Beth Miller and her partner, Tom Everhart, are dog owners and dog-friendly people. Like most dog lovers, when the couple considered moving from their home in Dayton, Ohio, they sought to move into a dog-friendly community, considering areas including Greensboro and Asheville, North Carolina .
Investigating two cities, Miller really opened his eyes. She changed her mind after realizing she didn’t have to move to find a truly dog-friendly community — she could start one in Dayton.
People often talk about a “call,” and suddenly, Miller found hers. It’s clear that if she wants to live in a dog-friendly place, she needs to approach it, plan for it, and make it a priority.
In 2016, she left her lucrative advertising agency career behind to pursue the idea and spent the next two and a half years of her life conducting more than 600 one-on-one interviews and “countless secondary research.” ,” she said, about what makes a place truly dog-friendly.
Wagtown was born.
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Beth Miller and a fluffy friend. polite Beth Miller
What is Wagtown?
Wagtown is the nonprofit that Miller started in 2016 to find a “secret sauce” for dog-friendly communities—communities with dog-friendly workplaces, parks for dogs, and dog-friendly workplaces. Dogs, public spaces and neighborhoods are safe and friendly for people and their pets.
Miller told The Dog People: “The influence dogs have on our lives is unquestionable. “Now, it’s time to design our lives to include pets.”
To do this, Miller has created a system of resources, standards, and programs that advocate for dog friendliness, and this includes everything from SMART Dog Park certification and membership (more about this below) to “town reviews, K-1 Curriculum, kids books and supplemental materials, master classes, counseling, leveraging big data, individual marketing award winning and empowering leadership to volunteers,” The states of the Wagtown . site.
Miller’s Work Guide is a set of six fundamental principles, rooted in qualities that both dog owners and people who may not own dogs appreciate: safety, health, economic development, behavior Humanitarian, welcoming infrastructure and accountability dog ownership.
“The Wagtown community is a place where residents and visitors realize and enjoy the many benefits and opportunities of being responsible dog-friendly,” the website continues.
To support her goals and help communities accept the Wagtown philosophy, Miller writes books, develops curricula, creates free resources for animal rights heroes, and hosts webinars. to help dog lovers learn skills to bring more inclusive and dog-friendly spaces to their town. Dog parks are a particular focus.
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Beth, center, posed with friends in Wagtown by a custom couch. Courteous photo
The dog park is the center
“One of the key factors in increasing dog friendliness is the addition or development of dog parks,” says Miller. But actually getting a dog park safe into town can be tricky, she says.
There is no governing body, regulation, standard or inspection to protect people who use dog parks, she said. “There is a huge gap in expertise and no structured know-how.”
Despite all the things that pet parents buy and focus on for their pets, a high-quality dog park seems to be overlooked. This is where Miller’s SMART Dog Park certification comes into play. SMART stands for Safety, Conduct, Awareness, Responsibility and Training, brought together in one master plan to “professionalize the development and management of dog parks”, a Press Release speak.
Miller’s SMART Dog Park certification was created to help interested communities find “dog-specific play solutions” to meet their needs. Those looking to bring down the dog park can schedule a consultation with Wagtown to explore “options, identify the tough spot, and find some that generate benefits such as more maintenance efficiency, measures to better safety and easy-to-use tools to interact with the community,” says the website.
A pilot SMART Dog park in Golden Stream, Ohio, are doing very well. And in Dayton, Wagtown’s first official Dog trail—A dedicated walking path for dogs and their people with “easy access to poop bags, places to rest, and spaces to relax and connect” — is now a popular recreation area.
She attributes successes like this to “a lot of work, the generosity of strangers and the magic of dogs”.
Miller (pink) met with Representative Laura Lanese (blue) and friends of Wagtown to discuss the law that allows dogs on restaurant grounds. (Law passed.) Photo courtesy
One dog at a time
Miller says the driving force behind her mission and movements is our relationship with companion animals over the past few generations.
“The increase in discretionary spending on pets has been huge, and dog lovers are looking for safe, creative and social ways to enjoy their community with accompanying dogs,” says Miller. Miller said. “I call this the Dogization of America process, and it’s not going to slow down anytime soon. “
There was a time when we “own” our dogs, but now, she says, pets are now part of the family. She feels that the vast majority of dog owners feel the same way.
“That begs the question, what is good enough for our precious children?”
Miller says Wagtown is inevitable.
“We have a large number of people who believe in the human-animal relationship with influencer spending and a ‘where can I go with my dog’ attitude.”
Tom Everhart and Beth Miller. Courteous photo
Dogspiration of Wagtown
Miller and Everhart are dedicated dog moms and dads. After dying at the age of 14 Great Pyrenees dog, Rocky, they felt empty inside.
A month later, they trained a service dog. Named the Sesto, Miller describes it as a cheerful, trainable, calm dog. Sadly, Sesto was not considered a service dog, so the couple adopted him. He is slowly adapting to be a family pet.
She loves the experience of watching a service dog get trained. While he is not the ‘right tool’ to be a service dog, he has become a perfect part of the couple’s life.
How can pet parents get involved?
It takes a village to build a dog-friendly community.
Miller says dog parents can be their own example of inclusion. She recommends people prepare their pets for a dog-friendly town by training their animals. Give your dog more freedoms, such as new environments, changing expectations, and moments of surprise. She insists on taking things slow and being your dog’s advocate.
Furthermore, by being someone who shows appreciation for dog-friendly experiences, you can also ask for ways to make progress in your community. Reach out to like-minded community members, decide what needs to be addressed, and take thoughtful and caring actions locally.
Another Wagtown on the horizon
The ideal Wagtown is a community where infrastructure and rules are welcome, dogs and their families enjoy a healthy lifestyle, there is more support for animal rights heroes, The local economy acknowledges the power of ‘dog dollars’, owners are more responsible and communities are safer on some levels.
In my rose-filled world, all communities take steps toward achieving the ideal, of ‘tail wags and steamy noses’ in every town, explains Miller.
If you or someone you know wants to get involved and is an early adopter of the SMART Dog Park movement or learn how to make your community more dog-friendly, visit smartdogpark.com and wagtown.org.
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