Jul 13, 2023 - Things to Do

Sniffspot turns backyards into Airbnb-style dog parks

Melissa Santos

Eddie likes dog parks, but the public ones are a bit of a drive from where he lives. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

If you don't feel like going to a public dog park or you don't have one nearby, here's another option: Sniffspot, an Airbnb-style service where people rent out their backyards or private lands as dog runs.

Details: Sniffspot was started in Seattle about five years ago and has since expanded to all 50 states.

In the Puget Sound region, it offers hundreds of fields or backyards you can rent for your canine companions — including 92 that have access to some type of water.
When we searched, the cost per dog ranged from about $5 to about $20 per hour.

Why it matters: Seattle's 14 dog parks aren't always located in places that are convenient for dog owners. Plus, some dogs don't do well when there are dozens of other pups running around, and could use a private fenced zone to play in.

Of note: Sniffspot says some of its hosts make more than $3,000 a month renting out their unused land.

The bottom line: People are getting creative to help give local dogs and their owners space to roam.

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Sniffspot turns backyards into Airbnb-style dog parks

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