A pantry for pooches

Nebraska box offers treats, happiness to dogs on walks

LINCOLN, Neb. — Who wouldn’t love free treats for their dog? With the help of two dog lovers, such a thing is available for pampered pets in one Lincoln neighborhood.

Earlier this month, Joe Knopp and his wife, Deb Bauer-Knopp, built what they call a dog box, which provides treats, water and more for dogs out on walks. The box sits in their front yard near 70th and A streets, allowing people to use it at any time of day.

The dog box, equipped with solar lights and dog-shaped knobs, offers a variety of dog-walking necessities, Knopp said. Inside are multiple kinds of dog treats, water, pet wipes, hand sanitizer and pet waste bags. Everything is free, and if any donations are left, Knopp plans to give them to a local shelter, he said.

“The biggest thing here is happiness,” Knopp told the Lincoln Journal Star. “The purpose of the dog box isn’t money. It’s here to bring joy and put smiles on people’s faces.”

Knowing that dog owners around the neighborhood have enjoyed the dog box so far is “extremely heartwarming,” Knopp said.

The couple, who own three golden retrievers, first got the idea not long after they lost one of their own dogs, Bauer-Knopp said. They wanted to find a way to remember her life while making the neighborhood smile.

That’s when Knopp had the idea to create something similar to the free lending libraries that are all over town, he said.

“I just thought there should be something for dogs, too,” Knopp said.

Response to the dog box has been overwhelmingly positive, the couple said.

People have been stopping at all hours, some even walking more than a mile to visit the dog box, Knopp said.

“It just gives my husband and I such joy,” Bauer-Knopp said.

(AP/Lincoln Journal Star/Eakin Howard) Joe Knopp poses for a portrait with his 10-week-old golden retriever Gabby on Sunday on Everett Street in Lincoln, Neb.

This is the front of the Dog Box built and maintained by Joe Knopp and Deb Bauer-Knopp in Lincoln. The box contains assorted dog treats, as well as water and wipes.

Gabby (front) and Dilly (back), a 7-year-old golden retriever, hang out around the dog treat station on Sept. 19 on Everett Street in Lincoln.