The number of people keeping pets has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is said to be the fourth pet boom since the war. Meanwhile, images of dogs and cats forced into harsh conditions by breeders and pet shops who lack love for animals, and pets whose lives are taken by irresponsible owners, are coming to light one after another on the Internet. Many people are indignant and are taking in rescued dogs and cats as family members.

Art Cafe Nanairo, located in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City, is not only a place where you can bring your beloved dog to enjoy tea and meals, but is also a store loved by dog ​​lovers as a strong ally that provides total support for the health and happiness of dogs, who are part of the family. In addition to the cafe, it operates a freestyle dog hotel where you can spend your time without stress, develops and sells safe and secure “dog food,” and holds health promotion events such as field trips and swimming in the sea, and offers various services to help your dog live a healthy and happy life.

The operating company, ASY Co., Ltd., was originally a printing company that handled silk screen printing, but Minami Tada, the third-generation successor, launched it as a new business 10 years ago. Currently, the store is run by a team of five people, including her mother, Yuki Yoshioka, who is also the company’s director, and three part-timers. Tada’s pet dogs, Summer and Greta, greet customers at the store as its mascots, and the store is also bustling with dogs brought by regular customers. It is a precious place where people who love dogs but cannot keep them for some reason can spend time with cute dogs.

Originally it was just a cafe, but when it moved to its current location three years ago, it also opened a dog hotel. The trigger was Yoshioka’s regret that she had once left her dog at a dog hotel and it came back neurotic. Yoshioka says that being locked up in a small cage for two nights and three days must have been a huge stress for the dog. So they prepared a space where the dog could move around freely, like the living room of their own home, and created an environment where the dogs who stay there can spend their time stress-free.

In addition, five years ago they started focusing on preparing food. There is a “pet food myth” that many owners believe that commercial pet food is fine, but in fact, it contains a lot of additives, which often cause illness. Therefore, the store has jointly developed “dog food” with another company that is free of food additives, flavorings, colorings, and preservatives, and sells it in retort and frozen form. Because the ingredients are selected carefully, the unit price is high, so the store advocates adding the food to pet food rather than replacing all meals. In addition, the store holds cooking classes where recipes are taught, and supports owners in providing safe and secure meals for their dogs at their own pace. “Just like humans, food and exercise are the basis of health. Dogs also look happy when they eat something delicious. We want to provide detailed assistance so that as many dogs as possible can be happy as part of their owners’ families for the rest of their lives,” says Yoshioka.

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI