Sweet (canine) dreams in Georgetown

In his science-fiction novel "Snow Crash," Neal Stephenson briefly describes the dream world of a genetically enhanced dog. It's a boundless paradise, where "porterhouse steaks grow on trees, dangling at head level from low branches, and blood-drenched Frisbees fly through the crisp, cool air."

I am happy to report that A Dog's Dream, a pet-supply store that opened this past spring in Georgetown, bears very little resemblance to that scenario, aside from being an inviting place. It's a bright and airy shop with a comfortable couch, a few hundred Polaroid photos of happy dogs and a peerless selection of all-natural foods and attractive (and environmentally conscious) pet toys and accessories. Walk into the place anytime and you're almost guaranteed to find a few pups lounging about, properly dreamy and contented.

Owners will be similarly soothed by the shop's devotion to keeping dogs healthy. Here you'll find all kinds of tasty canine noshes that are sure to please your best friend: all-natural dry and wet food by Innova, Etta Says! and California Natural, hormone-free "Bully Stix" and freshly made treats in a variety of flavors, including vegan peanut butter/banana and free-range buffalo.

They've got plush dog beds in a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns, and the shop will make a pillow or side-panel bed using the fabric of your choice. And in a complete win-win situation, 10 percent of the profits from the shop's huge selection of colorful, custom-made collars and waterproof jackets are donated to greyhound rescue charities.

While the selection of food items, toys and supplements for other critters isn't quite as robust as the shop's selection of canine goodies, you'll nevertheless find lots of good things for your cats, birds and fish. Your cats will love the chicken and salmon jerky (mine do), and you'll appreciate the flushable, corn-based litter (much better for the environment than that clay-based stuff, which hardens to a consistency near that of concrete when dumped in landfills). And they've got more catnip mice than your cats could hide behind the sofa in a lifetime.

All these good things would mean nothing without a knowledgeable staff to sell them, and the crew at A Dog's Dream knows its stuff and will gladly answer any questions you might have. They bag your purchases in biodegradable bags, happily accommodate special requests and even cultivate a gallery of locally created pet-themed art, which changes monthly.

A Dog's Dream is friendly in its every aspect. Someday soon, when dogs dream, they will dream of Georgetown, surrounded by a lush grove of steak trees.