About the list
Woofstops is a list of places where dogs are welcome. It is only useful if you can trust it, so here is how we put it together.
What it takes to get on the list
- A source must clearly say that dogs are welcome. A water bowl outside is not enough.
- Every place links to its sources, with the month each source was published or last updated. Older sources mean a bigger chance that something has changed, so check before you go. If a newer source says a place has closed or no longer takes dogs, the newer source wins.
- We never guess. If a source does not say where in the place your dog can be, we leave that out and simply write "Dogs welcome".
- Places we are unsure about stay off the list until we can confirm them.
Our sources
We read dining guides, local media and dog sites, such as OpenTable, Chowhound, Time Out New York, DoNYC, Jet Set Pets, The Infatuation, PureWow and K9 of Mine, plus the places' own websites. Dog runs come from NYC Parks, NYC Open Data and the parks that run their own, such as Hudson River Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park. In Los Angeles we use Discover Los Angeles, Time Out Los Angeles, Healthy Paws, K9 of Mine, LAist, GAYOT, The Infatuation, Secret Los Angeles and BringFido, plus the business directories of the City of Santa Monica and Old Pasadena. In San Francisco we use Axios, The Infatuation, K9 of Mine, Travel Noire, Hoodline, KQED, OpenTable and BringFido, and for dog parks San Francisco Recreation and Parks, the National Park Service, the Presidio Trust and the Port of San Francisco. Map positions come from OpenStreetMap and NYC Open Data.
The law in New York and California
New York State has let restaurants welcome dogs in outdoor dining areas since 2015 (AKC). It is the restaurant's choice, the dog must be leashed or in a carrier, and it must stay off seats and tables. California has allowed the same since 2015 (AB 1965): the owner decides, the dog is leashed or in a carrier, stays off chairs and benches, and reaches the patio without walking through the restaurant. Service animals are covered by other rules and are welcome in more places.
Something wrong?
Places change their rules, close or move. If you see something that is out of date, tell us the place and what has changed, ideally with a link, and we will check it.
Frequently asked questions
How often is the list updated?
We go through it regularly. This version is from October 2026.
Do restaurants pay to be listed?
No. A place is on the list only because a source says dogs are welcome.