Neighbourhood Pack Leader
Blue
Hi everyone, I’m an eleven-year-old male ex-breeding Samoyed originally from Snowy Bear Kennels in Selkirk, MB, but now living with my new hoomans in n the King West/Liberty Village area of Toronto. Since I am new Toronto to recently retired, I am now forcing my hoomans to help me explore the world. Hope you enjoy my journeys!
Wow, where to begin…Trinity-Bellwoods and King West are 2 of the most vibrant and dog friendly neighbourhoods in all of Toronto. They are also 2 of the original neighbourhoods in “Old Toronto”.
Trinity–Bellwoods is bounded on the east by Bathurst Street, on the north by College Street, on the south by Queen Street West, and by Dovercourt Road on the west. King West is directly south of Trinity-Bellwoods and extending to Spadina St (the Fashion District).
These two neighbourhoods have been re-gentrified over the 15 years with many older homes being renovated and new condos being developed. It has become a highly sought after area for many millennials, with trendy clothing and furniture retailers, as well as great restaurants and coffee bars. It also boasts one of the highest dog populations in Toronto.
Where Pups Shop
With such a large number of dog loving and owning working professionals in these neighbourhoods, it’s not surprising to see such a large number of product and service suppliers. These neighbourhoods are full of veterinarians, dog walkers and dog daycares. Many of businesses also offer multiple services under one roof…so great for one-stop-shopping.
Since this is one of the original areas of “Old Toronto”, the buildings are usually fairly small and car traffic is generally bad. That also means more small, independent businesses than big box retailers. This also makes it a great area to park and walk. You can walk for miles and miles and see so many great places.
Check the links below to find out more on the businesses.
Retailers
Veterinarians
Queen West Animal Hospital
Front Street Animal Hospital
King West Veterinary Clinic
Spadina Animal Hospital
Dundas Euclid Animal Hospital
Groomers
Daycare
Dog Walkers & Sitters
Pups of Anarchy
Flying Duchess Pet Sitters
The Hydrant
When Hounds Fly
Unleashed in the City
Home Alone Pet Services
Other Services
Blue’s Favourites
Favourite Store: Spaw Boutique
Best Pampering Experience: Death in Venice Gelato…when my mom shares!
Hidden Gem: Trinity Bellwoods Park during Cherry Blossom season
Where Pups Go
Dog Friendly in Neighbourhood
Although these are 2 of Toronto’s most dog friendly neighbourhoods, Toronto laws do not make it a very dog friendly city. Many stores are now opening their doors to dogs, but it is a much tougher proposition in Toronto when it comes to bars and restaurants. 
There are some restaurants that say they have a dog friendly patio, but that’s code for … you can tie your dog up outside on the street while you sit and eat or drink. What’s really nice is that they will often have water dishes out for us pups. The downside is this means they are only really dog friendly on a seasonal basis. Nevertheless, I have included some of them below.
You will find several stores were pups are welcome, as long as you are very friendly and don’t have accidents on their carpet or floor. I even found a really cool lounging area for my hoomans on the SE corner of King St & Bathurst. You can see it in the pictures below. Super FUN!
Because of the number of dogs in these neighbourhoods, I do find so many friendly people and pups. That really makes life a lot easy for me and my hoomans as we explore all the neat places like Graffiti Alley and Trinity-Bellwoods Park.
Restaurants/Bars
Le Select Bistro, 432 Wellington St W
Bar Wellington, 520 Wellington St W
Thor Espresso Bar, 35 Bathurst St
Jimmy’s Coffee, 107 Portland St
Death in Venice Gelato, 536 Queen St W
Sam James Coffee Bar, 915 Queen St W
Stores
Homesense, 80-82 Spadina Ave
Wine Rack, 560 Queen Street W
Jolie Maison, 699 Queen St W
Anthropologie, 761 Queen St W
The Paper Place, 887 Queen St W
Hanji Gifts, 940 Queen St W
Where Pups Play
With so many pups in the neighbourhood, we would all be a little over-weight without a few off leash parks to burn off some steam.
These neighbourhoods are blessed with a lots to choose from. Not only do they have one of the biggest in all of Toronto, Trinity-Bellwoods Dog Bowl, they also has one of the smallest and quietest, St Andrew’s Playground Off Leash. There is also Victoria Memorial Square, which is not off leash, but very dog friendly…if you know what I mean.
Toronto is one of the few cities that is continuing to open new off-leash dog parks. The list below will continue to be updated as new parks open.
South Stanley Park Off Leash Park
Trinity-Bellwoods Dog Bowl Off Leash Park
Clarence Square Off Leash Park
St Andrew’s Playground Off Leash Park
- Victoria Memorial Square Dog Friendly Park
Where Pups Stay
These 2 neighbourhoods are mainly residential, so not too many hotels. That said, most of the ones that are located here are dog friendly.
Because of the abundance of residential, and in particular condos, there are a lot of apartment rentals available through AirBnB, VBRO and other such sites. There are far too many to list and the list is changing all the time. Give me a break, I only have 4 paws you know!
Hotels
- Thompson Hotel – 550 Wellington Street West
- Super 8 by Wyndham Downtown Toronto – 222 Spadina Avenue
Rentals
If I have missed something, or you would like to be added to the list, please leave us a comment below or email us at spawtlight@barknyapp.com.
If you would like to write a Spawtlight on your neighbourhood, email us at spawlight@barknyapp.com. We are always interested in more rover reports. Don’t be afraid.
Looking for some cool day trips for you and your pup? Check out Trillium Park at Ontario Place, Forks of the Credit and Eldred King Trails.
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