Kitchener's now officially a pet-friendly city. Could it be the next tourism hot spot for pet parents?
'Pet owners are willing to spend quite generously to meet their travel needs,' says professor David Fennell
The city of Kitchener, Ont., is going to the dogs, and cats, as well as ferrets, parrots, hamsters and more.
The city learned this week it has been officially certified under the Better Cities for Pets initiatives from Mars Petcare. Kitchener is the first Canadian city to receive the designation, although not the first community in the country. That honour goes to Caledon, Ont.
Still, one of the people who advocated for the certification says it could mean big things for the city and Waterloo region.
Justine Sparling is the co-founder of Dog Friendly K-W, a non-profit that hosts a number of events for dogs and their owners throughout the year.
"Folks are actually travelling here to experience our dog friendly initiatives and events," she told Craig Norris, host of CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition. "I think the Better Cities for Pets designation just gives a little bit more credibility to that."
She said younger people are opting to have fewer or no children and are instead getting pets, which they want to take with them on vacation.
"There's a lot this region has to offer for dog owners. Not just to come out for a single day event, but to also make an entire weekend out of it, have a staycation and hopefully boost the tourism element of this in our community," she said.
The idea of marketing to pet parents is not without merit, says David Fennell, a professor of geography and tourism studies at Brock University.
"Over the course of 12 or 13 years, there's been an uptick in both research and practice on people wanting to travel with their pets," he said in an interview.
"Research out there points to the fact that these pet owners are willing to spend quite generously to meet their travel needs."
'Stores to breweries to restaurant patios'
The certification to be officially pet friendly was a joint endeavour between Kitchener, the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth and Dog Friendly K-W.
The application process for the city's pet-friendly title looks at how inclusive and accessible the city is to pet ownership.
"It looks at what is kind of the landscape of dog friendly housing locally, what is available in terms of shelters, supports and resources. What do dog friendly workplaces look like and also how many businesses are dog friendly," Sparling said.
"So that could be everything from stores to breweries to restaurant patios."
The application also required the city to put forward a "top priority" where it relates to pet ownership. Sparling said the top priority for Kitchener will be to implement a responsible pet ownership campaign in collaboration with the local humane society.
"This covers everything from the importance of licensing dogs, the importance of spaying and neutering, providing proper care and enrichment and, of course, following our local pet related bylaws," she said.
Susan Cook-Scheerer, the media liaison with Explore Waterloo Region, said while it's unclear what the designation will mean for tourism, people who are travelling to the area with their pets "will be happy to know there are many places that put out the welcome mat for them."
"A number of hotels in Waterloo region are dog friendly. For example, the Walper Hotel in downtown Kitchener and the DoubleTree Hotel."
How big is pet tourism?
Fennell wrote a book in 2012 called Tourism and Animal Ethics. The book puts the focus on animals as tourism destinations at places like zoos, circuses and fairs.
Since his book's initial publishing, Fennell has taken notice of the rising trend of people bringing animals with them on trips, rather than putting them in a kennel or getting someone to care for them.
That's because for many, pets can be "such intricate elements of our family structure."
"I think that there's a predisposition to wanting to spend money on pets in whatever shape or form," he said.
Fennell said to accommodate the pet-tourism niche, some industries have begun to adapt to a rise in the number of furry patrons they see.
For example, some airlines are offering in-cabin seats for animals as opposed to just cargo options.
"There's an organization or company called Companion Air, the world's first pet specific airline," Fennell said.
He's seen many hotels, resorts and vacation rentals offer pet-friendly packages. There's also been changes in the food and beverage industry to accommodate furry friends.
"Food trucks for goodness sakes," Fennell said. "In California and other states they have food trucks specifically oriented toward dogs."
Fennell said that places like California and New York have been faster on the uptake when it comes to pet tourism, but that doesn't mean it's too late for Canadians to get in on the rising niche.
"It wouldn't surprise me that Kitchener is trying to capitalize on this upswing," he said.
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