These Class A Dallas properties reinvent engagement for pet owners.
Dog Days: Multifamily Firm Creates Pet-Friendly Utopia
For Steve Bardack, the secret to resident engagement starts with a doggie door.
“The doggie door is a game changer. A prospective resident sees it and instantly connects the dots: No more getting up at 3 a.m. No more rushing home by 6 p.m. It transforms life for the owner and pet,” the multifamily owner and operator says.
If a doggie door was the only thing separating Bardack’s apartment brand from hundreds of other Dallas-Fort Worth properties, that might be enough. After all, what signals pet-friendly more emphatically than a doggie door in every apartment?
But a doggie door is just the teaser for a pair of dog-loving apartment utopias—the 338-unit Dane Park North Garland and the 392-unit Dane Park Grapevine—part of Dane Park Communities. The Dane Park concept takes highly differentiated community engagement to an unprecedented level. All this on top of the amenities you expect in a Class A property.
“Think of it this way. Golf driving ranges existed for 50+ years. Then came Top Golf. We’re the Top Golf of dog-friendly living,” the founder and principal of Dane Park Communities explains.
Hiding in Plain Sight
The pandemic supercharged pet ownership, especially America’s love affair with canines. For example, nearly 60% of Dallas residents own at least one dog; that number skyrockets to 72% for residents in their 30s. Much has been written to explain the national phenomenon, from the isolation social media induces to households delaying children.
For Bardack, it was opportunity hiding in plain sight.
A dog lover himself, Bardack understood how underserved this customer segment was. A small fenced-off dog park? Restricted breeds and weights? A two-dog limit? These constraints seemed needlessly unfair. “At most an afterthought,” he says.
Lesson in Engagement
But exactly what do dog owners want? There are few multifamily templates to go by. To create one, Bardack commissioned a survey to identify and understand all the pain points of dog owners living in apartment communities.
“Our findings revealed there are two buckets of pain points. One bucket is emotional, and the other is practical. Practical pain points are obvious, like ‘I can’t be late for doggie day care pickup’ or what happens if my dog is in distress when I’m away? Emotional pain is the guilt of separation and similar feelings,” Bardack reports.
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Groundbreaking Innovations
He and his team spent nine months investigating, engineering and testing a broad assortment of active and passive pain point solutions. What they finally created is a master class case study in community differentiation and engagement. The innovations include:
• An 18,000-Square-Foot 100% Covered Dog Park. Just another apartment dog park? Not quite. This immense sun- and rain-protected facility features an overhead irrigation system that automatically washes the Astroturf below with an enzyme solution nightly. The entire covered dog park is constructed on top of an AirDrain system to keep the place hygienic and fresh. Plenty of bench seats make it a natural and inviting hangout for residents.
• Unlimited Doggie Day Care. Residents that use the service pay a deeply discounted $150 per month. For an extra $100 per month, a customized Dane Park shuttle bus will transport your pooch to and from the on-site daycare headquarters. “Compare that to the $500 to $700 per month other doggie day care centers charge for their services, and you still need to drop off and pick up your dog on a tight schedule,” Bardack explains.
• Doggie Doors. Every apartment has one. The opening allows a furry friend to enter either a private fenced yard or a dog-safe balcony or patio with a pet relief system in place that is connected to drainage. It’s a welcome Plan B for grateful owners.
• No Weight or Breed Restrictions. Bardack’s team is focused on animal temperament. All dogs undergo a three-part temperament test before community acceptance. And up to three dogs are allowed per unit.
• AI-Driven Tech Packages. Want to see what Spot and Fluffy are up to when you’re away? AI-driven tech packages are in every apartment that include three Wi-Fi-enabled video cameras, automatic text alerts if your dog is barking or in distress (the AI can tell the difference) and a treat dispenser for remote interaction and oversight.
• Foster Care Opportunity. Both apartment communities partner with 85 area dog rescues and shelters. Residents are encouraged to become foster parents for up to four months, all expenses are paid by Dane Park Communities. “It’s our way of helping residents make a positive, humane impact,” Bardack reports.
Bardack and his team didn’t stop there. They sponsor Yappy Hours and other social mixers for dogs and their parents to mingle and socialize. If you’re thinking the Dane Park concept spoils owners and pets, you’re right. “This is a unique and elevated resident experience. We don’t compete with other multifamily communities,” Bardack observes. “We’re blessed with a higher-than-average retention rate.”
“This is fun for me. I’m extremely passionate about it. I cannot imagine a greater honor than to help advance the multifamily industry while we open more housing options for dogs in animal shelters.”
Source: Multifamily Executive
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