Business & Tech

New Indoor Park has Gone to the Dogs

Bark Park officially opened in Minnetonka; it's the first indoor play park for dogs in the area.

Thursday was opening day for Minnetonka’s Bark Park: a canine-only, temperature-controlled, indoor play park. And just four hours after opening its doors, Bark Park’s motto—an indoor park where dogs can be dogs—had become a reality.

“Dogs are like many people’s kids,” co-owner Mindy Banko said. “We’re looking for this to be a community center for dogs and their people."

Two local dogs—prize-winning West Highland Terriers, Tartan and Kelty—and their person, Ginny Nelsen, were among those actively using Bark Park only hours after the doors opened.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

“I go to a lot of dog parks, which aren’t the greatest in the winter so this is wonderful to be inside, and they can run loose,” Nelsen said. “They look like they love it.”

Tartan and Kelty spent almost a half-hour running between the plastic red fire hydrant and the two plastic blue race car beds—which although most likely intended by their manufactures to be toddler beds—seemed to fit these Westies just fine.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Co-owners and first cousins, Banko and Kim Roach came up with the concept for this 3,000 square foot, dog-only indoor play park, during a family dinner, just seven months ago.

“All of a sudden I looked at my cousin, and she looked at me, and we went, ‘Okay, we can do this together,’” Banko recalled.  “Literally that night we went into fast and furious mode, and seven months later….”

Seven months later, English Bulldogs, Billy and Vegas, spent their morning scratching, sniffing and fetching, at Bark Park. 

Banko said that because of Bark Park's close proximity to Hopkins and St. Louis Park, it was a no-brainer to put the facility at its current Minnetonka location on Hedberg Drive. But she said that in order to open the park here, the city of Minnetonka required planning and permits to ensure the safety of dogs and their owners.

“Some cities don’t even make facilities be licensed, and there is a lot to that—the safety and hygiene, and health factors,” Banko said. “This is going to be a really healthy, safe environment.”

That means every dog who visits Bark Park is required to present vaccination forms. Also, no more than 25 dogs are allowed at the facility at a time and trained staff members will be present to ensure safety of everyone involved.

In April, Bark Park’s doggy daycare will open. According to Banko, it will be the only cage-less canine daycare facility in the area—something she said she couldn’t be more excited about. 

“You got to be passionate about dogs, and we are. We love dogs,” Banko said.  

For Tartan, Kelty and Ginny Nelson, the feeling seemed mutual.

“I’ve been waiting and waiting for it to open!” Nelson said.

*************************************** 

IF YOU GO:

▪                Bark Park

▪                2814 Hedberg Drive, Minnetonka, MN 55305

▪                www.visitthebarkpark.com

▪                Mon. – Fri., 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sat. – Sun., 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

▪                952-544-0206 

▪                All dogs must show proof of vaccinations, including neutered or spayed requirements.

▪                $7 per dog; discount rates are available with multiple dogs.

▪                A 30-day pass for $150 is available.

▪                Cage-less doggy daycare starting in April at a cost of $26 a day.

▪                Dogs must be more than three months old to enter.

▪                No children under 13 years of age allowed. 

 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here