Doggie Heaven Comes To Washington Street

Correction appended

Life for a dog in Hoboken just got a whole lot better. You Lucky Dog, a new store on Washington Street opened last Friday and offers anything from dog food to collars to dog-pastries. 

Owner Danielle Scardaville, who owns a 9-year-old Italian greyhound named Mokie, opened the store out of her love for animals. 

The shop opened on April 9 and blue and yellow balloons still hang by the entrance. Her dream of opening her own store was realized when she moved to Mile Square from the New Brunswick in August 2009—a place with much fewer dog owners. "I really wanted to do this for a long time, and I finally got the opportunity when I moved here," she said. "This is the perfect town for a shop like this."   

The shop is light, inviting and simply furnished, with light pastel colors on the wall. Small barking dogs are painted in black on the walls and the ceiling.  

In You Lucky Dog you can literally get everything that a dog—and even a human being could ever dream of. Clothing and collars in all colors and prints, for both male and female dogs, can be found all over the store.  

You can also spoil your dog with toys, shaped as ice cream cones, metro cards, or as regular toy animals. Scardaville also offers wellness and grooming products, such as shampoos and sprays. Scardaville said she prefers organic products. 

You Lucky Dog would not be doggy heaven if it weren't for the delicious treats you can buy there for your canine companion. The food supplies range from regular dog food, to cookies and layer cakes, some with icing made from carob and yogurt, and all with dough made out of eggs, honey and natural meat flavor. There is even dog wine that comes in typical wine bottles (a liquid that you can top over your dogs food as an extra treat).  All the food is made of healthy ingredients and the baked goods are unsweetened and unsalted. Healthy dog food is something that Scardaville is very conscious about. "I really try to get everything in here organic," she said, "grain free, and just natural."

Scardaville and her dog Mokie's own favorite article in the store are the baked goods and they have been popular with costumers as well, she said. 

 "I've only been open for four days, and I already had people come back," said Scardaville. "They love the bakery cakes, that's what they come back for." 

Scardaville said she purchases the baked goods from a New Jersey company, and said she will restock with fresh baked goods every week. Because the shop has only been open for a few days, it's hard for Scardaville to gage how much re-stocking will be necessary. And for your dog's birthday, you can—naturally—order a birthday cake at You Lucky Dog. 

Some might ask why dogs need such luxurious things, and some would say that they already have a dog's life, where all they do is eat, sleep and go for nice walks. But, Scardaville explains, "When you own a pet, it is a part of your family, and they just deserve to be spoiled to death. For some people it is like their kids."

The store's opening hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Correction appended: although a previous version of this article stated that Ms. Scardaville moved from the Bronx, the current version accurately reflects she moved to Hoboken from New Brunswick.