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Kelowna  

Kelowna resident hoping to create Okanagan's first indoor dog park

Creating indoor dog park

Madison Erhardt

Jason Stratford is hoping to create the Okanagan's first indoor dog park.

Stratford says he came up with idea during the height of COVID-19.

The Kelowna resident was working in aviation when he broke his collarbone and was forced to stay home with his dogs keeping him company.

"I was like, man, I would really like to hang out with my dogs all day."

Stratford and his wife have three dogs.

The couple came up with the idea of opening up a dog park to avoid walking their dogs outside in extreme heat and cold.

Stratford has partnered with Define Group, based out of White Rock. The company is a small group of investors looking to partner with people who have creative business ideas.

Define Group has worked with over 100 restaurants across the country, including OEB.

Stratford says he is currently in talks with a broker hoping to secure the old Nesters location on Gordon Drive.

"It came up available on the market and I asked our broker to get in touch with their broker and we are putting together an offer to hopefully take over the space for sometime this year."

Stratford says he has had trouble finding a location for his planned business.

"Trying to find lease space that is large enough for us to host something... we are looking for a minimum of 15,000 square-feet downtown."

Off-Leash Kelowna will run on a membership basis and clients will pay a fee per year or month that will give them access to the facility.

Members would also be offered free dog training by a professional if an owner is struggling with a reactive dog.

Stratford believes indoor dog parks are lacking all over Canada.

"I think it is quite interesting that Canada seems to be behind everybody else. I know the United States has tons of them and they are popping up everywhere You'd think out of everywhere... you know Canada being as cold as it was and with our weather... forest fires and the heat waves and the freezing rain that we would have a lot more of a demand for it."

Stratford is hoping to have the park up and running by this July.

Those interested in partnering with Stratford can email [email protected].



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