Tails of Downtown Prescott

by Blake Herzog
Downtown Prescott is the kind of place where most stores have a water dish near the front door for all the dogs who either drag or are dragged by their owners past the historic hotels and bars, sniff at the galleries and antique shops and growl at Miss Kitty’s Cat House at 302 N. Alarcon St., where up to 20 cats live and play until adoptive homes are found for them. 
Whiskers Barkery at 225 W. Gurley St. is the hub of Prescott pet central, where dogs and their people are invited to pick out treats or toys, or if they’re in need of more serious gear there’s plenty of collars, leashes, outdoor gear and more. If your pooch is pooped you can pick up a doggie stroller or else let her or him rest in one of the spacious, climate-controlled crates the shop offers for a temporary respite. Of course there’s a “Kitty Korner” filled with catnip and honeysuckle-soaked toys and scrumptious feline delicacies as well. 
Numerous downtown restaurants offer pet-friendly dining areas. One of the newer ones is the Taj Majal Restaurant and Bar, which recently relocated to 124 N. Montezuma St. in the heart of downtown. It has upstairs and downstairs patios that welcome people and pets. Both can enjoy the live music often playing at the restaurant, while the people partake of some of the best Indian cuisine to be found in the area. 
Courthouse Plaza is where all walks of life converge, especially dog walks of life since they usually make friends much faster than their people do. Given how central canine joy is to the scene at the plaza, it makes sense there’s a plaque in the northwest corner of the square honoring a beloved “community dog” named Mike, who made the bars and shops of Whiskey Row his home in the 1950s, keeping other dogs away so he could have the treats and affection of its bartenders and visitors to himself.