Whether you buy or rent your home, it’s important to find a place where the whole family feels comfortable, and that includes your pet! Springfield VA is dog friendly, so you have nothing to worry about. If you’re one of the more than 85 million American families who have a four-legged member, you’ll want to live near services like groomers, pet stores, and veterinarians.

Luckily, Springfield, VA is very dog friendly and has restaurants, services, and ample play areas to make your dog feel right at home. 

Eats & Treats Because Springfield VA is Dog Friendly

Springfielders don’t want to leave Rover at home when it’s time for dinner on the town! There are at least a dozen dog-friendly restaurants in the neighborhood — sidewalk cafés, coffee shops, bars, and other eateries – that have outdoor dining accommodations and would welcome Fido at a table on the terrace. (And even those businesses that can’t allow Trixie inside will still fill bowls with clean, freshwater outside of their shops.) 

Kilroy’s, a Springfield favorite Sports Bar and Restaurant, has an outdoor back patio where pups are welcomed with bowls of freshwater. With it’s diverse menu, you’re likely to even find some things your dog loves to eat on the menu!

The Swiss Bakery has two tables outside where you can sit with Barker while you snack on your baked treats. And don’t forget to look for the dog cookies they sometimes have hidden under the registers.

You can relive Lady & The Tramp’s famous Italian meal on the terrace at Giardino’s Italian Restaurant. The meatballs tempt two- and four-legged alike.

And Zinga! Frozen Yogurt has a few outdoor tables as well. There’s no table service, though, so unless someone is willing to wait outside, you’ll need to tie up Rex before going in to order. The plus side is that s/he can likely enjoy a lick of your (purely vanilla!) fro-yo treat!

These spots for eating and drinking help show you that Springfield VA is dog friendly.

Services

There is both a PetCo and a PetSmart in Springfield, which both offer the gamut of pet necessities, including training and grooming.  PetSmart even has a Banfield Veterinary Clinic inside, which is exceptionally convenient. 

But local pet care businesses mean Springfield VA is dog friendly, like Becky’s Pet Care, which has been offering local walking and pet sitting services for decades. 

Olde Towne Pet Resort is popular for boarding accommodations and even includes a heated pool for pet therapy and exercise and spa-like grooming and salon services. 

Felix & Oscar, with its focus on healthy and wholesome pet nutrition, carries homemade baked treats as well as unique accessories for both fashion and function. 

Sterling Silver Canine Coaching offers private dog training and behavior modification classes with a trusted trainer.

And To the Rescue, Inc. is a non-profit animal rescue saving the area’s four-legged friends without forever homes from high-kill shelters. This is a great place to find a companion for your pup that will make the whole family feel good. All these pet services are more reasons why Springfield VA is dog friendly.

Get Out and Play

While many in Springfield have homes with yards and fences, some do not, so it’s nice to have a dog park option in the area to let Bowser do some real running and sniffing around. It’s also great to be near such a large natural area that allows leashed animals. Just be sure to pick up after your pet! 

South Run Dog Park is a convenient fenced-in place to give your pup some off-leash exercise and socialization with other neighborhood dogs. The large play area also features shade trees and a variety of terrains, so whether your pup wants to romp in the gravel or dig in the dirt, it’s available to them.

Lake Accotink Park and Trail are also super popular with four-legged friends. The 493-acre park with its 55-acre lake is about as dog-friendly as they come. The multi-use trail on the North side of the lake, as well as the paved trail downstream from the lake, is where you’ll see happy dogs taking their humans for a walk. This is the perfect place to enjoy nature and spend some time in the great outdoors with your pet. 

With restaurants, services, and play places like these, it’s easy to see why Springfield VA is dog friendly for sure!