Dahlonega is one of those towns. You can tell by the number of dogs, well attended by their masters, but obviously happy to be here. They get to sit with their owner at restaurant outdoor decks like the Bourbon Street Grille, the Picnic Cafe & Dessertery, or Shenanigans Irish Pub. They are welcome at lodging establishments like the Hiker Hostel, Forrest Hills Mountain Resort, Bend of the River Cabins, Georgia Mountain Hideaways and the Dahlonega Spa Resort.

It’s especially telling when local banks offer dog treats in their drive-throughs, and when wine tasting rooms -- like Dahlonega’s Naturally Georgia -- welcome dogs and have dog biscuits at the ever-ready, and when retail shops – like Outlaw Jerky and Trail Grub – actually specialize in dog treats.

Fully one-fourth of the Outlaw Jerky store is filled with wholesome pet treats all made in USA and the store offers a group buying program for high quality pet food, allowing pets to get healthy nutritious food, saving money for customers when buying as part of a group.

Outlaw Jerky and Trail Grub even manages an ongoing fundraising effort to help three animal welfare non-profits (PAWS Dahlonega, TLC Humane Society, and Feral Cat Program of GA) -- for every bag of dog or cat food purchased, money is donated to PAWS, TLCHS, and Feral Cat Program GA.

It’s all part of the overall feel good of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County – a destination for fun, food, felines and pooches.

We love our dogs of Dahlonega! Share your Dahlonega pup photos with us on Twitter and Instagram at @VisitDahlonega and on Facebook! Be sure to use the hashtag #DogsofDahlonega.