Promenade Shops now welcomes Fido too

Promenade Shops recently unveiled dog-friendly stores and amenities.

To prepare for the dog-friendly environment, bag dispensers, to be used for collecting doggie droppings, have been installed all around. Merchants who choose to allow dogs into their stores have been given stickers to post on their windows.

Elizabeth Laubach, an assistant manager at Yankee Candle, said her store's managers chose to participate because they all love dogs. ''We signed up right away,'' she said.

Laubach is a little worried -- but not terribly so -- about happy tails knocking some glass-covered candles to the floor. Other than that, everything is safe on the shelves, she said.

Deborah Frick, owner of Deborah's Interiors & Gifts, said she's welcoming dogs that can be carried. ''We all love dogs here, and so many people love their animals. Of course we want them here. But I didn't put the sticker on my window because of my tiny restriction,'' she said.

Dina Pizolato, owner of Monograms on Main, said she put up a sticker and plenty of dogs have been in to say hello already. ''People walk their dogs around here all the time. We're happy to have them,'' she said.

The occasional leakage problem is inevitable. ''We're not like some other stores. We don't have carpet. We have a ceramic tile floor, so it's an easy cleanup if there's an accident. It's just fun to see all the dogs,'' Pizolato said.

Dennis Wargo, owner of the Promenade's only pet store, Paws to Tail, said he is happy to honor pets.