Purina PawsWay

Purina opened PawsWay in the summer of 2008 as a way of giving back to the pet community. “This is where pet owners and pet lovers come to celebrate the amazing animals in their lives,” says events and education manager Tre Smith. With a boutique, indoor dog park, interactive education exhibit, puppy school, and Animal Hall of Fame, PawsWay is a one-stop-shop for all of the waterfront and GTA community’s animal-loving needs.

“Living downtown in the concrete jungle and condo alley, there aren’t many places for owners to engage with their pets,” says Tre. Conveniently located along Queens Quay West in downtown Toronto, PawsWay aims to fill that void and provide a much-needed oasis for pets and their owners. Home to a pet-friendly coffee shop, Williams Fresh Cafe, both pets and their owners are welcome to come in and have a bite. “No one wants to tie their dog up outside,” says Tre. “Here you’re able to do two things at once, spend time with your dog and sit down for a bite and enjoy coffee together.”

Since spring of 2014, PawsWay has also been home to the Friskies Playhouse, which is essentially a waterfront condo for shelter cats. The stimulating interactive environment has fostered over 40 cats through the Toronto Humane Society and successfully adopted them into healthy, happy forever homes within the community.