Advertised as "smart dog houses outside of storefronts that provide a safe and comfortable place for your dog to stay while you're inside," the company is appealing to store owners by suggesting that having one in front of a store will "grow walk-in traffic, increase revenue, reduce liability, and earn customer loyalty."
One just popped up next to Brothers Bagels at the corner of Court Street and Douglass Street here in Carroll Gardens
Dog owners can upload an app to access Dog Parkers across Brooklyn. Apparently precision engineered, the dog houses are thermo-controlled, remotely monitored, so that you can keep tabs on your pet via an interior webcam, and are auto sanitized by using UV lights to sanitize the interior.
So, what do you think?
***Thanks to reader Deborah for letting us know about these new sidewalk installation.
One just popped up next to Brothers Bagels at the corner of Court Street and Douglass Street here in Carroll Gardens
Dog owners can upload an app to access Dog Parkers across Brooklyn. Apparently precision engineered, the dog houses are thermo-controlled, remotely monitored, so that you can keep tabs on your pet via an interior webcam, and are auto sanitized by using UV lights to sanitize the interior.
So, what do you think?
***Thanks to reader Deborah for letting us know about these new sidewalk installation.
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33 comments:
As a long-time dog owner, I'd like to suggest running your errands after you walk your dog. Problem solved.
Would work well for small children, too.
I love it. For over 2 years, my dog had such bad separation anxiety, he could not be left alone AT ALL. In order to do anything social, my husband and I had to hire a babysitter. For a dog! He would destroy things and hurt himself. It became impossible to pop into the pharmacy or grocery shop. Having one of these would have been a lifesaver. people treated me as if I was abusive if I tied him up for 2 minutes. Plus you never know about other dogs, theft, etc.
Hi folks!
This is Victoria. I work for Dog Parker and live over on Luquer Street! Let me know if I can help answer any questions for you here or over email at bark@dogparker.com :-)
Victoria, do you need a special permit to erect these dog houses on public sidewalks? If they fall under "coin operated rides" it would appear that they need to be removed between the hours of 11 pm to 7 am. Or would they be viewed as "street obstruction?"
From the NYC website:
"It is illegal for anyone to place or leave any box, barrel, bale of merchandise, or other moveable property (for example, ATMs, ice machines, etc.)— regardless of ownership—upon any public street or any public place. "
How about you walk your dog, then bring Fido home and go shopping in one of your designer grocery stored. Ee have enough carriages with nannies, stsy at home dads woth crying babies, dog walkers walking 6 dogs.at once and Citi Bikes to deal with. Now we have to deal with doggie houses. This is,Brooklyn NY
Not Mayberry.
Did I bump my head? This is Brooklyn NY thought I was reading a story in Mayberry. We have enough going on in the streets doghouses belong in yards. not sidewalks. Doghouses & Citibikes. OMG whats next babysitters in bars?
babysitters in bars! that's a great idea. i think building on bond has a version of that already in play.
I like this idea. It seems a little weird at first, but most new things do. I love taking my dog out to run errands, and there are a few places we can pop into together which is great, and because I'll never tie her up outside (I don't trust people to behave themselves around dogs) often planning my days can get complicated when she needs to be out for a walk and interaction, but I need to deal with life - using one of these If I wanted to run in to a grocery store on our walks would be amazing!
Obviously it's not blocking any space on the sidewalk that people are going to miss, so I think all the naysayers are just being a bit lame.
Sorry Victoria these are 100 percent a totally bad idea locking a small dog inside a box while the dog is out on a walk?!? This is more stressful and totally a horrible bad lazy idea and should be banned. In summer plan on dead dogs. Forgetful owners. It's bad enough people can't tie their dogs up properly outside of Union market to such a point the leash slips off. The person who needs a sitter for their dog will have an even more neurotic animal if you slam him inside this totally BAD IDEA. How and why would anyone use this? Carry your dog. Walk dog then errands. Please. I beg of every small dog owner: DO NOT TRY THIS. Ever. If the way the recycling bins are treated in this area this is another target. Do not use. Ever.
Shame shame shame. Do not use these. Do not.
this is a 100 percent bad idea. shame on you.
Citi bikes r the worst, with stay at home dads coming @ a very close 2nd......I'm for anything to help comfort pets!
Shakes head, rolls eyes.
These are some of the dumbest comments I have ever read on this site. The grammar and spelling makes me think its just one person flooding the comment section. That or PMFA readers have really Trumpified themselves.
Man, some of these comments are brutal.
Can't have a nanny, can't have a stroller, can't have your baby cry in public (the nerve of those rude little babies!), and now dads can't stay home with their kids?! I can't imagine any scale on which stay at home dads could weigh in as the worst.
As for the dog houses, I'm not a dog owner so I don't have much of an opinion. I hope for the sake of the users that they are safe.
Guarantee my kids will try to get in one of them, which probably makes me a terrible mom with terrible children.
What's with all the hate for stay-at-home-dads in this comment thread?
I think this is a bad idea. I think most of these comments are worse.
Victoria, what happens if someone decides to unplug the doghouse while your dog is inside? I can imagine kids/teens or others fooling around doing so.
