Dog Owners Unleashed On Game Day

When Jay Lombard, the owner of Unleash: Brooklyn, Franklin Ave’s fancy dog and cat day care and boarding center, answers the phone these days, chances are that the person at the other end of the line is asking him about football. Now, if you’re wondering what the relation between pets and the NFL is, check out Lombard’s latest initiative to find the answer: During the duration of the football season, Unleash: Brooklyn is offering special game day prices to all the local dog owners who wish to drop off their favorite pet at the center while they hit the local bars with friends to watch the games. T.B.D on Franklin St, Red Star on Greenpoint Avenue, and The Mark Bar on Manhattan Avenue are involved in the operation.

“Local bars will have clients and customers staying longer, drinking more, and relaxing, because they’re not worried about walking the dog, which will be here with us,” Lombard says, standing amid four dogs at the day care center a recent Friday morning. “It’s a win-win situation.”

Lombard’s idea stemmed from a conversation with the owner of T.B.D, a lounge/bar venue located on Franklin St. According to him, customers with dogs, using the garden at the back of the facility, were asked to leave once food was being served, making for a loss in clientele and revenue on game days. As a dog owner, Lombard confirms that he regularly has had to give up certain social activities to meet his 7 year-old border collie’s needs: “I would definitely change my schedule and open it around his walks or try finding someone to take care of him,” he says. “So, knowing that he is taken care of is a huge relief. It allows me to relax and have a good time with my friends.”

Unleash: Brooklyn’s “game day package” is worth $25 for Sunday, $20 for Monday nights and $400 for the entire season. Dog owners will be able to drop off their dog from noon to 9pm on Sundays and from 8pm to Midnight on Monday nights. However, Lombard stresses, this is not a simple walk-in operation: proof of vaccination will have to be presented and an application filled out.

With about 15 dogs enrolled on the third week of the season – against 7 on the second week –Lombard says that he is considering expanding the operation to other events, such as the World series, the Oscars, or the World Cup. “We didn’t expect such a success but it picked up really well. We sent an email to all of our clients and we got positive responses immediately,” he smiles.

Part of the proceeds will benefit Dog Habitat’s new rescue. A dog lover volunteer group, Dog Habitat Inc. seeks to create the largest canine rescue facility in New York City, rescuing and re-homing abused, unwanted or abandoned dogs.

For more information, contact Unleash: Brooklyn: 216 Franklin St. 718.710.0707