Every time I go to the Studio City Farmer’s Market I wonder why it’s OK to have horses, goats and a petting zoo on site, but no dogs allowed. That bouncy castle full of toddlers is not exactly a germ free bubble, either.
But no, seriously, I get it. The farm animals are safely on the other side of the NO ANIMALS ALLOWED sign before you get to the kettle corn, though I can’t say the same for the children who reach sticky little hands into sample bins of fresh cut fruit (Mom/Dad scolding: “Don’t touch, Little Harry!” doesn’t make me feel much better).
As for your toddlers, you’re on your own when it comes to creature control. But there’s an option for your pet: Bethany Aukerman’s pet sitting booth near the parking lot on the Laurel Canyon end of the market. Free for the first 15 minutes (and only $5 for the next 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, and on up), your dog can stay behind a fence and be treated to fresh water, shade and companionship. There are several cages for dogs who don’t play well with others, but when Heidi and I visited everybody seemed to be getting along just like toddlers in a bouncy castle.
Aukerman, who launched her pet sitting business Petopia in late 2009, came up with the idea not too much later when attending the Farmer’s Market with a gal pal and her family’s dog, Rocky the Boston Terrier. Rocky is a rescue from Boston Buddies, where Aukerman volunteers, doing home checks.
“I walked him down the regular path and I got yelled at,” Aukerman explained in a telephone conversation. “I was like, that stinks! My friend and I had to take turns walking him while we did our grocery shopping. I just thought it was really disappointing that I couldn’t drop him off someplace.” She also noticed that many market-goers like to hike Fryman Canyon with Fido then hit the market – but where do you park the pooch?
So the enterprising Aukerman talked to the then-manager of the market and got the go-ahead to provide a safe, fenced area for dogs. Then, when you are done shopping and have your breakfast burrito firmly in hand, you can pick up your canine companion and have lunch together on the grassy area outside the limits of the market. Aukerman says she loses money every week on the venture, but it’s a great way to market her pet walking and pet sitting business. Plus, she adds, “it’s fun to get out there and talk to people in the community, from Studio City, Sherman Oaks and North Hollywood. It’s a fun time.”
Aukerman was not on site when Heidi paid her visit to the pet sitting area, but she did meet attendants Charli Haynes and Tom Vize. Since we’d already done our favorite thing, walking the nearby path along the Los Angeles River, I didn’t drop the off, but she got to meet the gang behind the fence as well as a selection of dogs hanging around just outside the confines of the pet sitting area, with and without their pet parents.
As the Valley summer gets hotter, we don’t have to remind you not to leave your dog in the car, even with the windows down. Here’s a great place for them to wait while you shop or your kids are riding ponies or are in the petting zoo with the goats. And I have to say, somehow the dogs look a lot happier than the kids.
