Bark Social closes in Rockville

Have we passed peak "pet parent" in Montgomery County? The demise of Bark Social at 935 Prose Street at Pike & Rose in Rockville may require us to ponder this question for the first time. Bark Social has filed for bankruptcy after an expected round of new financing fell through, the company announced as it - in its own words - "abruptly" closed all of its locations Thursday. 

A cross between a dog park and a bar, with a border-crossing-checkpoint design aesthetic, Bark Social appeared as if it could do no wrong when it opened in 2021. Pandemic-weary Americans were eager to embrace any new outdoor venues, and dog owners in the many apartment buildings around Bark Social had limited exercise options for their pets to take advantage of. The steady decline of alcoholic beverage sales was also briefly reversed, as lockdowns, pandemic restrictions, and a botched rollout of vaccines led some to turn to adult beverages to pass the empty hours.

Investors apparently have since turned (Karelian) Bearish on the concept. Have cats overtaken the dogs? Has inflation made expensive dog ownership too much of a luxury expense at this point? This is the time for all "plant parents" to seize the zeitgeist!

Pitbull stolen in Rockville

An 8-month-old pitbull was stolen from the yard of a Rockville home on January 12, 2024, Rockville City police say. The dog was taken from a yard in the 200 block of N. Horners Lane in East Rockville. Police say the pitbull was stolen sometime between 12:00 and 1:00 PM that afternoon. If you have seen the stolen dog, or have any information about suspects or this incident, you are asked to call police at 240-314-8900.

Signage installed at Rockville Pike Animal Hospital

It was over a year ago that Rockville Pike Animal Hospital announced it would be opening at 12248 Rockville Pike, in the Towne Plaza development. But on Monday, the permanent signage was installed on the building facade. This will be a benefit to pet owners in the many apartment buildings located near Towne Plaza on, and parallel to, Rockville Pike. Does that ATM now accept Milk Bones?

Loyal Companion pet store closes in Rockville

Loyal Companion has closed at 1643-A Rockville Pike at the Congressional Plaza shopping center. Its space has been cleaned out. Loyal Companion's parent company, Independent Pet Partners, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of its bankruptcy plan, it is closing many of its stores under the brands of Loyal Companion, Kriser's, Especially For Pets, Bark! Dogma – Life, With Your Pet, Pet Source, Pet Life and Whole Pet Central.

Achieve Veterinary Urgent Care opening in Rockville

Achieve Veterinary Urgent Care will open a Rockville clinic in the Derwood area of MD 355. The clinic will be located at 15811 Frederick Road, in the small strip center next to Atlantic Guns. It will coincidentally be just down the street from the Playful Pack doggie daycare and boarding facility. Achieve will open this spring, the company says, but the sign is already installed and lit.

PetWellClinic opens in Rockville

PetWellClinic has opened at 11802-D Rockville Pike, at the Pike & Rose development. Look for it in the one-level structure that also houses Chipotle and Kung Fu Tea, at the southeast corner of the Federal Realty-owned property. This is the first of an expected 25 locations for the veterinary clinic chain in the D.C. region. 

The chief veterinarian at the clinic is Dr. Margeaux Malone, and she is assisted by Dr. Leigh Pusateri. PetWellClinic is open Monday-Friday from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and on weekends from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Playful Pack doggie daycare to open in Rockville

Playful Pack, a daycare and boarding facility chain for dogs, will open a Rockville location. It will be on Frederick Road in the Derwood area, between 7-Eleven and Atlantic Guns. A central goal of Playful Pack, beyond the services it provides for dogs, is to assist rescue dogs in finding new homes. To that end, they board foster dogs at their own expense, so that they can gain social skills by playing with the other dogs at the facility. 

Rockville Pike Animal Hospital to open at Towne Plaza

Rockville Pike Animal Hospital is coming soon to 12248 Rockville Pike in the Towne Plaza shopping center. This is the former Navy Federal Credit Union space, which still has a Navy Federal ATM embedded in the storefront. There are at least three other animal hospitals on the Pike currently: Caring Hands at Wintergreen Plaza, Dr. Boyd's Veterinary Resort, and the 24-hour Metropolitan Animal Emergency and Specialty Center.

PetWellClinic opening in Rockville

When your dog goes to Pike & Rose next year, it may not just be for fun and treats at Bark Social. That's because PetWellClinic is opening a location on the Rockville Pike/Old Georgetown Road corner of the Federal Realty property. The preventative-care veterinary clinic will be between Visionworks and Chipotle.

Franchisees Dave Ballow and Liz Overmann plan to open this and 24 other locations in our region. The Knoxville-based clinic chain was founded in 2009 by Dr. Sam Meisler, who sought to catch pet illnesses early through preventative care, while lowering vet bills for pet owners by stopping disease before it requires more expensive treatment.

Rockville construction update: Bark Social at Pike & Rose (Photos)

Bark Social is scheduled to open on February 26, 2021 at 935 Prose Street at Pike & Rose in Rockville. Here's a look at the progress on the construction of the dog park with craft beer & wine bar since my last report.

Bark Social sets opening date at Pike & Rose

The much-anticipated opening of Bark Social at Pike & Rose finally has a date. A 25000 square foot dog park with a craft beer/wine "dog bar," a dog treat bar serving canine friendly pupsicles and ice cream, and a morning-oriented coffee program, Bark Social will open for the first time on February 26, 2021 at 935 Prose Street in Rockville/North Bethesda. 

Professional Bark Rangers will monitor the private, off-lease dog park. The indoor-outdoor bar and beer garden will make the venue usable year-round. Events like dog yoga and Yappy Hours will be a regular fixture at Bark Social. There will also be a dog boutique and dog washing stations. Dog parents will be able to watch local sports and national reality TV shows while their pets get a workout.

For the occasion of the opening, Bark Social has launched a t-shirt fundraiser to support five local dog nonprofit organizations: Montgomery County Humane Society, Humane Rescue Alliance, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation, and MCPAW; and one national organization, Tails of Valor Paws of Honor. That veteran organization that helps both service members and rescue dogs, by turning rescued canines into service animals. Bark Social will donate $5 from each t-shirt sold to its non-profit partners.

Bark Social offers monthly and annual memberships. You can sign up online, including for one of the 250 founding-members discount deals that are available while they last.

MoCo Humane Society has urgent need for hard-to-find items in coronavirus panic buying

Rocky and his fellow adoptable friends at the Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville need your help. Humans have cleared the shelves of hand sanitizer, hand soap, bleach, Clorox wipes, toilet paper and wet and dry puppy food in coronavirus-related shopping. The society is "urgently" asking residents who can donate these supplies, along with sheets and blankets, to bring them to their headquarters at 601 S. Stonestreet Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850 between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM seven days a week.

Pup Scouts Daycare & Boarding opening in Rockville

Pup Scouts Daycare & Boarding is a locally-owned daycamp and boarding facility for dogs in the Rockville and Bethesda areas. They have just located in the Pike Center shopping center, behind 5-11 Tactical at 12220-B Rockville Pike. Daycamp offers daycare services for dogs, while boarding is an option if you are leaving town for a vacation, for example. Pup Scouts may especially come in handy for folks living in the apartment buildings along the Rockville Pike corridor.