Warner Robins looking to expand list of pet-friendly businesses in the city

WARNER ROBINS – It is ruff to find a pet-friendly business, but the City of Warner Robins is hoping to make it easier. The city is providing interested businesses a pet-friendly sticker to let customers know their furry friends are welcomed.

Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said the reason they want to add more pet-friendly businesses is because it is a pet-friendly city. A lot of citizens have furry friends as their family members and want to take their pets to go shopping or visit stores. 

This can be uncertain because pet owners don’t know which stores do or do not allow pets. Patrick said owners often drive to a location with their pet but find out stores do not allow their furry friends to tag along with them. This results in having to leave their pet in a hot vehicle while their owners are shopping.

Patrick believes it is better to know up-front where their pets are allowed to go. This will allow them to plan accordingly.

Patrick and her son recently added two additions to their family. She shared they have two new puppies named Leo and Luna and are the “first pups of the city.” During their experience, they found it hard knowing which stores allow pets and which don’t.

The city will give pet-friendly businesses a decal to let their customers know they will allow their furry friends to come inside. The city will then keep a list of the businesses which will be available to the public. 

Patrick said pet lovers, pet moms and pet dads can pull up the list and they’ll know ahead of time which stores allow their furry friends to go with them.

The initiative started during Patrick’s first year in office. The Community Development Department would get phone calls asking for help on where they could take their pets. In the community, people would approach Patrick telling her to encourage businesses to allow pets to go in. 

From the feedback the city was receiving, Patrick believed it would be a great idea to make a decal. She shared that certain stores did allow pets but they had no way to visually advertise. 

“It just came from a need that we recognized in the community. Back [in] my first year of office is when we first launched the decals so each year since then we want to make sure we continue encouraging more and more businesses to get a decal if they are in fact pet-friendly,” she said.

If a business is pet-friendly, owners can come to City Hall and go to the taxation department. From there, they ask for a pet-friendly decal and fill out a form to be listed as a pet-friendly business. It will then be added to a pet-friendly business brochure and on the city’s website.

Patrick believes pet-friendly businesses are important because the city is made up of families who include furry friends. She said people want to go shopping but don’t want to leave their pets at home or in a hot vehicle, which is happening a lot this time of year.

“It’s a good time to remind people there are businesses that are pet friendly. Look and see where they are then you can go to those locations for your shopping needs so your pet doesn’t have to stay in that hot car and that can cause a medical emergency,” she said.

Patrick shared that in the city of Warner Robins they love their furry friends. To see which pet-friendly businesses are nearby click here.