As a dog lover and the owner of a dog walking business Home From Home, I became increasingly aware that there were very few places to safely let dogs run free in our area, the choices were very limited!
In Perthshire, we are very lucky to have some lovely parks, beautiful woods, stunning moorland and amazing countryside that are full of farm animals, crops, wildlife and amazing fauna. We are a farming county, where livestock and fields of food surround our towns and villages. As a couple who have lived and worked in the countryside all our lives, we are very aware of the potential damage an out of control dog can do to livestock, crops and the local wildlife.
During the Autumn of 2019, we deer fenced and rabbit netted a half acre woodland so that our dog walking business, Home From Home, could safely let all the dogs in our care run free after their lead walks!
During our first year in business, we went into lockdown due to the Covid pandemic. Many, many people contacted us to use our fenced woodland during lockdown. This gave us an idea!!
During the Autumn of 2020 we decided to expand our dog park. Having listened to stories from friends, family and the local farming community, we heard about a lot of challenges faced by them. Taking this into account, we felt that we could do something that would provide a service to provide a practical solution for all and it was with this in mind we decided to rent a 4 acre field and link it with our already deer fenced woodland. We felt that this was the perfect place that would enable us to create a purpose built dog exercise facility on a 4+ acre site.
Phase 1
In November 2020, we started to install the boundary fences. All our fences are built with deer fence netting and have additional rabbit netting attached which ensures a secure and safe environment.
Each area is free of wildlife where owners can exercise, train and let their dogs run free!
We created a new car park, double gated entry system, reception area and 3 dog exercise areas, each with their own different dimensions and characters. We opened on Monday the 21st of December, 2020.
We have been delighted by the response from all the people who have sent messages and booked slots with us. Most of all we’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing relaxed owners and happy dogs emerging from our areas!
Phase 2
During 2021 we continued to improve our dog park by adding picnic benches and planting hedges. We upgraded our adjoining fences, by adding additional deer fences which prevented little snouts from popping through. In December of 2021 we created a carpark within our grass running park Archie’s Freedom Field. We also created field shelters in each of our 3 areas. We also added picnic benches, waterproof cushions, a sanitising station and an information board to each field shelter .
Phase 3
During 2022 we added little extras here and there. In the Spring we planted over 500 trees in our wooded areas and also planted 5 fruit trees. Additional activities were added to all our areas. Our on-site toilet facilities arrived in April and these are sited next to our main receiption area. Our toilet is tucked out of the way, but accessible for all of our customers to use. Our main reception area now displays local business cards as well as dog park information. Our charity chair for PADS ( Perthshire Abandoned Dogs Society) raised over £300 through the selling of packs of poo bags. A new sign in desk was created in November making it easier for people to use.
Over the last few years, we have been delighted to help local businesses by raising their profiles by selling their produce and advertising their business card in our reception.
We are always delighted to raise awareness and support charities where we can. So far we have helped the Ukrainian Appeal and acted as a donation station for pet foods for the Auchterarder and Crieff Food Banks. We continually support several charities including PADS and Hearing Dogs For the Deaf.
During 2022 we were delighted to expand our services by holding several pup parties, a photo shoot for a Walt Disney production and various dog training classes. It was great to see how flexible our dog park can be but most importantly, so much fun was had by all!
