CuppaPug has been in business for four years although Brighton has only been open for 3 months. The cafes started in London then expanded to Manchester, California, Texas and Edinburgh. The founders are Aaron and Matthew Pierterse who are pug lovers who now own 10 dogs of their own and, currently, 5 rescues. They were and are dedicated to controlling the quality of how the cafes are run.
They rescue 300-400 pugs a year from a variety of situations like Prince who had been living, with 8 other dogs, in a one-bedroom flat in a high-rise block. The owner was breeding the animals.
Many people see pugs on Instagram, fall in love with the idea of having one, but soon the reality of owning a dog hits home. They don’t allow for the amount of exercise and time the pug would need, the amount of that it couldn’t be left alone for hours at a time, the cost of food and general care. They then have to give up their dogs.
In order to adopt a dog the potential adoptees have to go through a vigorous application procedure. The result is that of the 10-15 applications per day per café only 1 dog a week is rehomed.
Back to the Brighton CuppaPug Café where I was warmly greeted by Aaron Pierterse and his female team who need childcare experience to work there. My coffee was delivered with their signature pug design on top of the foam – a lovely touch.
The guests for this session walk in excitedly. Once they’re sat down the anticipation builds. Suddenly the song ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ blares through the café and the dogs shoot out of an open door. They’re clearly delighted to be part of the party. The children and their carers are equally pleased to see the dogs.
The children and their carers are equally pleased to see the dogs. There is much cuddling and playing with the pugs, closely supervised by Aaron and the team. Aaron can immediately ‘read’ each of the dogs and quickly spots at one point that one of the girls needs a pee and another is getting a bit frisky!
There are doggy treats and ice-cream to be given of which the dogs are more than happy to partake.
The happiness and welfare of the dogs is uppermost in the staff’s consideration. The pugs get a ten-minute break after each of the 7 sessions and a half hour rest halfway through the day. They also If they want time-out they can do so and, if they want a nap, there are many beds littered around for them to relax in
The café is open Thursday to Sunday and there are special deals for Blue Light cards, seniors, families, single parent and carers. £1 of each ticket goes to the CuppaPug charity.
There are special day and night events across the cafes including pug bingo, quiz nights, adult only sessions and sensory sessions for those with sensory issues.
I Ieft feeling happy and relaxed after my pug ‘therapy’ and I can’t recommend it enough.
Tickets and Venue
£20 adult £15 child.
CuppaPug, 2A The Waterfront, Brighton Marina, Brighton, BN2 5WA
10am to 5.30pm Thursday – Sunday
