By DPA
Vienna : A scorching hot summer day in Vienna’s city centre. While the area’s two-legged inhabitants can at least find some recourse in shady beer gardens and ice cream parlours, there is little hope of refreshment for Vienna’s dogs … until now.
At Iori, a tiny ice cream parlour around the corner from St Stephens’ cathedral, dog owners can get their furry darlings a vanilla-flavoured Dogissimo ice cream to slobber.
Since the beginning of July, Iori has been offering specially concocted ice cream for dogs in three flavours: vanilla, vanilla-rice and soy, all adapted especially for dogs’ needs, explains Iori owner Anton Mramor-Leonardini.
“It does not contain any sugar or cream, that’s really bad for dogs,” he says. The dog ice cream is made with water and other ingredients, geared at tickling canine taste buds.
He said his wife Simona Leonardini created the doggy dessert.
“We have three dogs ourselves. And we watched customers buying one cone for themselves and another for their dog. But ice cream for human consumption is not healthy for dogs. So my wife started experimenting.”
After several months of experimentation and consultations with vets, the ice cream makers gained approval for their icy snack from Austria’s food safety office. “It can be used as an additive to normal dog food,” Mramor-Leonardini said. “The regulations for producing it are stricter than producing ice cream for humans.”
Opinions differ on whether Iori’s latest ice cream creation is cool or decadent and if it’s really geared towards relief for hot dogs or is just a marketing gag.
“Absolutely decadent,” and “it is a shame that vets cooperate in such nonsense” were some initial comments after the first Dogissimo was presented. Other Viennese were more generous: “I know many ice-cream-mad dogs, so why not.”
Vienna vet Michael Antolini, in charge of the city’s police dogs, initially regarded Dogissimo as a marketing gag, merely good as the icy equivalent of a dog biscuit. There are however some positive aspects, he said, but warned that not all dogs can stomach ice cream.
“It really depends on the dog. But just for cooling down, it could be a good idea. Dogs don’t have any sweat glands, so most of their heat exchange works via their tongues,” he said.
Dogissimo proved an instant success, not only in the parlour, but also with pet shops and vets.
“We can’t keep up with production,” Mramor-Leonardini said. “By the end of August we want to be present in shops across Austria.”
Buoyed by the initial success, the couple is also considering plans to market dog ice cream in other European countries.
At the parlour, large posters in pink and baby blue – reminiscent of Italian ice cream ads of the 1950s with a happy golden retriever in the centre – advertise the “gelato per cani” made from an original Italian recipe, drawing more than curious glances from many passers-by.
Each day 16 to 20 portions are sold, with vanilla being the most popular – at least with the humans handing over the cash. For the dog owners, their pet’s pleasure does not come cheap. A small pot costs 4.80 euros (over $6) and a large 6.90 ($9.50), a sum gladly paid by many to keep their furry friends cool and contented.
While test dog Iogi at a first presentation snacked four “woof cups” in one go, two-legged testers are less enamoured of the product, which incidentally can be safely consumed by people.
“It tastes like steel that a dog peed on,” Austrian society journalist Karl Hohenlohe described the experience.