As temperatures hovered close to 100 for much of the summer in The Nations, a locally owned business on Ohio Street cemented itself as a haven for Nashville's four-legged friends.

Urban Dog Bar opened in December and has become a daily refuge for Meghan Dunlap and her dog Ace, a 100-pound Husky-retriever mix.

Dunlap thinks Urban Dog Bar is the future of dog parks, thanks to special amenities only guests of the bar get, she said.

The concept of a dog bar is unique, compared to the traditional dog parks spread through Nashville.

One might ask, what's a dog bar? Are the dogs throwing back a round of beer after a long day of barking?

Co-owner Rebecca Gauthier was quick to explain the business model.

"There's so much more community building and being able to be friends and get to see the

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