Dog parking bays keep pets comfortable while consumers shop

The IKEA Köln-Am Butzweilerhof branch has introduced dog parking bays at the outlet, which enable dogs to be safely left outside while their owners shop.

Animal lovers have already benefitted from pet-friendly businesses – such as the Hotel Monaco in Oregon, for example – which mean their four-legged friends do not have to be left at home. Now the IKEA Köln-Am Butzweilerhof has introduced dog parking bays at the outlet, which enable dogs to be safely left outside while their owners shop. Situated in the Cologne region of Germany, the branch of the Sweden-based furniture brand has built special bays where owners can tie up their dogs. The spaces include platforms covered in Astroturf and a water bowl for the canines. Since the store has a no-pets policy – excepting guide dogs for the blind – the idea saves dog owners from worrying about leaving their pet indoors. What’s more, the dogs can remain comfortable for the duration of their owners’ shop and the bays provide an alternative to keeping them in hot cars — a known risk. Benefitting both owners and their pets, the parking bays are a simple idea that is convenient for shoppers and has the potential to save animals’ lives. An idea worth replicating in your part of the world?