With much of the USA already sweating through the dog days of summer, a new company is offering four-legged friends a much-needed place to cool down.
Air-conditioned houses for dogs are popping up outside of restaurants and stores across the country thanks to a company called DogSpot.
“It’s just so hot,” said DogSpot founder Chelsea Brownridge. “That’s a reason we’ve been expanding in places like California, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.”
DogSpot offers fully air-conditioned and ventilated mini-houses where dogs can stay while their owners eat a meal inside a restaurant or run a quick errand.
The service for dogs operates similarly to the way Uber works for humans. Dog owners use an app to reserve a nearby house for their furry friend up to 15 minutes in advance.
The owner can unlock the house via the app, and then also monitor their dog on the app through a webcam.
The fee is 30 cents per minute or a $19.99 monthly membership.
“The average stay is around 15 minutes,” said Brownridge. “Which is exactly what we designed it for, to be able to live an active life with your dog but allow the dog to be comfortable too.”
Brownridge created DogSpot after her experience living with her rescue dog, Winston, in Brooklyn.
“He has a ton of energy so to get him out of the house on as many walks as possible was really important,” she said. “I started to realize how many times he couldn’t come with me outside because I’d just be going to a store or restaurant for a few minutes.”
She added, “There are all these things you do every day in a walkable city like New York where dogs aren’t allowed to go inside.”
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