Woof, woof! Colonie Center welcomes dogs to come shop – with their owners
COLONIE — You could say Colonie Center is going to the dogs – in a good way.
The mall is inviting owners to bring their dogs shopping where about 30 stores, including LL Bean and Nordstrom Rack, will welcome them inside.
Colonie Center management said dogs have been welcomed into the mall's common area since 2018. The difference now is the mall's canine code of conduct was expanded to include retailers' participation.
"Retailers decided independently if they were able to accommodate dogs in their stores. We are incredibly excited about this expansion and look forward to our future dog-friendly events and happenings," mall management said.
Owners will know which stores their furry friends are allowed into based on storefront stickers designating them as a dog-friendly environment.
Information about the dog-friendly retailers along with a canine code of conduct can be found online at Colonie Center's website. In part, the rule book mandates dogs in the mall be leashed at all times and that owners are responsible for cleaning up after them. (There are several clean-up stations situated throughout the mall.) Dogs are not allowed in the food court or play park.
In addition to opening its doors to dogs, the center is also putting on pooch-centered events, such as a yappy hour paint and sip, to welcome local pups.
For National Pet Appreciation Week, the mall will host a Woofs and Wags Pup-Up shop offering dog-themed vendors, caricature drawings, treat bags and a chance to win a $100 gift card in a raffle on June 4 as a fundraiser for the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society.
The LL Bean staff is excited about the change. Assistant store manager Kate Owens said LL Bean wasn't always open to having doggie visitors in stores until the corporation changed its policies about five years ago.
"We have that conversation with customers a lot, too. And everyone is so excited about it because I think beforehand what people would do a lot is maybe leave their dogs out in the car or something like that," she explained.
Part of the move to open LL Bean's space to dogs is to better cater to customers as well, Owens noted.
"It's very welcoming to our customers. And that's part of our brand is that we are dog-friendly. We kind of considered dogs our customers too," she said.