User:Mbribble/sandbox

The K9 Fun Zone located in Caledonia, Ontario was founded May 14, 2016 out of passion of its owners Alan Wright and Mary-beth Ribble and the love for their then five Labrador Retrievers. It is a 1-of-a-kind Business where their tag line is “Where dogs bring their people to play”. K9 Fun Zone was opened offering an off leash area of over an acre plus in size for the community to come use at a daily or monthly rate. The centerpiece however seen from the roadway is the big 40’ blue pool and equally large glass sided dock. The heated salt water pool with easy exit ramps Is equipped for Big Air, Extreme Vertical, Speed Retrieve and Dueling Dogs. All of which are disciplines for DockDogs, a fun and addictive water sport — both for dog and handler! K9 Fun Zone is a Sanctioned facility for DockDogs and the first in Canada set up to easily convert for Dueling Dogs. Similar to Speed Retrieve except two dogs race head to head. Drag racing for dogs. Very exciting to watch. Just a few short months after opening, K9 Fun Zone was named the 2016 DockDogs Top Sanctioned Facility.

In addition to playing in the pool with your pup and running in the off leash area, you can have an absolute ball with your pup with the over 8,000 brightly coloured, commercial grade balls in the Ball Pit. Watch your pup go into overdrive not knowing which one to get first. Ready to smile? Here is the Canadian Lab Squad enjoying itself in the Ball Pit.

When the pool was closed November through April, Barn Hunt time would gear up. A scent based sport, the dog is mentally stimulated and would go home at the end of a one hour class just as exhausted as though the class had been an hour of swimming or agility. A great way to keep busy during our long, cold winter months.

Each month from May through September, K9 Fun Zone tries to donate the use of the entire facility to a Charity to run a fundraiser. 100% of funds raised go to the Charity. In July 2017, 201 and 2019, in conjunction with the DockDogs & Dueling Dogs Wild Card Double Header World Championship competition, a Charity auction has been held. Since opening, K9 Fun Zone has helped facilitate raising in excess of $25K. Several hundreds of pounds of food have been donated to the local food bank through the generosity of the clients coming to play. K9 Fun Zone has had the honour of being the site of several doggie birthday parties and reunions.

In 2019, K9 Fun Zone became a licensed kennel and on September 30th officially opened a doggie daycare. Although this meant that Barn Hunt would no longer be offered as the space was needed, the daycare will be able to offer the social interaction and exercise your pup needs while you’re away from home during the day.

Anyone can self schedule playtime, daycare and classes through the K9 Fun Zone website.