Viral Tiktok dog park DogWorld may close by the end of 2022

What’s happening: After a little over a year of being open, DogWorld’s owners say they’re faced with an expiring lease by the end of the year that their landlord (Highway 700 LLC) wishes to terminate to ultimately sell the land.

Why it matters: We’ve seen several beloved businesses within Charlotte and surrounding areas with landlords who want to either raise rent or sell properties with real estate in high demand at the moment.

• Particularly in the restaurant business— we’ve seen Soul Gastrolounge in Plaza Midwood and Central Coffee in South End close due to rent hikes.
• However, relocating a business of this size or even closing is something co-owner Dana Coulter refuses to do without exhausting all possible options.

“We’ve just worked so hard on this. We put our blood, sweat and tears into this place.” Coulter said.

Background: The Kannapolis dog park was originally built in the 1960s as a recreation park, but was never owned by the city as a public park. The space was simply a pool for humans up until 2019.

• In 2021, Jeff Palmer had a big idea for dogs to have fun, but didn’t know where to start.
• The current owner, Dana Coulter, stepped in along with her family (Erin Christner, Marco Mercado, Adam Coulter) to ultimately bring the site, which includes 12 fenced acres, to what we now know to be a one of a kind dog water park. 
• Coulter tells us there was no blueprint to developing the structure into what the park has become, but after a few TikToks provided exposure, they were well on their way to bringing Palmer’s initial dream to reality.

Context: The puppy paradise gained a large following from several Tiktoks during the pandemic that boosted traffic to the park.

• A recent video has gained nearly three million views and comments indicating people from all over the country want to visit the puppy paradise.
• Coulter tells us that she’s had visitors from almost every state and inquiries from people outside of the country.
• “I want to come with my pooch, but is an almost 14-hour drive from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.” said Tiktok user Matthew. 

Yes, but: Even with the large support since they first opened, co-owner Dana tells us that she’s only been able to break even financially.

• Dana says she and her family wanted to create a fun and safe space for dogs and their owners.
• The family-run business is only able to open Thursday through Sunday. Work on the facility is handled by the family — Maintenance on the park is done by Dana’s husband Adam, dog training is handled through Coulter’s daughter Erin and the website was done by the Coulter’s son-in-law Marco.

• Dana tells us the small amount of profit they could make on the park has been used to repair old parts of the park.
• “We are happy to break even but we can lose by investing our own money.” Coulter said.

Dana says she reached out to Kannapolis city officials including Mayor Darrell Hinnant and City Manager Mike Legg for assistance but wasn’t able to receive any help.

Between the lines: Although the park is in Kannapolis, it is located in Rowan County so it’s out of the city limits. 

• Legg tells us that there have been discussions to support the business model Coulter presented but it would take strategic planning.
• An average park project could take around 36 months, according to Legg.
• “We believe in her business model. The conversation is not dead but it is more complicated and the timing is difficult with so many projects underway.” said Legg.

What’s next: Dana has made a last ditch effort, asking the public to assist her with raising at least $300,000 to buy the park from her landlord.

• Dana wishes to expand by incorporating doggy daycare services that will help them afford the park year round.
• Coulter also says she’s hopeful that support will keep the park mission alive. 
• “We believe in it, and we want it to work so badly.” Coulter says.