A PetParker is a smart dog house for stores, shopping centres and other locations that generally don’t allow pets (other than licensed service animals) to be brought inside. Our stations provide a comfortable and safe alternative for a short time while you shop, run errands or grab a cup of coffee - giving you the freedom and peace of mind without compromising your pet in one of the following situations:

• leashing a pet out on the sidewalk exposes them to unwanted interactions with people and other animals.
• tying a pet at a store entrance might cause nuisances or an obstruction to other shoppers and guests,
• leaving a pet in a vehicle can expose them to dangerous situations due to weather or theft.

Our free app is available for download for both iOS and Android - it provides an up-to-date map of all the locations such as shopping centres, grocery stores, coffee shops and more.

We're currently available in Metro Vancouver but working on expanding the service to other regions through partners. Businesses interested in a PetParker station are invited to contact us. If you’re a pet owner you can suggest new locations through the app or contact your favourite store to request it. We prepared a list of business and their contact information for British Columbia here.

The use of PetParker stations is free for pet guardians and our plan is to keep it that way in the foreseeable future. Both the service and our stations are funded by our business partners.

PetParker is designed to provide a comfortable and safe environment for short periods. Based on the thousands of stays we supported since starting in Canada, most last between 15-20 minutes. Please be considerate to other users and keep the session under 60 minutes which should be enough time to conduct most errands.

We understand that these situations can occur if you didn't keep track of time or if you're stuck at the checkout counter... don't worry, the door won't open and your pet will remain safe.

Please note that the stations are intended for all to use, so if this occurs multiple times by certain pet owners we will need to consider whether the service is right for their needs. PetParker is not an alternative to a pet sitter or "doggy daycare".

No. Once your pet is in the station the session is linked to your smartphone and only you can open the door by scanning the QR code. Please note: Your phone will require an active data connection with both Bluetooth and location permissions enabled.

In some Android phones, the app permission required is labelled as "Nearby Devices".

PetParker stations have accommodated thousands of dogs from various breeds, as well as some cats and even one bunny. Joking aside, it was designed to comfortably host the most common dog breeds found in the city.

We've had dogs weighing over 100 lbs and while larger dogs can still enter and sit in the 40-inch tall station for a short period of time, they may find it challenging to turn around. As the pet guardian you know your dog best and it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure they are comfortable for the duration you plan on keeping them inside.

The stations were designed to provide dogs with the most comfortable environment by shielding them from sudden movement of vehicles and people, reducing noise and unwanted contact as much as possible with overly friendly people or approaching dogs. Some reactive dogs may prefer this environment while others may not. If your dog barks or whines continuously this is likely to disrupt others, so this may not be the best solution for your situation.

We recommend trying out PetParker for a few minutes and staying within hearing distance (but out of your dog's sight) to see that your dog is comfortably settled.

The PetParker stations were designed for only one pet at a time but if your small pets are used to sharing space, you can place both of them together.

PetParker stations are installed with ventilation in order to provide your pet with a safe and comfortable environment even when it's warmer outside. The stations are typically placed in areas that are protected from the elements as much as possible.

The stations are also equipped with sensors to display a temperature reading within the app and prevent their use if it is considered unsafe.

Please note that if you attempt to start a session when the measured temperature inside the station is below freezing level or too high, the app will indicate that the PetParker is not available for use.

In addition to being coated internally with a bactericidal (anti bacteria) paint, the kennel grade floors within the stations are raised such as that any debris or liquid lands below the surface on which your pet will sit. We strive to keep the interior of our pods clean and sanitized following veterinary guidelines set by our advisor which are based on pet industry best practices. Our standard operation includes regular maintenance by our crew as well as a thorough regular cleaning with appropriate materials that santize against bacterias and viruses. Stations that experience higher use are serviced more frequently. Finally, upon ending each session users can report if a PetParker station requires attention and a cleaner will be dispatched immediately.

In our experience spanning several years, it’s very uncommon for a dog to soil a station. If that were to happen please let us know as soon as you encounter such an event. We will immediately take the station out of service and our maintenance crew, which regularly cleans the units, will be dispatched to take care of the issue.

Please note that we also stipulate in our terms of use that pet owners only use the service if their pet is housebroken (potty trained).

PetParker stations have been in use for over 5 years and served pets over 100,000 times without any recorded incident of sickness. PetParker's terms of use don't permit pet owners from using the service if their pets aren't up-to-date with vet exams, vaccines and pest (flea & tick) treatment.

It is very unlikely for contagion to occur since the PetParker stations are cleaned regularly with potent industry cleaning agents and all surfaces inside the station are non porous.

identityPetParker was developed to avoid those types of situations and the stations have been operating reliably for several years with tens of thousands of pet stays! Using the app you can initiate a chat with our monitoring team and once your identiy has been confirmed we will remotely open the PetParker station.

If there's a network outage in your location, your smartphone battery has completely run out, or the location experiences a power outage, the managers at the location have procedures to support you and can use an emergency key to unlock the station.

We're all ears! Please use the chat function on the website or in the PetParker app, DM us on Instagram, or send us an email to woof@petparker.ca and we’ll be happy to answer your question.