Barking up the right tree?
Local man raising funds for “dog-friendly, co-working space” in Lennoxville
Local Roy Patterson wants every dog to have its day and is looking for help to make it happen. His idea is to purchase a property on the outskirts of Lennoxville near the 410 highway and make it into a “dog-friendly, coworking space.” He has already raised $9,000 in the past two weeks towards his $100,000-in-90-days goal.
“I see three dog spaces,” Patterson said, describing his plan as he toured this reporter around the potential location April 2. The first “space” is a large concrete slab at the front of the building. “The inside is all an open dog area and co-working space,” he continued. A little hill behind the building up into the woods leads to a flat third space in the back.
Dogs will stay close to their owners, whether inside or outside, he explained. He sees the building as a good spot for dog-owners with jobs such as graphic designers, architects, or freelancers. Students might like it, too.
The first step will be to pay $5,000 for a contract, which he insisted is fully refundable in case the deal falls through or they end up choosing a different location. The property is worth $200,000, so the money raised will go towards half its cost, with the property’s current owners temporarily covering the other half to get things up and running. “They’re being the bank for a couple years,” Patterson said.
The inside of the building is currently office and warehouse space. It is enough (3,000 square feet) for five to 10 owners and their pets to comfortably fit “on a lousy day.” The doors and windows would eventually need to be redone, he said, but the roof is in good condition. The yard will need to be cleaned up, but there is easily enough time to do so before July.
“We’re not a dog park, we’re a dog-friendly, co-working space,” he explained. He estimates there are 1,000 dog-owners in Lennoxville, easily enough to make it a viable project. He envisages it working on a subscription model. “I see it working as a not-forprofit,” he said.
Patterson has put the word out
about the project with the 470-strong Lennoxville dog-owner’s group of which he is a member, Facebook, and The Record. This property was the best among the three locations Patterson scouted for the venture, but it’s still possible they might find an even better one in the future once he meets his funding target.
“Dogs rarely want to leave a dog
park,” he explained, it is the owners that need to go to do other things. Here, he said, the owners will be comfortable, so that will not be a problem.
“We’re looking for donors,” he said with a smile, “we’re looking good, but there’s a long way to go.”
Detailed information and updates on the project can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/roiiiy