The 'Doggie Bible' Created To Help Dog Owners Find Dog-Friendly Places
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MILFORD, CT — Rachel Musa is a dog owner, and as a dog owner, she tried finding businesses or locations via Google where she could bring her four-legged family members.
“We have three dogs, and I love bringing them places,” Musa said. “I realized in the winter it was super limited where you could go and couldn’t go.”
Musa, who lives in Hamden, said she has neighbors who are also dog owners, and during the winter, they would get together and look at places they could go.
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“We kept stumbling onto the same places,” Musa said. “The list started as a note on my phone of the places we could go, and then I thought, well, if we want this information, then other people want this information.”
Collaborating with her brother, Musa created the “Doggie Bible,” a website dog owners can visit and find different locations to bring their pets.
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The “Doggie Bible” has various “Bible Pages” or tabs dog owners can go through that are separated by category, ranging from coffee shops, distilleries, pet stores, pet bakeries, restaurants and more.
“I launched it in January 2023,” she said. “It was six “Bible Pages” to start with that included breweries and wineries. It was really simple. I also started an Instagram with it, and the Instagram took off.”
Musa said people started tagging her where they had taken their dog, which led her to contact more businesses and ask about their policy to put them on the “Doggie Bible.”
Musa said she took hours of research and reaching out to those businesses, but Instagram was a big help because people kept tagging her on where they had gone with their dogs.
“Instagram was helpful because I could just direct message the business, and they are responsive there,” she said. Now we have 30 lists,”
Musa said when she began Googling for the “Doggie Bible,” she found it a little tricky because it would filter the word friendly, giving her restaurants that said they had a “friendly atmosphere.”
“That’s why I called a lot of places, and it took a lot of time,” she said.
While researching, Musa said sometimes she would call a restaurant, and they would say they do allow dogs, and she could call the restaurant right next to it, and they said they don’t.
“It’s really up to each establishment,” she said. “Also, some places said small dogs were allowed, but big dogs weren’t.”
The “Doggie Bible” website provides a Google Map for visitors, and on that Map, Musa said there are over 700 locations, and they are working to add more.
“There are more locations on the actual lists,” she said. “I tried to make the map and lists as comprehensive as possible. So, I reached out all over Connecticut.”
Throughout her research, Musa said the most dog-friendly places she found are in Mystic and Fairfield County.
“The closer you get to New York, the more they have going on,” she said. “COVID-19 helped because most restaurants created an outdoor space, and bringing your dog is not a problem. I also learned many dog events are run by dog rescues and shelters, which is a double win because you can bring your dog and help your dog find a home.”
Musa said the dog community has supported her efforts to create the “Doggie Bible.”
“I didn’t even realize there was a dog community until I started doing this,” she said. “The businesses have been super supportive. It’s been awesome, and I’ve met cool people and businesses.”
Musa said it is important for dog owners to know their dogs and how they will react in different situations.
“Usher (Musa’s Dog) stays home sometimes because he’ll start barking,” she said. “So, you have to know your dog and what is acceptable where you are going.”
This is why Musa is constantly updating the website because businesses can change their policy, and she wants to make sure she has the correct information for people.
“I’m in the middle of a big website revamp, and I’ve spent hours on the lists to keep them accurate and updated,” she said.
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