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Ice cream parlor for pooches opens in Pittsburgh

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 3 min read
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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Peach digs in at Salty Paws in Lawrenceville.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Jessica Kury and her husband, Sean

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Sebastian and Sam Reger treat Phelix to a Salty Paws visit

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Robyn Lewis, left, and Melissa Migliaro help their friend Jessica Kury greet visitors to Salty Paws during its grand opening.

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From left are Mandy Majocha and Brianna Schlegel, with Aussiedoodles Phoebe and Aspen.

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Caitlyn Cody relaxes with her dogs outside of Salty Paws.

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Victoria Valletto tries to get Peach to join her in smiling for the camera at Salty Paws in Lawrenceville.

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Looks good enough to eat, even if you aren't a dog.

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Tempting terriers and Tornjaks alike are bowls of Salty Paws ice cream.

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Harry Funk/The Almanac

Toppings are available for Salty Paws ice cream.

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For dogs on the run, Salty Paws offers ice cream mix for home.

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Salty Paws' Bowser Beer contains chicken and beef broth instead of barley and hops.

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Salty Paws treats include canine cookies for holidays.

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Salty Paws also carries products for the cats in your life.

With a knick-knack paddywhack, give the dog a … cone?

“Dogs actually love ice cream, just like we do,” Jessica Kury said. “But the problem with our human ice cream is it’s not good for them, with all of the sugar and the dairy.”

And so the Dormont resident offers hound-healthy alternatives at Salty Paws, the first ice cream parlor for pooches in Pittsburgh, or Pennsylvania, for that matter.

“The experience for the pups is just like what you experience if you go into a store,” she said. “They walk right up to the freezer. They can take tastes, and there’s a topping bar up there, as well.”

She opened her business in November at 4126 Butler St. in Lawrenceville, a prime place for pedestrians walking their four-legged friends. Franchiser Suzanne Tretowicz launched the first Salty Paws three summers ago in Rehoboth Beach, Del., after noticing numerous vacationers feed ice cream to their dogs.

“The day I met Suzanne, I knew that this was absolutely the right venture for me,” Kury said. “I have always wanted my own business, and growing up, I worked in an ice cream store. And I always said to my husband that I wanted to have an ice cream store when we retired.”

Plus she adores dogs, especially her sizable Newfoundland, and has worked with rescue organizations for the past couple of decades, first as a volunteer and later professionally.

“Eventually, I was able to blend all those things together,” she said, except for the retirement part. “So here I am.”

To tempt the taste buds of breeds from Chihuahua to Bullmastiff, Salty Paws carries ice cream flavors that include the likes of bacon, carob and cheddar cheese, to go along with human favorites such as vanilla and cookie crunch.

“You can actually eat it,” Kury said. “It’s not sweet, because no sugar, and not creamy, so it’s not what we’re used to. You’d probably think it tastes a little funny, but you can eat it.”

Whatever the case, canines seem to enjoy lapping up the cold concoctions.

“For the dogs, it’s a flavor change. It’s a texture change for them,” Kury explained. “It’s great, too, on a really hot day in the summer.”

Beyond ice cream, Salty Paws carries an array of pooch-related products, including toys, collars, leashes and lots of other types of treats. And there’s a small section for cats, too.

“Cats love ice cream, just like dogs do, and they shouldn’t have dairy, either, which a lot of people don’t realize, because they feed them milk,” Kury said.

“They can come in, as well. What I always say to people, though, is just remember: Even if a cat likes dogs, dogs might not be OK with cats. So if you bring them in, make sure they’re contained.”

She looks forward to greeting people and their pets as they visit her new venture, about which she understandably is excited.

“Everything from the very beginning in my gut and my head and my heart said that this was absolutely the right thing to do,” she said.

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