On a recent visit to Milwaukee, one thing became clear—Milwaukeeans love their pets. If you’re visiting Milwaukee with your dog, you’re in luck. Here is our pet lovers’ guide to Milwaukee.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have to have a wag off,” says emcee Mike Wild. “This is unprecedented. A three-way wag off.” Hundreds of people cheer as the three contenders return to the front of the crowd. The humans dangle treats, encouraging their dogs to give it all they’ve got. Butts quiver, tails lash back and forth while the judges use their expert knowledge to name the winner of the tail-wagging contest. In the crowd, dogs are dressed like Mr. Spock, a bumblebee, a rainbow. There’s even a cat in a buggy kitted out like a pirate ship, accompanied by a mustachioed woman dressed as the pirate captain.
Mr. Spock appears at the Brady Street Pet Parade. Photo by Teresa Bergen
The annual Brady Street Pet Parade, with its contests for best costumes and tricks, and a long row of pet product vendors, made something very clear to me: Milwaukeeans love their pets.
Brady Street Pet Parade: A Milwaukee Tradition
No pet lovers’ guide to Milwaukee is complete without checking out the Pet Parade. The annual Brady Street Pet Parade started about 19 years ago. It raises money for the Wisconsin Humane Society, according to Rachel Taylor, executive director of the Brady Street Business Improvement District. It’s timed every year to coincide with the Feast of Saint Francis, which falls in October. After the judges award prizes, the crowd of pets and people parade about three-quarters of a mile to Saint Rita’s. Father Tim Kitzke blesses the creatures.
Captain Oliver and his first mate. Photo by Teresa Bergen
After skipping 2020 due to COVID, people and pets partied hard on Brady Street in October 2021 as the samba band Samba de Vida led the procession. The band “put shivers down my spine,” Taylor said. “It really got you in the spirit of it. And the community reaction was just fantastic. The number of people who said we absolutely love this, this is our favorite event, was almost overwhelming.”
Taylor—a pet lover who paid more for transporting her six cats than her furniture back to the US after a stint in England—started her position the same day in March 2020 that COVID hit Milwaukee. So this was her first year overseeing the parade in person. She estimates that about 3,500 people attended this year. While Brady Street is known for its nightlife, the pet parade is an extremely fun family-friendly event.
A couple of firefighters at the Brady Street Pet Parade. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Checking out the costumes and watching the tricks and tail-wagging events probably made me laugh harder than anything I saw in Milwaukee.
I laughed at all the great costumes during the parade. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Sip & Purr Cat Café
When I went to see the murals at Milwaukee’s famous Black Cat Alley outdoor gallery, I stumbled upon Sip & Purr Cat Café. I love to visit cat cafés anytime, but when I saw a notice in their window for cat yoga, I got very excited. Before I’d walked another half mile I had to stop in the middle of the sidewalk, get out my phone and credit card, and reserve my spot for the next day. I mean, what if they sold out before I got back to the privacy of my hotel room?
Class at Sip & Purr Cat Café
When I reported to class, it turned out that the ratio was in my favor. Only three people had signed up, and there were close to thirty cats to adore. This is definitely one to include in a Pet Lovers’ Guide to Milwaukee.
Yoga teacher Brittany Curran—who goes by B—issued us each a feathered cat toy at the start of class. She warned us we might need to keep the cats at bay. Sure enough, this was a wild group of young cats. They spent the next hour zooming across our mats and sometimes attacking our hair. I learned to do all my poses with a feathered wand in one hand.
Brittany Curran leads yoga at Sip & Purr, along with her 30 feline assistants. Photo by Teresa Bergen
B is also an actor, which comes in handy when you teach cat yoga. “This class is truly a test of my improvisation skills because you really never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “It’s always funny when a cat burrows underneath someone’s mat, or when one decides to sing a song for us while we practice. Sometimes you’ll witness a catfight or someone will throw up—which I suppose is less funny, but is part of the gig.”
Follow B on Instagram at @YogaAtOurHouse for lots of cat yoga cuteness.
Cats just make yoga better. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Shopping and Adopting
Cat cafés, and especially cat yoga, might seem gimmicky. But they serve an important mission. The cats at Sip & Purr, like at most cat cafés, are adoptable. The café’s home page proudly displays the growing number of adoptions. At press time, the café had matched 824 cats with human companions.
All your cat-related shopping needs are fulfilled. Photo by Teresa Bergen
“Some of my favorite memories of cat yoga have been when a person in class finds their new forever fur baby,” B explains. “Holding yoga classes in this space is really beneficial for the cats because they get to interact with people in a completely different way than they might if the person were simply visiting the cat café and sitting in a chair or standing around.” Being on the floor brings you down to cat level, which often intrigues felines.
However, adopting a new pet is a major decision. If a forever friend is beyond the scope of your Milwaukee souvenir hunting, check out the items for sale in Sip & Purr’s shop instead. Now is the time to stock up on cat t-shirts, magnets, tote bags, books, and other necessities.
Where to Take Fido in Milwaukee
Dogs are generally more portable than cats, making it a bit easier to suggest dog-friendly ideas for the Pet Lovers’ Guide to Milwaukee. And, if you’re visiting Milwaukee with your dog, you’re in luck. MKE is definitely a pet-friendly town.
