Whenever you stop at a hotel, kids are sure to burst with excitement if it has a water park. And as it turns out, many dogs are the same way. A South Dakota dog resort recently expanded its facility to include the country’s first indoor dog water park. Dogs can run around in a splash pad space any time of the year.
This doggy play area had a slow start due to COVID, but now it’s booming with success! It’s the perfect day trip for any dog and their human, especially since alcohol is for sale at the tiki bar. So, maybe it’s time to spoil your dog by taking them on the trip they deserve.
Nation’s First Indoor Water Park for Dogs
At the start of 2020, the Smoken Dakota Kennels on South Minnesota expanded, adding “The Splash Bark”. They also expanded their dog daycare facility. The indoor water park has water spraying jets, wading areas, dog drying stations, and places for dogs to rest near their humans. And best of all, there’s a tiki bar for the humans that serves several beers and seltzers.
“We were looking for something to add on that’s new and original to the area,” said owner Teri Jo Olean. “We looked at other options but the splash park seemed to be more beneficial for more dogs.”
The business was a huge success for a few weeks, but then COVID hit. The decrease in customers after a million-dollar expansion was frightening. But they had faith that the business would soon thrive again. Now, a year later, the dog water park is an even bigger success.
The goal of the water park is to give dog parents a place to play with their furry friends, regardless of the weather outside. The demand for a place like that was even higher than they thought.
Time for a Doggy Pool Day!
With COVID cases decreasing, Smoken Dakota Kennels is thriving like never before. Their daycare program and training department are currently full. With so many people adopting new dogs amid the pandemic, these resources are needed more than ever. People have even traveled from different states to visit the water park with their dogs.
“We had a gal drive up from Missouri a couple of weeks ago and made a day trip out of it with her dog,” Olean said. “We had a gal come up from Nebraska recently and last week we had a family come up from Chicago.”
With this being the only indoor dog splash pad in the country, it makes sense that people would travel for it. This unique facility could benefit many furry friends, especially in the winter. Hopefully, parks like these will expand around the world soon. All dogs deserve to have a place to splash around and have fun.
H/T: keloland.com
Featured Image: Screenshot, Jodi Schwan YouTube
Toledo, United States.