In which case its no longer temperature controlled etc.
Walk your dog, take your dog home - go and do your chores. Leaving your dog in an unfamiliar "dog house" while you shop at Union Market is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Stop indulging in these silly things.
Yes. I would Ike to see how your dog reacts to being shoved in a box on a street. You should walk the dog then do errands
Hey Anon! Thanks for the question :-)
We take dog safety very seriously (the founders are dog owners themselves) and have spent a considerable amount of time engineering the system to be robust and reliable in various scenarios.
In the event of a power failure or blackout, the houses have 8 hours of backup power. Each house is internet-connected and monitored 24/7 so we can ensure that temperature, humidity, power, etc. are at safe and comfortable levels for pups :-) We do also secure the power sources to prevent vandalism.
Similarly, if someone loses a membership card, their card isn’t working, the member has a dead phone and can’t use the app, etc. while their pup is using a Dog Parker, the dog owner or store owner can call us on our 24/7 customer service line at 800-617-4097 and we can either remotely unlock the Dog Parker or send a staff member to assist the owner immediately.
Hope this helps answer your question!
Thanks Anon! If you'd like a free trial to see if it's a good fit for you and your dog, just email us at bark@dogparker.com.
I saw these demoed at NYCTech and thought they answered all the safety questions very well at their talk. My dog was a little aggressive with other dogs and I always wanted to go for a jog with her and stop to use the facilities at a gas station where I lived but couldn't do it because I felt worried to leave her outside. I might have liked to try one of these. It's not really different than leaving the dog in the car while you run into a store and seems safer.
Oh sure, it's like a time out box..really???? Can't people walk their dog,bring the babe home and then do the errands???? I have a dog, I leave her home when it's time to run errands. I would never subject my dog to be put in a box so I can run in and buy a bagel...C'mon.....keep your beloved dogs home where it's safe.
As someone who lives beside a grocery store and also loves dogs, I welcome these. I hate seeing poor dogs tied up and shivering from November until April, or having them nip at my heels as I try to walk by the store.
Put these on every corner and a Citibike every other. (or third) Soon enough we will have clean air and happy dogs abounding!
Sorry. You're an obvious non animal owner.
I hate whet you described also. It these are horrible. Bad. Idea. Buyer beware. I'm calling the aspca.
Every corner ? What a joke . Target for graffiti bombing , vandalism ,
just a plain, indulgent EYESORE.
Please
Dude you lost me with Stay at Home dads
People who "need" these do not need and should NOT HAVE DOGS! They should probably NOT HAVE CHILDREN EITHER! Dog neuroticism is often CAUSED and/or EXACERBATED by idiots without enough real compassion for animals (or other people). Too much disposable income at play here too. If I saw an animal in one of these, esp. in hot or cold weather, I would call the SPCA. I hope the company goes bankrupt soon and we don't see these horrible things anymore.
I would call the SPCA if I saw animal in one of these. Just like I call cops or SPCA about abandoned dogs when I see them tied outside a business. There was a story several years ago about a Scandinavian tourist woman who left her baby, in the buggy, outside while she was at brunch. People were outraged, several called 911. She just didn't get why everybody was so mad at her, she was in trouble with the law, and why was it anybody's business but hers. For one thing, this is NYC and really bad things can happen to the vulnerable. But I really doubt that whatever her hometown was that it was really safe enough to do what she did. Why would you leave your dog, who we would think you love, helplessly tied up while you go gratify yourself? it would be even worse in one of these boxes, with mean jerks messing with box, high heat and extreme cold even more of an issue. This is a vile idea and only those who do not consider what they are actually doing would go along with it.
It sounds like a lot of people commenting here have never used this box. For people who do not have the luxury of walking a dog all the way home and then walking all the way back to the store (or for dogs that cannot do that much walking, or dogs with terrible separation anxiety, or dogs that ACTUALLY LIKE THESE DOG PARKERS AND CRATES), or any of the myriad of other scenarios in which this is a useful, if only TEMPORARY solution while you pop in quickly, I think it's a great option to have. Just because you don't use it doesn't mean someone else won't. Shame on anyone who would accuse someone of dog abuse for using this as well! Is it abuse to crate your dog then? I think it is far more dangerous to leave a dog tied up outside, especially considering the high rate of dog theft. Can you imagine? Clearly, based on these comments, some people cannot. I guess that means more use for us!
I have been thinking about the Dog Parker concept. I am a startup founder myself in the sharing industry (Uber, Airbnb, and Dog Parker) I think the best ideas are often polarizing and deal with what I call neglected problems.
I believe Dog Parker fits this criteria. People either hate or love it. It is not addressing a dramatic problem like finding the cure for cancer. It is addressing what many dog owners find to be an inconvenience living in the city but have learned to accept as it has always been this way - like hailing a taxi or finding an inexpensive temporary place to stay. Mark Andreessen (an early investor) says that Airbnb is the worse idea that ever succeeded - an idea that many people thought was contrarian to common sense. Uber the same way.
So I think Dog Parker has a good idea. The challenge is the execution. I hope that Dog Parker does not try to do too much before more wide spread adoption of its product.
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