Baltimore-based company Dogs of Charm City is striving to make Baltimore a more pet-friendly city, one dog toy at a time.
On May 31, Dogs of Charm City released a new piece of merchandise honoring a beloved piece of Baltimore culture: the Baltimore Bench dog toy, inspired by the iconic “Greatest City in America” benches located across the city. The Baltimore Bench is the third in Dogs of Charm City’s dog toy line, following the release of their Orange Crush and Loose Cannon IPA-themed toys in 2021.
“Maryland people love Maryland,” Alexa Cambi, general manager of Dogs of Charm City, said on the company’s decision to model the toy after such an emblematic aspect of Baltimore life.
According to the company, $2 of the proceeds of each Baltimore Bench toy sold go to support local non-profit Friends of Patterson Park.
“As one of Baltimore’s largest public parks and Dogs of Charm City’s unofficial office, we couldn’t think of a better organization to give back to,” Cambi said. She added that Patterson Park is vital to the company’s pet care services, like dog walking and training.
While the company loves all things dogs, cats have not been forgotten. Alongside the Baltimore Bench toy, Dogs of Charm City also released an Orange Crush cat toy on June 2. Modeled after Baltimore’s summer drink of choice, the Orange Crush cat toy is stuffed with catnip and is smaller than the Orange Crush toy for dogs.
Dogs of Charm City owner Lyndsay Shackleford spearheaded the design process of the toys, working with a team to find the perfect size and color. Once the designs were solidified, Dogs of Charm City kept operations local by choosing a Maryland-based company to bring the designs to life.
These toys are just one step towards Dogs of Charm City’s initiative to make Baltimore a more pet-friendly city. On their website, Dogs of Charm City states “We’re on a mission to develop a community of dogs (and their humans) by being their best resource for pet care services, dog-friendly events, businesses, and everything in between.”
Dogs of Charm City offers an array of pet care services. Through the company, pet owners can schedule structured walks, dog training, overnight pet sitting, and “pack adventures.” According to Dogs of Charm City’s website, pack adventures are structured outings to spots across Baltimore where dogs can “hike, swim, play, and work on a variety of life skills.”
Cambi said Dogs of Charm City’s work extends beyond just what customers can buy, however. Besides their online store and pet care services, Dogs of Charm City hosts pet-friendly events; refers pet owners to other services, like grooming; and features a “Dog Friendly Map” on their website.
The Dog Friendly Map was produced through Dogs of Charm City’s Verified Project, which vets Baltimore businesses to identify dog-friendly places. Once Dogs of Charm City has identified a spot as dog-friendly, they place a sticker inside the business and mark the business on the online map. Currently, there are two sticker tiers: “dog-friendly patio” and “dogs welcome inside.”
Business owners and patrons can also nominate a business for verification for Dogs of Charm City to vet.
Dogs of Charm City also launched a line of “Patio Passports” on Tuesday. The passport allows dog owners to redeem a free drink or appetizer one time at each of 18 dog-friendly verified businesses when they bring the $38 passport and their dog to the restaurant’s patio. Patrons must also buy other food or drink in addition to the free item when using the passport.
While the initial Patio Passports sold out within 24 hours, Cambi said Dogs of Charm City plans to release more passports in the future.
Dogs of Charm City could see the development of a more dog-friendly Baltimore. In April, real estate website Zillow teamed up with the dog-walking app Rover to conduct a survey on the fastest-growing dog-friendly cities; Baltimore is ranked as number two on their list.
