TWIN LAKE, Mich. — Dog parks are a known spot to socialize and exercise your dogs, but for pets that can be more reactive, aggressive or sick, some pet parents can feel left out.
And for pet owners looking for more privacy, that's where Sniffspot comes in. CEO & Founder David Adams describes it as the Airbnb of dog parks.
"I started using Sniffspot because I saw an ad on TikTok," Soraya Holman says.
For her, driving up to Twin Lake from Grand Rapids is worth it because her dogs Whiskey and Moose have a good time every time, running through the trees and playing in the pond.
Holman says her dogs can come on pretty strong when meeting other pets and people, so she doesn't have to worry about them when they're here.
"They're just made for each other," she says. "They really don't play well with other dogs, so taking them to like public places to play with dogs is not a guarantee with them because they just won't play, or they don't know how to play with other dogs super well."
While Adams says the free and public accessibility of dog parks are an important part of cities, he adds that there are drawbacks.
"Because you can't control who's there, you can't control the hygiene, the disease transmission. You can't control whether there are dogs that are aggressive to your dog there. So it's a very uncontrolled environment," he says. "Sniffspot is a great alternative where you can have a much more controlled environment for your dog."
Adams says the platform is growing in the state, and there are dozens of Sniffspots now listed in West Michigan.
"Our guest spending has grown over 249% year over year in Michigan," he says. "We're seeing a lot of interest from people that want places to take their dog."
Sniffspot was created with privacy for pet parents in mind, and people can list their property to be rented by the hour.
"I think we had our first visitor the first month we set up, which was in February," Brent Klukos, Happy Trails 'N Tails Host, says.
He and his wife Chrissy listed their fully-fenced, 10-acre lot on Sniffspot to make some extra cash at the beginning of the year. Since then, they've had local visitors and out-of-towners too.
"We probably got a 25 to 30% return already this year on our investment. So I think it's gonna be really good," Klukos says. "And we're looking forward to growing and and being a way to maybe pay part of our property taxes as we retire."
For them, it's about connecting with the guests and their pets, if they don't opt for a contactless visit.
"We love to interact in our own way by we plant tennis balls out in the woods, and the dogs find them at different places," Chrissy says.
In Rockford, Steve VanWagoner and his family just listed their 3-acre, partially-fenced backyard on the app a few months ago. They started it with their late dog Rudy in mind.
"Sometimes there are dogs with social issues like ours. And this ends up being a spot where they can come without other dogs or human beings interact with," he says.
Sniffspot has grown to over 14,000 spaces in thousands of cities around the world, growing more and more so dogs can truly be themselves.
"That's really good for a dog to get out and find a new space to run around and to explore. And we love being able to offer that," VanWagoner says.
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