KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Soon you'll be able to kick back, relax and enjoy a beer with your dog!
A new indoor dog park called "The Bark" is coming to downtown Knoxville, set to open in Spring 2022. It will be located at 601 Lamar Street, near Remedy Coffee and Crafty Bastard Brewery. On Thursday, officials behind the park will also appear at the Knoxville Planning Commission meeting.
There, they will apply for a permit for their building to be used as an animal care facility for small animals.
The owners said they are excited to bring a unique concept to this part of town.
"Dog parks are really great for socializing," said owner of my Curious Canine Hanna Harris. "So, it's actually been something that I've been planning on in the works for the last couple of years."
Officials said the facility will be more than 18,000 square feet large and will include an indoor and outdoor dog park. It is meant to be a safe environment for canine socialization and they will also offer group do training sessions, fear-free grooming, cage-free doggy daycare and will also sell pet products.
And while pets spend time having fun at the park, their humans will be able to enjoy local craft brews from The Bark's beer garden.
Officials said that day passes are between $12 - $15 per dog, or people can pay $55 per month for a membership that includes free dog education seminars and access to members-only events, as well as discounts on other services. A full list of services and their prices is available online.
The Bark will include three different play spaces for dogs of different sizes. The Camp area will be for dogs up to 35 pounds, while a larger area called The Sugarlands will be for dogs of all sizes. A separate outdoor place space will be even larger and include a foam machine and sprinkler in the summer.
Before entering the play areas though, dogs need to pass a behavior check and owners will also need to fill out a questionnaire about their dogs' play styles. It can be filled out ahead of time. The behavior check starts with staff watching as a dog greets another dog through a fence, monitoring for signs of fear or aggression.
Staff may ask owners to take their dogs on a leashed break outside the play space if their behavior becomes too inappropriate, according to The Bark's website.
Dogs will also be required to be vaccinated for rabies, bordetella, DHLPP and canine flu. They must also be on canine flea prevention and dogs older than 6 months must be spayed or neutered.
A form can also be filled out online for anyone interested in participating in The Bark's doggy daycare.
The Bark was originally set to open in summer 2021 in Bearden, but officials said the date was pushed back and the location was changed.
