The Bark, a private indoor (and outdoor) dog park and day care will open soon at 601 Lamar Street. It’ll be behind Knox High, beside Gypsy Circus Barrelhouse, and a block or so from several breweries.
According to Inside of Knoxville, behind the new business is owner Hanna Harris. Originally from Dandridge, she came first to Knoxville to attend UT. After marriage, she and her then-husband moved to North Carolina due to his military obligation. While there, she got a job as a dog trainer and loved the work. She said they worked with service dogs and trained and placed dogs. When their time there was over she wanted to move back to Knoxville because of her fond memories of living here.
Once back, Harris started her own business as a dog trainer and believes she was one of the first positive-reinforcement dog trainers in Knoxville. “I always had an entrepreneurial mindset, even from a young age.” Her stepfather is an entrepreneur and she points to her best friend’s dad who she said was a real influence and mentor.
One difference in this and a public park is that each dog is given a behavioral screen before they are allowed to use the facility and records are kept on any behavioral concerns regarding specific dogs. A pet profile is kept, including vaccination records for the dogs. “Having a dog trainer mindset coming in, thinking about behavior, is really important.” There are also “bark rangers” managing the space.
The facility will have day care during the workday, Monday through Friday. The dog park will be open Monday through Friday at night. Saturday and Sunday are all-day dog park. They will likely have food trucks on the weekend, along with special events. A “Furst Friday” event will include dog crafts and other activities. Beer, cider, seltzer, and non-alcoholic beverages will be sold by the can for the humans. Seating is provided at benches around the play areas.
The property includes 6,000 square feet of outdoor space that will get turf and a privacy fence, as well as 10,000 square feet of interior play space. To keep smells at a minimum, she has an oxidizer that will be in use twice a day in each area. French Broad Ironworks is building “tree” out from the support poles.
Dog owners may go to the website to begin completion of their dog’s profile, to schedule behavior pre-checks, to make reservations for a particular day, and to choose a membership plan if you like. The number of dogs at any particular time will be limited in order to give the dogs plenty of space and to prevent them being overwhelmed. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Youtube.
Photo| iStock
