You’re out on a walk with your trusty pup and suddenly realize you don’t have any milk at home—and the grocery store is right there! But you can’t take your best-friend in with you, and you don’t want to leave them outside, exposed to the elements and nefarious dog thieves. 

Enter DogSpot, a high-tech dog house made for situations just like this. Users can download an app (for Android and Apple) and for $0.30/min keep their dog safe and comfortable in a locked, temperature-controlled doghouse. A webcam inside the, er, dog house lets you monitor your pet from the app. After each use, the chamber is sterilized. 

“I just kept trying to figure out all the ways in which I could incorporate my dog in my day to day runnings around the city,” says founder Chelsea Brownridge. “More times than not, when he wasn't allowed it just meant that I couldn't bring him.” 

Founded in 2015, the Brooklyn-based startup creates safe spaces for your canine companion to wait while you shop. This summer, the company partnered with Portland Pet Food Company and Zupan’s Market to bring the service here to Portland. DogSpot now has three Portland-area locations, at Zupan’s Market on W Burnside, SW Macadam, and in Lake Oswego, with more on the way.

“Portland is such a dog friendly city,” said Micah Bell of Zupan’s. “We just don’t like going places without our dogs, but there’s safety issues with bringing them in the grocery store. We’ve given our shoppers another option.”

“The main risk is that your dog could be stolen—there are around 2 million dogs stolen each year, and only about 10 percent are returned to their owner,” adds Katie McCarron of Portland Pet Food. “There’s also risks if it’s too hot or too cold outside, or if they don’t have access to water.” 

New users can get 90 minutes free with code ZUPANSPUP.