Kannapolis Dog World needs to raise a lot of money to avoid closure

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (WBTV) - The owners of a popular dog park in Kannapolis say a short lease has them on a short leash that could mean they’ll have to close the doors. The owners of Dog World have took over the park just over a year ago, but their lease expires in a few months unless they can come up with a significant down payment.

Playful pups and daring dogs love the place. Dog World in Kannapolis is described by the owner as the ultimate doggie paradise. The problem is that lease. Dana Coulter and family took over the park from the original owner, but the lease only runs to next January.

It is a lease to purchase, so if the owners of Dog World can get their paws on the cash, then they can move ahead with an ambitious five-year plan for improvements and expansion.

“The original owner had signed a very short lease on this property,” Coulter said. “We took over in May of 2021 from him, so we’ve been in business just a little over a year doing this. With the short lease, our lease is up at the end of January. It is a lease to purchase so we have the option to purchase the property but it’s the amount we have to have down to purchase and being in business for such a short period of time it’s a pretty significant deposit on an SBA loan that we are hoping to get.”

There’s a swimming pool just dogs, a water slide, a pond, acres of fenced land for dogs to roam, even a trail that leads down to a picturesque creek with a sandy beach, and it’s all on 12 acres of property that used to be known as the Kannapolis Recreation Park.

“People come from far away, from all over the country to come here, it’s a lot of pressure, and then when they get here and they’re thrilled with it…that’s the best,” Coulter said.

A GoFundMe page is raising money, but there’s a long way to go. Dana and her family have seen how much the dogs and their owners love Dog World, so they’re committed to trying to keep it going and appreciate all the response so far.

“We have great big plans that we know this property, we can make Dog World profitable year round, be open year round, we just need to be able to get past this hurdle to buy the property,” Coulter added. “It’s been great. I’m just so touched and kind of humbled by it. Just to have something that we’ve worked so hard for and that we believe in that here’s folks right alongside of us believing and willing to take money from their pockets to help Dog World stay alive, it touches my heart and makes all of the difficulties worth it.”