers boarding, grooming, and training on the lower floor. On the street level, you walk into the “human level” which is designed for canine owners to play and dine with family and friends alongside their pets.

Whether enjoying a drink on the patio, playing a round of put-put golf or cheering on your corn hole team from the Qualcomm stadium seats bought on auction, San Diego culture and sports infuse the space.

Within the reimagined shipping containers on-site, you can sniff out a bite to eat on their menu offering paninis, avocado toast, and nachos just to name a few. To quench your thirst, Kombucha, cold brew and beer are on tap within specially-crafted draft systems that look like fire hydrants. You can even include your dog in the fun. They offer non-alcoholic beer in a variety of flavors. With their no-glass policy, all food and drinks are served in plastic to mitigate any danger to canine friends.

From the beginning, celebrating humanity’s best friend was on the minds of Broetje and Gomez.

“It’s really cool to look back on our sketches and see it’s identical to what we wanted from the beginning,” said Broetje. “[Dog-centric means] always putting dogs first – their happiness and their safety. Those are two things we are constantly thinking of.”

In addition to their indoor facilities, there is also a beer garden, outdoor patio, and plenty of space for the dogs to run around.

Despite facing initial setbacks trying to open a business amid COVID-19, Gomez said they’ve felt the community rally behind them, especially on opening day.

“There’s been so much support from people asking how they can help or even just saying that they’ve been watching us and are excited,” said Gomez. “Seeing groups of neighbors walking down is really cool to watch.”

Community is evident in the art painted on the walls by a local art teacher and the welded doggy fences within the building made by a fellow business owner located on University Ave.

As a San Diego native herself, Gomez said seeing this business open and join the San Diego community was a heartfelt experience.

“Growing up in San Diego, there are parts that you see change over time,” said Gomez. “It would be cool if we’re one of the first in this area and it continues to grow. Some people have children and dogs. Some people don’t have children and their dogs are their children. We completely understand that. The safety and happiness of the dogs are our number one priority.”

To learn more about the Dog Society and its services, visit: dogsocietysd.com.

– Elaine Alfaro is a journalism student at Point Loma Nazarene University and a former intern for the La Mesa Courier.