There’s a dog cafe in Silver Lake where you can play with dogs and drink coffee

If you’re looking to spend an afternoon with coffee and cute canines, there’s a new cafe in Silver Lake designed to help you do just that. It’s called the Dog Cafe, and its owner is billing it as the first such cafe in the U.S.

The idea is to create a new way for people to adopt shelter dogs. Beginning April 7, customers will be able to buy a coffee or tea drink, then sit in an adjacent dog lounge area, where they can play with dogs from a nearby shelter. All of the dogs in the lounge are up for adoption.

Sarah Wolfgang, the cafe’s founder and owner, said she was inspired by the animal cafes found in South Korea, but notes that the dogs in those cafes came from puppy mills.

Her Dog Cafe focuses on “rescuing dogs who have been at the shelter the longest due to health or behavioral issues and are at the highest risk of being euthanized,� according to the cafe’s website.

The coffee shop portion of the cafe features drinks made with products from Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. and Dogs Drink Coffee (both donate a portion of their proceeds to animals in need): pour-over coffee, teas, lattes, a mocha latte made with carob instead of chocolate and flavored lemonades. Due to the proximity to dogs, there will not be any food served at the cafe.

There will also be a retail area with dog merchandise.

Admission to the dog lounge is $10 per person for a 55-minute block of time. You can make a reservation and find a full list of available dogs for adoption on the cafe’s website.

The Dog Cafe lounge and coffee shop is scheduled to be open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

240 N. Virgil Ave. (Unit 12), Los Angeles, (213) 810-2872, www.thedogcafela.com.

My Maltese’s name is Harry. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @Jenn_Harris_

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