Yes, it was an evening to remember. Yappier Hour in the Yard, Liberty Hotel, June 6th. Along with our incredible ONYVA team, we brought along Natalie from our partner BOND VET, and dog event planners extraordinaire Sasha and Sarah with their pups Ella Mae (@yuppie_puppy_from_boston) and Maddie (@sweet_madeline_). The weather was gorgeous, the cocktails cold and abundant (served up by Liberty bartender, Colin), and the dogs were ready to play. Most importantly, everyone came out looking fabulous and excited to inaugurate PRIDE MONTH in Boston.
When I was originally approached by the team at the Liberty (thank you, Matt and Meredith) with the idea of ONYVA sponsoring a special Yappier Hour in honor of Boston Pride, I felt the stars totally align. Our vision at ONYVA is, was, and will always be about Dignity – for dogs and people. A huge part of Dignity (for me, at least) is respect and inclusion, which is why we are so totally focused on developing our local partnerships and supporting small, minority owned businesses. So, YES, we love the idea of bringing dog lovers of all shapes and sizes together to share the pure joy of being surrounded by pups. And, yes, we were totally surrounded!
And totally, totally proud. Dogs came out in their pride gear to show the love, and our team of Skin and Coat Technicians, Rachel, Chris, and Arturo came armed with brushes, combs, and delicious dog perfumes to pamper those dogs that were willing to stop playing long enough for a quick complimentary “Brush & Go”.
Although the general dog chaos did not allow much time for contemplation, I did steal a few moments alone on a comfortable, dog-friendly plastic chair to reflect upon how much I had to be proud of at that moment. Less than eight weeks ago, ONYVA was still a construction site. Now, it is a beautiful salon where dogs are given the best possible skin and coat care, and owners can feel comfortable hanging out, working, or connecting with one another. And—of course—enjoying refreshments from local partner LEVAIN BAKERY. How much better could it get? Well, actually, the very best part (and what I am most proud of) is the amazing community of staff, clients, and pets that we have already created. Our team is warm and welcoming, and they are truly a team –working together to make every single dog feel loved and special. As I had always hoped, neighbors and their dogs are stopping in just to say hello and grab a Timberdoodle treat (for the dogs) or a pastry, chocolate, or coffee (for the owners). And more of the community is connecting every single day, thanks in part to our many local partners and neighbors who are sending folks our way, like PAWSH, FISH AND BONE, FOLLAIN, KENDRA SCOTT, and DOUBLE ZERO PIZZA.
Obviously, it takes a village (or a city, or my husband, Merritt) to build a dog spa, so I can’t really take too much credit. But the reality of the shop really does take my breath away, and I can’t get enough of the positive energy.
Speaking of which, the dynamic duo of Sasha and Sarah orchestrated a raffle of pride-themed items for dogs and their people, with ONYVA contributing a complementary full ONYVA BATH for another lucky winner. As the evening drew to a close, Natalie and I each drew a ticket and the winning dogs came rushing up—despite a full two hours plus of non-stop running—to receive their prizes. It was a magical moment.
