This Café Has Become a Safe Haven for Stray Dogs During the Winter
1. A Professor's Viral Photo
When Eustratios Papanis, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of the Aegean took a photo of a café on the Greek island of Lesbos, he never imagined it would go viral.
2. Hott Spott's Open Doors
The café, called Hott Spott, opens its doors at night to the stray dogs in the area in order to give them a warm place to sleep. Greece is reportedly home to over one million stray dogs as a result of the debt crisis.
3. A Safe Haven
A waiter at the café told The Independent, "Customers have no problems. It is a bit of a thing now””lots of people come with their cell phones." In general, people in Greece are very happy to provide food and shelter for dogs in need.
4. A Great Example
Bill McMillian, a resident of Athens, told LifeWithDogs.tv, "Here in Greece, our homes are not large enough for all of us to house animals. That's why we look after the street dogs...They are like our own pets, but they belong to everyone instead."
Cue the tears.
5. Dog Cafés
While Hott Spott isn't a full time animal café, it's a growing global trend to open cafés specifically with canine and other furry friends in mind. Cafés like Dog Heart in Tokyo provide you with the opportunity to hang out with cute pups and even take them for walks. Talk about a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship!
6. Cat Cafés
If you're more of a feline fan, cat cafés may be up your alley(cat!). Cat cafés are on the rise, with over 150 cafés opening in the last ten years. Haven't you always wished your coffee came with a sprinkling of cat hair?
7. Fukuro Sabo Owl Café Kokubunji
If you're allergic to cats or just craving a new experience, owl cafés are for you! At the Fukuro Sabo Owl Café in Kokubunji, Japan, you can sip a cup of joe with an owl perched on your arm! It's a chance to learn about and see these incredible creatures first hand. What a HOOT!
8. With Bunny
If you want a café with bunnies, a good place to go is With Bunny. Get hopped up on caffeine and bond with a bunny! What could be better?
9. Sakuragaoka Café Shibuya
Cats and dogs in cafés, sure. Owls and bunnies? That's cute. But goats? That's what you get if you visit Sakuragaoka Café in Shibuya, Japan. Two goats, Sakura and Chocolat, live in an exclosure on the porch of the café and you can go hang with them while sipping your caramel macchiato.
10. Kotori Café Omotesando
At the Kotori Café in Omotesando, Japan, you can tweet the day away with over 20 different birds. From cockatoos to parrots to lovebirds, you can drink coffee while chatting up your new feathered friends!