Two words – dog and bored. Put them in Google Search, hit enter and there you will get 5,300,000 + search results. Quite amazing! To say pet owners are indulgent would be an understatement. And it is this indulgence that many businesses are targeting.
The pet products business is big money says Eric Combelles, analyst with Euromonitor. The worldwide market for pet supplies has been growing at 3% since 1998 and is estimated at $65 billion as of 2009. Increasing pet ownership, humanization of pets and the migration to quality food will continue to drive the market. Currently, five manufacturers contribute to about half the market’s revenues. One company that is trying to break this cartel is German start-up Das & Hund. The company is taking pet luxury to a whole new level – by opening an amusement park for dogs. Or like they call it – Amusement Bark.
The founders of Amusement Bark have created a mix of rides and themes to keep dogs (and possibly their owners) entertained. The roller coaster, for example, is modeled after a car – as dogs like to put their heads out of windows. Das & Hund are also including sections in the park featuring movie themes. The duo are already in talks with various movie studios for the rights. These movie themes will be canine-ized for the park. One such movie, The Bone Collector has already been featured in the park’s plans. The theme will feature the dog (to play the part of Angelina Jolie) and the owner (to play the part of Denzel Washington) navigating through a series of challenges that lead to a bone. Other movies include:
- Dog Day Afternoon – a day spa
- Dogma – an exclusive shopping center for expecting moms
- The Devil Wears Prada – an exclusive re-tail shop for dogs
Amusement Bark has already received over 100,000 dog owners from the US alone sign up for the opening week. However, not everyone is as excited about the concept. Dogs Puke, an organization led by dog psychologist Charlie Kenneth, has been vocal in its opposition against Amusement Bark.
Kenneth has been spearheading a bill that will not allow dogs to partake in such an amusement park. She was recently heard saying “When I sit in a roller coaster I puke. Dogs being stupider than me, are surely going to puke”. To which Das responded “What has IQ got to do with puking?”
The following months will decide who will prevail – Das & Hund or the Dogs Puke organization. Until then Amusement Bark continues its search for more movie themes.
Do you know of any such movie themes that could be featured in Amusement Bark? Do comment.
