When tails wag, hearts are happy
Yountville’s new canine concierge spreads joy
While world-class food, wine and art experiences provided by highly-trained hospitality professionals have become a natural part of wine country, canine concierge are something entirely new.
The Hospitality Hounds of Yountville, a friendly pack of 25 pups, can now be spotted sporting bright blue bandanas around town.
The goal? Happiness. For locals: happiness. For visitors: happiness. For dogs: tail-wagging, paws on pavement, I-can-walk-you-straight-to-the-treats levels of happiness abound.
Yountville is known as an easily walkable place, with plenty of level sidewalks, paths and streets without traffic. Residents as well as visitors regularly travel the walkways, with a high percentage of locals treading along with their dogs.
Cynthia Kapjian of Yountville noticed that the dogs she and Kay Lafranconi have in their family seemed to have a magnetic power that sparked conversations and interactions with others traversing the community.
As a retired doctor who worked at the Veterans Home, Kapjian had experienced dogs that lived on campus and brought happiness to ailing veterans. “I created trading cards for the dogs that worked there, including a very special dog named Brandy, a large, sweet dog who lived on a skilled nursing floor.”
Kapjian says that when they are out in Yountville with their dog, Olive, people stop to say hello or comment about how much they miss their own dogs. “These interactions inspired me to create a program that fosters those connections on a larger scale.”
Olive is an energetic, three-legged former street dog who overcame adversity and, according to Kapjian, now thrives as Yountville’s unofficial greeter, walking about spreading joy.
A board of directors for Hospitality Hounds was quickly formed, and dogs from Yountville were invited to apply. In addition to Kapjian, board members include Wendy Fields, Polly Lappetito and Hillery Trippe. The program is funded by private donors and operates under the Town of Yountville Community Foundation.
The Hospitality Hounds application, includes questions such as levels of cuteness of your dog ranging from, “Chewbacca cute,” to “dangerously cute,” to “international heartbreaker.”
Other qualifiers on the application include behavior patterns ranging from rule denial to selective hearing to food motivation, as well as social skills including, “lone wolf,” “friendly to a few,” “sociable but picky,” “makes lots of friends” and “everyone’s BFF.”
Kapjian said that dogs within the program must be healthy, well-behaved and comfortable in social settings “but we don’t require formal certification. Our application includes a statement that owners are responsible for their dogs’ behavior.”
Hospitality Hounds quickly filled up, and there is now a wait list. Future town hounds can still apply at www.hospitalityhounds.com and will be considered as spaces in the program open up.
As canine ambassadors, the dogs will wear their custom blue bandanas and each have their own personalized, collectible trading card that tells their story, featuring details such as their breed, title, birthday, fun facts and personality traits. Those that encounter the dogs will be encouraged to snap photos, tag and post the images on social platforms to share both the pups and place that is Yountville.
One of the first hounds can easily be spotted 24/7 at the “Y” of Washington and Yount Streets. Known as Rocky, this hound is Yountville’s “Positivity Dog” and according to the trading card a “Dream Maker.” The only Hospitality Hound that does not pant or need walks, Rocky is the large artwork that arrived last August with “Never Give Up” emblazoned across the statue’s chest.
Kapjian, who currently serves on the Yountville Arts Commission, met Elizabeth Laul Healey, the artist who created the statue. “This project aligns with Elizabeth’s message of positivity, and she even designed Rocky’s trading card which we’ve already had to reorder due to high demand,” Kapjian said.
“While there are therapy dog programs and pet-friendly initiatives, Hospitality Hounds is unique. It’s a town-wide happiness project where dogs naturally welcome and interact with visitors, creating heartwarming moments,” Kapjian added.
Board member Lappetito, a chef whose three-year-old rescue dog Ziti is a founding hound, remarked that there are other towns, such as Carmel, that are known for being dog friendly. “Creating a canine subculture is the goal, to put Yountville on the map as a dog-friendly town.”
Lappetito typically walks a minimum of five miles daily, with Ziti along for three miles of the journey. Ziti is extremely social and, according to Lappetito, is vying to become mayor of the town. She can navigate directly to the Yountville Chamber of Commerce for the treat jar, Lappetito said.
“We fought so hard to get the dog park in town,” Lappetito added. “Beyond the culinary and beyond the wine, bring your dog. If you are missing your dog at home, you can get your picture taken with a Hospitality Hound.”
Eventually, the hounds will share recommendations such as the best walks, pet-friendly restaurants and hotels and where to go get treats and participate in canine-centered events, as well as host meet-ups at locations such as the Yountville Dog Park.
Board member Trippe, also a Yountville town councilperson, said that she is delighted to support this community project. “So many Yountville visitors love to stop, pet and talk about the many wonderful dogs who live and walk around with their people in Yountville.”
Trippe’s hound is Poppy, a 12-pound poodle and spaniel mix. “I call her a ‘spoodle,’ Poppy loves people, and vice versa,” Trippe said. “We are a definitely a town of dogs and walkers. People in the community are really jazzed to share their enthusiasm for their dogs and our town as part of Hospitality Hounds. I am optimistic that this program will grow and be fun for both the visitors and our community.”
“It’s really going to take off, I can already feel it. We are just going to keep everyone’s tails wagging. That’s our job!” Lappetito concluded.
For more information and to see images of the hounds, follow @hospitalityhounds on Instagram. For more information, to apply for the waiting list or sign up for the email list, visit www.hospitalityhounds.com.
