A Kelowna resident is planning to open the first indoor dog park in the Okanagan Valley.
While Jason Stratford was taking time off work to recover from a surgery for a broken collarbone, his wife made a comment about how she wished there was an indoor dog park to take their three dogs to.
Photo Credit: Canva
“It was at the height of the pandemic when they were closing all of the physiotherapy, so my return to work was delayed,” he explains.
“By the time anyone hangs out with their dogs for four months, you just don’t want to go back to work, so once she mentioned the park, I just took it and ran with it.”
Originally, Stratford was planning for the park to be between 1,000 and 3,000 sq. ft, but now he’s hoping to secure a 15,000 sq. ft space to create a “Disney World for dogs.”
It’s possible that the dog park, named Off-Leash Kelowna, will open at the old Nesters Market location on Gordon Drive, but no lease has been signed yet.
“Obviously, we’ll have to do some construction and maintenance to transform the facility to what we want to see, so it may take a little bit of time,” he explains.
Photo Credit: Off-Leash Kelowna Facebook page
Stratford plans to have handlers and trainers accessible to everyone at the indoor dog park, ensuring new owners and those needing guidance have support.
“We want to provide education, training and social experience to anybody and everybody,” he says. “If you’re visiting our location and you have a question, you’re welcome to ask and someone will be able to assist you.”
To access the park, dog owners will supply their pet’s vaccination records, health checks and other pertinent information for a low fee, as well as pay for a drop-in fee or a monthly or annual membership.
“You’re going to bring in multiple dogs and multiple people, and everyone’s got a personality, so you have to have a certain code of conduct with your owners, handlers and the canines as a liability,” Stratford explains.
On Feb. 16, Stratford will be attending the Downtown Neighbourhood Forum, hosted by Reframe Concepts at the BNA Tasting Room.
The event is open to residents and business people wanting to discuss a multi-purpose development opportunity in downtown Kelowna.
“We’re definitely going to make our case, and I think the indoor dog park is something unique that could benefit the area and tourism,” Stratford says.
“If anyone knows anybody with a 15,000 square foot space, send us a message.”
