Savannah just got a little more dog friendly with the opening of Woof Gang Bakery right in the heart of the Historic District.

This boutique and bakery in City Market has a wide range of products for pups, including leashes, toys, beds and bowls, but they specialize in tasty treats and sell a variety of baked goods, decorated snacks, chews and bones for dogs.

“Our treats are made of a peanut butter base, and normally with a rye flour, so you could eat them,” said CEO Paul Allen. “We actually have a carob-chip cookie, which is just like a chocolate chip cookie, but using carob instead of chocolate, because carob is safe for dogs.”

The shop, which opened in March, is right next to Ellis Square, at 202 W. Saint Julian St. and just one of more than 50 Woof Gang stores that span eight states – from Nevada to New Jersey, headquartered in central Florida.

The chain of stores started with Woof Gang Bakery serving gourmet dog treats in 2007, but has grown into a collection of several different types of shops that cater to almost every part of a dog – nose to tail.

“In 2009 we introduced grooming to our service, then Woof Gang self-service grooming, then doggy day care and more recently we opened Woof Gang as an animal clinic, which we’re calling Woof Gang Wellness Centers,” said Allen.

And soon Savannah will have its own Woof Gang Grooming and Wellness Center, in the Fresh Market Plaza/Abercorn Walk area in Midtown, past Savannah’s famous Forsyth Park. But that’s not the only new Woof Gang store that’s arriving in the upcoming months.

Construction is under way to open a retail location at 236 Drayton St. in May and there are plans to open another location on East Broughton Street – all of which will be owned and run by Allen and his wife.

“My wife, Cara, and I own all the stores coming to the Savannah market and we’re going to make them corporate stores and really try to, not only bring the best of pet care to Savannah, but also help the rescue groups in the town,” said Allen.

After coming for a vacation and returning to their home in central Florida, they decided that Savannah was not only somewhere that Woof Gang could thrive, but also somewhere they wanted to live. So the decision was made to open the stores themselves, and so far, they’ve done pretty well.

“The store that we opened at City Market is averaging about 240 customers a day since we opened. It’s huge – the response we’ve had coming into Savannah,” said Allen.

For more information about the City Market store, call (912) 495-5806 or visit their website, woofgangbakery.com.