'Pet Harbors' Can Be Put Outside Brooklyn Shops, Council Says

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — Brooklynites might soon be seeing miniature, colorful dog houses popping up outside the borough's storefronts.

The City Council approved a bill this week that would create a pilot program for "pet harbors," new hi-tech devices that can be put outside commercial businesses so pets have somewhere safe to go as their owners shop inside.

The council's approval comes two years after the Brooklyn Navy Yard business DogSpot tried to bring the harbors to New York City. The Department of Transportation quickly squashed the idea and issued a cease and desist order for the little houses.

Since then, Council Member Rafael Espinal introduced a bill to start a pilot program for the harbors, which won full City Council support on Tuesday.

“Instead of supporting the innovation of a woman-owned and Brooklyn-manufactured business, New York City took a backwards approach by removing all pet harbors without warning," Espinal said. "It’s our City’s job to create an environment where small businesses can thrive, and this pilot program will do just that for pet harbors. Pet harbors are a win-win innovation; they’re good for businesses, good for dog-owners, and good for dogs.”

The bill directs city agencies to establish a pilot program for the pet harbors in Brooklyn, meaning it still needs the mayor or the agency to take action before the harbors will become a reality.

The pet houses — which are air-conditioned and have cameras inside so the owners can check on their pets — were thought up by Brooklynite Chelsea Brownridge in 2015.

They have since been introduced in 26 cities across the country and have plans to add 300 more houses to their 60-house fleet nationwide this year, according to the company's website.

The pet harbors work like many other app-based, real-life tools.

Pet owners can download the DogSpot app and look up pet harbor locations on an interactive map. When they find one they'd like to use, the pet harbors are free or cost 30 center per minute depending on the location.

Owners can leave their dogs inside for up to an hour and a half and are able to watch a livestream with the "Puppy Cam" or check on the real-time temperature gauges as their pet is inside.

Espinal said that DOT initially stopped the houses in New York City for their use of the city's sidewalk space. But, he argued that they should be allowed given that DogSpot gets the permission of the business owners to place them outside the store.