Can You Foster A Pet During Charlotte Animal Shelter Renovations?

With renovations ongoing at the Charlotte animal shelter, officials are asking for help from the public to house pets in the interim.  Can you foster a pet during the shelter renovations?

CMPD Animal Care and Control operates out of a 30-year-old facility on Charlotte's west side.  The multi-phase renovation project aims to make the facility safer for workers and animals, but it has made space tight in the meantime.  A total of 36 renovated kennels are now available for use, but 46 are about to be taken out of service for the next phase of the improvements.  Officials say temporarily fostering a pet can help ease the overcrowding.

"A lot of people say, 'Well, I can't take a dog for two months, but I could take a dog for three weeks.  Would that help?'  Absolutely." CMPD Animal Care and Control spokesperson Melissa Knicely told WJZY-TV.  "That's going to help clear out one kennel for three weeks, and in three weeks we could have three or four dogs that pass through that same kennel."

While fostering animals is a big help, the ultimate way to help the Charlotte animal shelter is to adopt.  Now's a great time, because during the renovations, Animal Care and Control is waiving adoption fees for all pets.

What are South Carolina's most dog friendly restaurants? We've got the answer. And listen, I love dogs. I really do. And I'm on board (if your dog can handle it and is happy) for taking dogs to places like breweries. Perhaps even somewhere with an outdoor patio to eat. But I'm a little more hazy on that one. But what I saw this weekend in Blowing Rock, was two different dogs one in a stroller and the other just laying under the table, inside in a restaurant. I'm sorry the line has to be drawn somewhere. Your dog will be ok at home for an hour by themselves. These were not service animals, just dogs that were accompanying their owners to dine inside a sit-down restaurant.

I get it. When my dog was alive I did wish I could take him everywhere. He loved to go to the drive-thru, the bank,  or a pet-friendly store like Petsmart. But I never took him into a general store and certainly never to a restaurant. And in all honesty, he would have been miserable at a restaurant. He hated sitting still in a new place, would have been trying to eat everyone's food, and the heat outside would have bothered him as well. But despite my personal feelings about taking your dog out to eat, numerous people do it. This is what led Yelp to create a list of the most dog-friendly restaurants in America. And three of South Carolina's most dog-friendly restaurants made the list.

Here's how Yelp says the list was curated: "We identified businesses in the restaurants and food categories with a large concentration of reviews mentioning "dog friendly," then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords between June 1, 2020, and June 1, 2023. If a chain appeared on the list more than once, we only included the highest-rated location. When available, all businesses on this list have a passing health score as of June 1, 2023." You can view the full list of 100 restaurants here or keep reading to see South Carolina's Top Dog-Friendly Restaurants.

Location: Folly Beach

This popular breakfast and lunch spot is described as a laid-back beach cafe. On the menu, you'll find huge breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, bloody marys, and coffee. Learn more here.

Location: Myrtle Beach

Tidal Creek Brewhouse is your go to spot in Myrtle Beach for specialty craft beer, freshly brewed coffee and Lowcountry food. And with indoor and outdoor spaces, including a dog run it's the perfect place to bring your furry friend. Learn more here.

Location: Myrtle Beach

The Sneaky Beagle describes itself best in this way, a little weird, a lot of fun, and always fresh. And with Beagle in the name you know they are dog friendly! Get more info here.