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September 28, 2006
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September 28, 2006 |
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Doggie Day at Corner Cone is the cat’s meow
On Sunday, Shelley Colbert discovered that her dog’s thoughts tend toward fish, grilled cheese sandwiches and Halloween. Margaret Silliman and Howard Shook found that Annie, the mixed-breed who appeared on their doorstep six months ago, is generally pleased with her new home but not fond of the cat. And Jayne Brahler learned how to use healing touch with her aging German shepherd, Twila. “This is way cool,” Brahler said of Doggie Day, the event for dogs and their owners that took place Sunday afternoon on the patio of the Corner Cone, located at the corner of Dayton and Walnut Streets. That Doggie Day filled a need for local dog-lovers was clear when pets and their keepers began streaming in even before the 1 p.m. start time, according to Corner Cone owner Bob Swaney, who estimated that at least 50 people attended in the first two hours. At 3 p.m., a well-behaved group of Labradors, German shepherds and mutts, along with the occasional Italian greyhound, filled the Corner Cone patio, sparking barks from dogs in passing cars and much sniffing all around. Brahler, who teaches at the University of Dayton, said she brought her dog even before the event opened because she wanted to make sure she and Twila had the chance to visit each featured pet specialist. Each pet expert was “fantastic,” Brahler said, including Healthful Touch specialist Carmen Kolz, animal psychic Christine Valdez and alternative medicine veterinarian Susan Rogers-Swaney, who is married to Bob Swaney. The longest line formed for Valdez, the psychic. Laura Chase and her dad, Brian, brought their 9-month-old mixed breed, Cosmo, to discover why the pup chases squirrels. Colbert wanted some clues to the exuberant personality of her boxer, Howdy, and got more than she bargained for – in a past life, the psychic said, Howdy was a teacher in Japan. Ernest and Marcia DaBreco of Beavercreek brought their mixed breed, Sandy, to find out “why she’s a neurotic mess,” Marcia DeBreco said. Some brought their pets for physical healing, including Cathy Christian, whose 10-year-old Italian greyhound, Nemo, has an inoperable tumor. Rogers-Swaney gave Nemo acupuncture, Christian said, along with advice on how to deal with the dog’s pain. Doggie Day was his idea, not his wife’s, according to Swaney, who admits to being a fool for Sweetie, his own Jack Russell/Beagle mix. “It seemed like a good thing to do. I love my dog and knew these people and could bring them together,” he said of the animal specialists he assembled. He also wanted to introduce dog owners to his restaurant’s new patio, and let them know that both they and their pets are welcome. When he and his wife go on vacation, they look for restaurants where they can bring their dog along, he said, and he thought others might have the same need. While Swaney has owned the Corner Cone (formerly the Yellow Springs Freeze) for only a few months, he has made many changes. He installed new wood counters around the restaurant’s perimeters, with stools for casual eating, and built wood tables for the recently tiled patio, complete with umbrellas to shield customers from the sun. And he placed a wood stove on the patio, to keep people cozy at night. “I wanted to try to make it more comfortable and appealing,” he said. Swaney and his wife moved to Yellow Springs from Cincinnati several years ago, and he doesn’t have to walk far to work – the couple live right across Walnut Street from their restaurant. After visiting Yellow Springs all his life, he’s delighted to actually live here, he said. “It’s a kinder, gentler existence,” he said. “It’s like being on vacation every day.” Based on the unexpected success of the inaugural Doggie Day, he’ll probably hold more such events, Swaney said. He also remembers pet parades from his childhood and thinks that Yellow Springs could use one of those, too. Contact: dchiddister@ysnews.com
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