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Dog lovers were shocked last week when beloved dog cafe Boris & Horton unexpectedly announced its closure.
"After six years in business, we've made the devastating decision to close both locations of Boris & Horton on February 26th," the business posted on Instagram on Thursday, February 15.
Within hours of the sad news, thousands of supporters shared their desire to help keep the East Village or Williamsburg dog cafes open, one of few indoor spaces New York City dogs can play off-leash.
Still, Logan Mikhly, who co-owns Boris & Horton with her father, Coppy Holzman, told Time Out that the business was firm on its closer, they weren't comfortable taking people's money as a fundraiser. Mikhly attributed the impending closure due to the high costs of rent, staffing and supplies. For example, the cafe can only use disposable tableware, due to health restrictions (patrons may assume that necessity is built into the cost of a $12 avocado toast, but perhaps that didn't cover it).
And while rent and barista salaries aren't decreasing any time soon, patrons proved a powerful urge to save Boris & Horton.
Following the closure announcement, Amanda Gerzog, a New York City publicist, created a GoFundMe to help support Boris & Horton.
“Let’s rally around to show our support and do everything we can to keep this business afloat,” the campaign reads. “If it’s not possible to keep the doors open, then let’s at least show our love to the amazing staff who will all be affected by this closure.” To date, the fundraiser, which is now paused, has raised over $20,000.
Today, Boris & Horton posted on their official Instagram that they're going to try and save both cafes.
"The community's response to our closure has completely blown us away so we're going to launch a fundraising drive to see if we can keep both cafes up and running," said co-owner Logan Mikhly. An online fundraiser aims to raise $250,000 over the next several days.
"The funds will go towards cleaning and repairing our East Village location, bringing in another full-time staff member, and taking some time off to do some business planning while we pay our staff," said Mikhly. "We're asking for our community's support to make it a success."
Jolie E. Dudley, co-founder of Must Love Dogs and Comedy, comedian, writer and dog mom has been hosting her comedy show at Boris & Horton for the past few years. What started as just a fun place to go with my pup quickly turned into my core community in NYC,” she tells us. “We have held our charitable dog-friendly comedy shows here for the past two-and-a-half years and, by doing so, have been able to raise over $23,000 for animal rescue, help dogs find fosters and adopters, and bring people together to celebrate the love we have for our pups.
“The loss of these dog-friendly cafes would greatly impact the NYC community, not just the current pet parents,” she continues. “Boris & Horton is home to many events that champion animal rescue efforts that help dogs get adopted or raise money and awareness for NYC shelters and rescues. Losing these dog-friendly spaces would take away places we can go with our pups, but on a larger scale, it could greatly impact our shelters, which are already over-capacity the majority of the time. Boris & Horton is an integral part of NYC. It is a hub for community, connection, canines, and a home away from home for dog lovers. Please consider helping them keep their doggy doors open!”