01
Community
Strangers become familiar faces. Familiar faces become friends. The everyday conversations matter as much as the big events.
Our Story
A place you already belong.
Come for the dogs. Stay for the people.
How it started
A better dog park—and an easier way to find your people.
Early in their marriage, Mark and Amy Gorman adopted an energetic dog who needed plenty of exercise. They started visiting Joe Station almost every night. The dogs had room to run, and something else happened naturally: Mark and Amy made friends with the people who kept showing up, too.
Those visits also revealed what was missing. On cold, rainy days, there was nowhere comfortable for people to settle in while their dogs played. More importantly, when Amy was bitten while stepping in during an incident with another dog, they had no way to know that dog's health or vaccination status. The community was real, but so were the reasons people could not fully relax.
The idea for Tails & Ales grew from both experiences: keep the easy connection that happens around dogs, then build a more comfortable place around it with consistent health standards, clear expectations, coffee, drinks, and room to stay.
After years of planning, permitting, and renovating the property at 1903 S Boston Avenue, Tails & Ales opened on May 1, 2024. The goal was never simply to open a dog park or a bar. It was to create the kind of place Mark and Amy had been looking for all along: somewhere dogs could play safely and people could find community.
The idea behind Tails & Ales
Dogs make the introduction. Community does the rest.
Tails & Ales is built around a simple idea: dogs deserve room to play, and their people deserve a place where spending time together feels easy.
What happens after that is the real story. People recognize the dogs first. Then they learn each other's names. A quick trip to the park becomes an afternoon at a picnic table, a standing Tuesday trivia team, or a familiar face waiting on the other side of the gate.
That is what we mean by a neighborhood gathering place: not a special-occasion destination, but a regular spot that becomes part of your week.
What guides us
Four things we want every visit to feel like.
02
Dogs
Dogs are the shared connection that brings people through the gate and gives everyone an easy reason to say hello.
03
Trust
Clear entry requirements, shared yard rules, and an attentive team help create a place where people can settle in and relax.
04
Comfort
You do not need an occasion or an agenda. Come for a quick visit, meet a friend, or stay awhile.
Relaxed because it is well looked after
Trust makes the easygoing part possible.
A welcoming dog park still needs clear expectations. Vaccination and age requirements, shared yard rules, and an attentive team help protect the kind of experience everyone comes here to enjoy.
Safety is not separate from the community. It is how we take care of one another, respect the dogs in the yard, and make it easier for people to relax.
Your first visit can be simple
Come see what it feels like.
Start with a $10 day pass per dog. No membership required. Bring your dog's records, check in at the bar, and we'll help with the rest.