The Store

How It All Started

Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga was conceived during an explosive epiphany while Elayne Angel labored feverishly on the Crossrobics Exercise Trainer during her usual morning visit to the gym. She was huffing, puffing and daydreaming. She contemplated the fate of a small retail space in the building housing her original New Orleans enterprise: Rings of Desire, New Orleans' first and only exclusive body piercing studio.

She was ruminating on how difficult it was for her and her pal Justine Roig to find clothing, sweaters, festive holiday gear and the like for their treasured pet Chihuahuas. Dinky dog brothers Angelo and Tweaky like many small dogs get chilled very easily in even slightly cool weather. And they look so glamorous in garb.

All of a sudden, like a light bulb going off above her head, Elayne had the wild and crazy thought of a specialty shop for dinky dogs! Chi-wa-wa Ya-ya? No. Chi-wa-wa Ha-ha? Uh, nope. Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga? YES! That was it; the idea was born and tumbled into being with a life of its own.

Justine took a small bit of convincing to leave her position handing out pigs-in-a-blanket and crackers with cheese spread at the local supermarket for a life as a canine clothier. Initially she was dubious, but once the vision was clear to her she dived right in and hasn’t come up for a breath yet!

In addition to a tremendous selection of festive commercial gear, both Angel and Roig design original clothing and accessories for our precious pet patrons. An astonishing array of items is available to adorn your adored animals.

Like it says on the door mat at the shop:

“Pets are welcome in the store, but children must be kept on a leash”
(Sense of humor!!)

Your pet will NEVER take the car without permission, be caught playing with matches or smoking, or need an expensive college education. They love you unconditionally, and therefore surely deserve a great new outfit now and then!

We are all about CUSTOMER SERVICE! We want to make you ecstatic, and we want you to feel excited about enjoying your pet to the fullest extent of the law. We want you to dress your dear, darling, doggie in a delightful outfit and squeal; jumping up and down, clapping your hands, screaming in an uncontrolled falsetto, “That is SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!”

That’s what makes us happy!

Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga is located directly across from the French Market in New
Orleans' historic French Quarter district. The French Market is a much
visited tourist attraction being America’s oldest continuously operated public market since 1791.

Shop Hours:

Noon to 6 p.m.
We are open 7 days a week Noon - 6PM CST.

The “Small Store for Dinky Dogs” occupies only about 300 square feet of space. However, Justine has managed to artfully fit in an incredible selection of interesting items to tantalize your pup’s taste for treats or your hankerin’ for a cowboy hat, leather biker jacket or flannel pajamas for your little darling. Your pet is welcome to try on sweaters, collars and clothing, etc. in the store.

We are very happy to work with you on custom orders to create the perfect ensemble for your esteemed animal kin. It's easy to figure out what size you need. Just use our handy charts!

The atmosphere is festive and fun (we’re in New Orleans after all!) and animals are welcome, if their owner’s are well behaved. We always carry gear for special holidays and events: Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick's Day, the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and so on.

We have also got a sizable (if compact) variety of dog collectibles including key chains, rubber stamps, figurines, signs, stickers, note pads and so on for different breeds.

While the main focus is on dogs, we do carry items for cats, ferrets, rabbits and other small pets.