Dog-Friendly Bars & Restaurants
Tons of restaurants and bars welcome dogs on their decks and patios. But Milwaukee is not exactly a year-round plein air dining destination. Fortunately, about 20 bars let you bring your well-behaved canine inside. The Dogs of MKE website includes a handy list of bars, restaurants, and stores that welcome Fido.
Black Husky Brewing deserves a special mention. It started in Wisconsin’s north woods in 2010, inspired by sled dogs the owners’ son raised. The company was named after Howler, their favorite black husky. Each beer is crafted as a tribute to one of the sled dogs.
If caffeine is more your speed, bring your dog along to Rochambo Coffee and Tea House on Brady Street. And of course, many people who visit Milwaukee want to try frozen custard, the city’s famous dessert. Leon’s Frozen Custard, which boldly claims to serve the world’s best, is a family-owned drive-in and MKE staple. Bring your pup and try their newest blue moon flavor, introduced in 2021. Of course, rules are subject to change, so always check with businesses first.
Dog-Friendly MKE Activities
Milwaukee Boat Line allows dogs on its 90-minute narrated sightseeing cruises. You can learn about Milwaukee’s history and architecture while Queenie feels the breeze on her fur and gets a nose full of lake smells. According to the company website, “Well-behaved, leashed dogs that take care of ‘business’ before boarding are welcome. Limit 10 pups per cruise. First come, first served.”
The Milwaukee Boat Line welcomes dogs to cruise. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Milwaukee County Dog Parks
Milwaukee County has seven off-leash dog parks that must make our list for the Pet Lovers’ Guide to Milwaukee. The biggest is Runway Dog Park, with 26 acres of fenced-in space. Stroll on wood-chipped trails or take your pug or Chiweenie to the separate area for smaller dogs.
Some people compare Granville to Disneyland for dogs, with its open fields, woody trails, and river access. It’s not fully fenced in, so only take your dog there if you trust her to come when you call. Your dog must be licensed by his or her home municipality, be up to date on vaccinations, and have a pass to legally visit the county dog parks. The pass costs $5 for a single day, so Fido said to tell you to make the most of it and visit them all.
According to Rachel Taylor, residents are lobbying for a new dog park underneath the freeway near the Third Ward and downtown area. This would benefit the many condo-dwellers in the area, and canine tourists staying in downtown hotels.
You can even bring your dog to the historic Forest Home Cemetery. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Dogs are also allowed in Milwaukee County parks. Places within the parks where they’re not allowed are noted here. Keep in mind that there is a $200.50 fine for not cleaning up after your dog or keeping her on a leash. No, I don’t know what that fifty cents is for, either.
Pet-friendly Hotels in Milwaukee
Of course, our Pet Lovers’ Guide to Milwaukee can’t be complete without talking about where you can stay with your pet. Canine tourists have a lot of options when visiting Milwaukee. The Kimpton Journeyman boutique hotel is my top choice, as Kimpton hotels are famously pet-friendly and are one of the few hotels not to charge extra for bringing your dog, no matter how big. Traveling with two Newfoundlands? The Kimpton is definitely for you. Plus, it supplies pet beds, water bowls, dog waste bags, and a concierge list of nearby places you can take your dog.
Milwaukee loves ducks, too, and immortalizes favorite ducks along the Riverwalk. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Aloft Milwaukee Downtown also offers free stays for dogs up to forty pounds. If you’re traveling with one of those very special adventure cats that likes to hit the road with you, try the Drury Plaza. You can check in with up to two pets (dogs or cats) for an extra $35 fee per day.
Upscale Hotel Packages for Dogs
For those more high-flying pets where cost is no limit, several downtown hotels charge around $100 per stay. That’s not bad if you’re spending a week, but pretty steep if you’re just there for a night. The Saint Kate Arts Hotel lets you bring up to two pets with a combined weight of 100 pounds (I have yet to see an actual scale at any of the hotels where I’ve brought my dog). Saint Kate offers perks like pet beds, bowls, and helping you arrange dog walking with a third-party service.
The Iron Horse is both pet and motorcycle-friendly, so if Fido rides in your sidecar, you’re sure to meet like-minded adventurers here. The Iron Horse features a weekly Yappy Hour with special puppy cups and vodka specials for their humans. Dogs of any size are welcome.
The Pfister Hotel, Milwaukee’s historic Victorian hotel, offers a special Rover-Night package that includes a doggy gift basket (thinks toys and treats), pet cleaning fee, and a monetary donation to the Elmbrook Humane Society in your dog’s honor.
The Pfister also offers something unexpected for Fido. Known as one of America’s most haunted hotels, former proprietor Charles Pfister walks the halls. “If you see him, look down,” urges ghost tour guide extraordinaire Anna Lardinois of Gothic Milwaukee. “And you might see his little dog.” According to Lardinois, Pfister was so devoted to his dog that his hotel has always allowed pets.
Tour guide Anna Lardinois of Gothic Milwaukee tells us about the ghost dog at the Pfister. Photo by Teresa Bergen
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Perhaps Carl Pfister began the city’s hospitality for visiting dogs. It continues on to this day. “Milwaukee is an extraordinarily pet-friendly place,” says Taylor. And judging from the thousands of people cheering the Brady Street Pet Parade, I have to concur. With a little help from this Pet Lovers’ Guide to Milwaukee, I hope you and your pet enjoy the stay! Be sure to check out Wander for more things to see and do in Milwaukee and as you explore other areas of Wisconsin.
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