Many people in Lincoln are fans of the city’s dog runs. Drive past on any nice day, and you’ll likely see a bunch of people and a bunch of dogs walking around the park.
But what about when the weather isn’t as nice? Many people just don’t want to walk their dogs around a park when it’s freezing outside.
Enter Lincoln’s solution to that problem – Paws 4 Fun.
Paws 4 Fun is Nebraska’s first indoor dog park, offering green spaces for small dogs and large dogs as well as day care, suite-style boarding for dogs and cats, and pool activities.
Paws 4 Fun was opened in July 2017 by Leon and Laura Kilmer and Laura’s parents, Ken and Linda Livingston. It opened at the site of the former Sports Courts gym at 222 N. 44th St.
When you walk into the facility, you see a check-in desk and a small shop that sells dog-related merchandise. It is clean and cheery.
Once past the shop, visitors will see the green spaces for small and large dogs, complete with ramps and activities to keep them busy. The parks are carpeted with what’s called K9Grass, specifically designed for the health and safety of dogs, Leon says.
On the day I visited, several dogs appeared to be having a blast running around the large green space, and employees were kept busy throwing balls to give the canines plenty of exercise.
Each dog that checks in gets more than physical exercise. Employees offer them mental stimulation with games that encourage the dogs to figure out where treats are placed. Owner Leon says that just a short time of mental stimulation is worth as much as physical exercise.
Paws 4 Fun promotes itself as a safe environment for pets whose owners want to keep them from being too cold or too hot, and keep them away from places where they would get dirty and muddy. Owners are free to play with their dogs in the enclosed parks, or just drop them off for day care and let them get tired playing with other dogs.
Paws 4 Fun offers a variety of price points, from daily park passes for $10 to annual park passes for $1,500. Visitors also can get pool-only passes or park-and-pool combination passes that cost $18 a day, $250 a month and $2,500 a year.
Indoor dog parks are very uncommon, Leon says. He says the only other one he has heard of was one in Portland, Oregon, that recently closed due to the owner’s health issues.
Leon and his family started Paws 4 Fun because they love dogs, and they are committed to the facility’s success. Leon even sleeps overnight at Paws 4 Fun to make sure all the animals stay safe and healthy.
If you are looking for a fun place to have a good time with your dog, check out Paws 4 Fun.
