Dogs ‘need more comfortable kennels’
Is it time your dog had a warmer place to sleep at night?
Marlborough sheep and beef farmer Rosie Dowling is raising funds to produce a new insulated dog kennel, which she says will give working dogs a longer and better life.
‘‘All our dogs sleep outside in standard wooden kennels and when it’s been a cold night they are a bit stiff and slow to get going. This new kennel is like a big chilly bin lined with foam so it captures and retains the dog’s body heat.’’
The idea for an insulated dog kennel originally came from Dowling’s grandfather, Tony Todhunter, who was a sheep farmer in Canterbury. ‘‘He knew that a warm, well-rested dog would eat less, could work for longer and heal more quickly from injuries and ailments.’’
After he died, his initial prototype was further progressed by Dowling. After teaming up with Tauranga-based product development company Locus Research, a commercial design was developed, branded Kelvin – the Thermokennel.
Kelvin refers to the primary unit of temperature measurement.
Until now, the Thermokennel has been self-funded, but with manufacturing partners lined up, the company is looking for funding to get into production.
It has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for the tooling and materials to start production of the first Thermokennels. ‘‘We do not expect to recover all of our development costs from this Kickstarter campaign, but from future sales,’’ said Dowling.
North Canterbury veterinarian Kate Anderson welcomed the idea.
She said farmers had ‘‘upgraded the tractor and the house, but the dogs get the same wooden box to sleep in.
‘‘I heartily applaud a move towards more comfortable dog kennels.
‘‘Dogs do a lot of work.’’