We Do It Naked
We’ve been playing naked at The Petropolitan since we opened in 2019! Being a collar-free facility helps us maintain one of our top priorities: safety. It also ensures your belongings return home in the same condition they arrived.
WHY IS NAKED SAFER?
When dogs play together, they use their teeth, feet, muzzles, and jaws, most commonly around the necks of other dogs. A fun-filled wrestling match can soon turn extremely dangerous, if not deadly when one of the furry friends becomes tangled in a collar.
The trapped dog will panic and struggle to get free, causing them to strangle their playmate and injure themselves in the process. This also creates a significant risk for the humans trying to help, putting them in a position to get seriously bitten in the process of separating dogs. This dangerous scenario is far too common in dog parks and other care facilities, and dogs have been strangled to death in preventable situations that start out harmless and escalate in a matter of seconds.
SHOULD DOGS ALWAYS BE NAKED?
Collars are absolutely important for identification purposes and should always be worn when leaving your home or travelling. Dogs in transport should wear them in the event of a collision or emergency. We have found our fair share of lost dogs! Ensure your dog has updated personal identification that’s clearly legible with your cell phone number for the fastest reunion should they ever get lost.
The founder of The Naked Dog Project, Robbie Scott, tells the story of her 6-month-old puppy, Gracie, who was strangled to death with her collar while attending a doggie daycare in Ohio. Scott turned her tragic loss into a non-profit organization to educate and bring awareness to the dangers that lurk when dogs live and play with collars on.
Her website suggests when looking for a dog daycare and overnight dog boarding facility for your dog, it’s important to ask about their policy on wearing collars in their care, if their team is trained in Pet CPR and First Aid (our team is), and if they have an emergency preparedness plan should your dog require emergency veterinary attention while in their care.
Learn more about collar safety below: