Bark Social suddenly closes all its dog bars

• The chainlet — which offered food, drinks and events — was a popular spot for Washingtonians to take their pups for play dates and day care, and fur parents immediately took to social media to mourn the closure.

State of play: All of Bark Social's locations closed on Thursday and the business will enter bankruptcy, per its announcement.

What they're saying: "We know this is abrupt, but as a small start-up, Bark Social relies on investors to fuel its growth," the announcement says. "The company was in the middle of a growth round when financing that was expected fell through."

• A banner on the group's website says it is "closed until further notice."

💭 Mimi's thought bubble: This news is paw-sitively awful for my fam, as we started bringing my first-born son, a French bulldog named Ziggy, to the Alexandria Bark Social for daycare when he was just a lil' pup.

• Luckily, we still have two dog bars in the area: Dog Daze Social Club in Logan Circle and Snouts & Stouts in Arlington (an indoor option).