Le Petit Puppy

July 7, 2010 1:58 pm | By Zootoo Editor Flinn D.

You’re sauntering back from brunch along Christopher St. in New York's West Village on a weekend morning and you happen past a crowd ooh-ing and coo-ing in a window. Chances are you’re witnessing a ritual that occurs quite regularly outside Le Petit Puppy, one of the West Village’s most famous pet stores. The subjects of all the attention are a fleet of puppies, usually of the Maltese, French or English Bulldog, beagle or Dachshund variety, which have yipped and nipped their way into the hearts of an endless number of passersby over the years.

The window dressing is really all the fuss at Le Petit Puppy. Once you take a step through the doors, you’ll see it’s really no different than any number of downtown pet boutiques that carry higher-end brands of products such as Pinkaholic, Pazo and NY Dogs.

Not that Le Petit doesn’t have its own unique charm. The store is housed in a converted townhouse with an all-brick interior that has been beautifully preserved down to the last detail – even the old fireplace is still there. Le Petit Puppy is cleverly located in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Manhattan, where weekend wanderers think nothing about plunking down $1500 for a pure bred pup. What bothers this reviewer is that these pups are no cuter—and yet much more likely to find a home—than the massive amounts of rescues that don’t happen to have a claim to the same real estate. The price of one of these pups could support a rescue shelter for a month.

Pros: Carries higher-end brands, convenient location.

Cons: Pure-bred puppies are window dressing.