A smart home for Fido: Dog Parker offers safe place to keep canines in the big city

Technology is quickly advancing to create smarter and more accessible homes. There’s everything from locks and thermostats you can control with the click of an app, to lights and appliances that respond to voice commands. One of the latest innovations means that the furry, four-legged member of your home doesn’t have to be left out of the loop.

Dog Parker is your pup’s own personal smart home. It is a service currently available only in New York that’s designed to make going on outings with your dog less stressful. Unfortunately, dog theft is an escalating problem in the city and owners may not feel safe leaving their pet tethered outside while they venture into a grocery store or coffee shop.

That’s where the Dog Parker steps in. The system consists of individual doghouses that are wirelessly connected to a partner application. Members can reserve a Dog Parker unit near their favorite coffee shop, then house man’s best friend safely inside the unit while they go inside.

These aren’t your average doghouses, either. They are equipped with webcams so that owners can check up on their pet, and owners are given exclusive access to lock and unlock the unit so no one can steal Fido while his human is away. Dog Parker members pay a $25 per year fee, as well as $0.20 for every minute they occupy a unit. A small price to pay for peace of mind when it comes to your canine companion.

Between the time one pet leaves and the next arrives, the Dog Parker is cleaned using a UVC sanitation light. This tidies up the surfaces until a crew can come through at the end of each day to provide a deeper cleaning of every unit. The company originally tested out five Dog Parkers, and as of November 17 is rolling out a brand new model. The newest Dog Parker model is locally made in New York, and another 100 units are set to roll out across Brooklyn neighborhoods starting this week (and to continue over the next three months).