LAFAYETTE, La. — A new pet cafe is coming to Lafayette's northside that will give orphaned dogs and cats a home-like environment while they wait for adoption.
Amy LeBlanc is working to open meowWOOF Animal Collective and Cafe on East Simcoe Street, combining her passion for animal rescue with community building. The non-profit organization will focus specifically on animals who have lost their owners.
"I had an idea to do a coffee shop that was going to be able to house animals that are displaced from their humans dying because those are calls that we get often," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc has been doing foster care in Lafayette for over four years and has taken in over 60 animals. Just five months after conceiving the idea, she turned it into a non-profit organization, meowWOOF. Leblanc and her co-founder, Alex Pete, found the perfect property on Simcoe Street.
"We are helping rescues offset their numbers by taking in this specific niche of animals, and I think their stories will bring people in wanting to see those animals and love on them," LeBlanc said.
The cafe will address a critical need both founders have observed in local animal welfare.
"We see a lot of animals that go into the local shelters. The change from their home environment that they recently had into the shelter so drastic that they decline really rapidly, so we do feel like there is a need for a home-like environment for animals so they can thrive until they find a new home," Pete said.
The facility will feature a main cafe area where anyone can get drinks, with a cat lounge on one side and both indoor and outdoor dog areas on the other side.
According to Developing Lafayette, the project includes additional features such as:
• A small holistic boutique with animal supplements and pet-friendly retail items
• Two self-wash dog grooming stations open to the public for a small fee
• Space for rotating food trucks to park and serve visitors
• Community rooms designed for workshops, adoption events and support groups
"We wanted something that we could have animals socialize with humans in an open space—not staying cages and kennels," LeBlanc said.
Beyond helping animals, Pete sees the cafe as filling a community need on Lafayette's northside.
"I do think that the northside does not have as many community gathering places. We have a nice, big property where we could host events. We want it to be accessible that wants to participate in growing the community in the northside knowing your neighbors, both human and feline and canine," Pete said.
Proceeds from the cafe and time spent with the dogs and cats will go toward their care.
The non-profit is in need of donations to help accomplish their mission, if you would like to support, click here!
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