The World's Tallest Dog

March 28, 2009
11:00 am    to    5:00 pm

GIBSON will be in Texas at The World’s Largest Pet Facility under roof. The event is called “UNLEASHED”. Here’s how they describe their indoor dog parks (they do a better job than I can!).

Unleashed Indoor Dog ParksT, the nation’s first and only indoor, off-leash play park for dogs and their owners, announces the March grand opening of its flagship facility in Dallas, offering dog owners an entirely new way to play with their pets. Unleashed IDP was created to give dog owners a place to hang out with their dogs in a comfortable off-leash environment that’s available year-round.

Located on 6.5 acres just four minutes from downtown Dallas, this 50,000 square foot, one-of-a-kind facility offers 25,000 square feet of indoor parks, 2.5 acres of exterior parks with water features, a full dog supply store, café, grooming salon, dog daycare and lounge areas.

Unleashed IDP is a dedicated, full-time play space where dogs and their owners come to play off-leash seven days a week from early morning to late evening.
The concept was born when co-founders Cody & Kelly Acree witnessed first hand the demand for dog-related services while using a local municipal off-leash park. On good-weather days, hundreds of dogs plus their owners were coming and going each hour to play off leash in the park. Yet rainy days and extreme temperatures made the park virtually unusable for much of the year.

The Acrees then developed a concept facility that built upon the off-leash play park and added all the things municipal parks are missing – a clean, fresh-smelling environment, seating, restrooms, refreshments and ample drinking water for the dogs – and brought it into a climate controlled environment that’s available no matter the weather. The addition of a full dog supply center, café, grooming and dog daycare, and lounge areas where owners can hang out with their dogs help create a full-service facility where both owners’ and dogs’ needs are met.
“Unleashed is defining the next evolution in the pet services industry,”
said Cody Acree, co-founder. “The first facility of its kind anywhere, Unleashed sets the bar for dog-owner play spaces around the country.”

The Unleashed concept exemplifies the humanization of pets trend.
Approximately 63% of U.S. households own pets, up from 56% in 1988, with 40% owning dogs, or more than 65 million households with 75 million dogs. 44% of pet owning households own at least two pets. Not only are dogs the most commonly owned pet in the U.S., but dog owners tend to be highly committed as evidenced by an average pet ownership period of 19 years. Not only is dog ownership steadily growing, but owners are increasingly willing to spend on their pets much as they would children.
The parental relationship was exemplified by an American Demographics magazine survey, which found that 83% of pet owners refer to themselves as “Mom” or “Dad.” According to the Pet Products Manufacturers Association, three-quarters of dog owners consider their pet as a child or equal family member. With pet owners’ desire to enrich the lives of their pets they are allocating a larger portion of monthly budgets to premium food, services, toys, and nutritional supplements.

“Unleashed is as much about the owners as it is about the dogs,” says co-founder Kelly Acree. “Sure, its great exercise and socialization for the dogs, but its also a comfortable, fun place for the owners to hang out and mingle with like-minded people, and maybe meet someone new.”

Unleashed has found support from animal advocacy organizations, such as the SPCA. “We’re very excited to see this concept come to life,” said Gina Parker, Vice President, Community and Corporate Affairs. “Unleashed is providing dog owners a place to bond with their pets and is reinforcing responsible pet ownership. What an amazing thing to have the first Unleashed facility here in Dallas.”

For more information, visit unleasheddogparks.com.