Last year, we wrote about a local crowdfunding campaign with an ambitious goal: Open America's first dog cafe crawling with cute, cuddly pups waiting to loved.

A little more than a year later, founder Sarah Wolfgang's concept, the Dog Cafe, has come to fruition inside a Silver Lake strip mall, with a grand opening planned for April 7 starting at 1 p.m. Guests will be able to sip coffee or tea, then visit an adjacent lounge area where dogs rescued from nearby shelters — all eligible for adoption — will roam and play freely.

“The Dog Cafe’s mission is simple,” Wolfgang, a longtime volunteer at private animal shelters, told us back in 2015. “We want to provide a second chance for shelter dogs that are often overlooked. The Dog Cafe is going to put a spin on the way people adopt by totally reinventing the way we connect with homeless dogs.”

That said, the Dog Cafe is open to all humans, even those who might not be ready to adopt a pup just yet. Rather than taking place in overcrowded shelters, Dog Cafe's adoptions will allow dogs that were previously at risk of euthanasia to socialize and find a home in a low-stress environment. 

As for drinks at Dog Cafe, you'll find pour-over coffee from Santa Monica–based coffee roaster Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. (which donates 20 percent of its profit from each purchase to a local shelter), as well as lattes, teas, dog-friendly carob mochas and lemonade flavored with rose, lavender and butterfly pea flower. Due to health department regulations, the cafe won't be able to serve food. 

Once the cafe has its grand opening, hours will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Admission to the dog lounge will cost $10 per person for 55 minutes; reservations are encouraged and can be made online. You also can view the cafe's dogs online beforehand. Look out for Frito, Twinkie, Oreo, Moonshine and Scooby Boo.

The Dog Cafe, 240 N. Virgil Ave.  #12, Silver Lake; (213) 810-2872, thedogcafela.com.

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