Places that Work: Welcoming Canine Companions

Recently while visiting The Shops at the North Bridge mall in Chicago, I came across a kind gesture: an amenity for people’s canine companions. This pet comfort station provides water and treats and clean-up bags for the responsible parties traveling with their pets. If you visit The Shops’ website before planning a trip there, you’ll find mention of the pet comfort station. In fact, it looks like people at the mall know this stop well and bring their dogs with them regularly.

These days people seem so attached to their pets that they’re taking them on many different leisure jaunts. This makes good sense, according to researchers. You want a happy pet. After all studies have shown that there are positive psychological repercussions of pet ownership and being near small, cuddly animals. Happy pets have happy owners whose purse strings may be just a bit looser. Make no mistake about it, the mall managers know such amenities work in their favor and, of course, yours and your pet’s.