Hi there, this is Krista with Episode #165 on the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Just wanted to remind you guys that you might want to check out all of the amazing trusted brands that I highly recommend. And many would make great holiday gifts for your dog loving friends and family. And these are products that I've tried on my dog Winston, and that I know, like, and trust. And these products will also help your dog to thrive. So just go to https://www.wagoutloud.com/ and check out the trusted brands section. And I've negotiated discounts for most of the products, so why not see what can make a difference in your dog's life? It's a fact that dogs can not only smell our stress, but they also take on our stress. I read about a recent study in Science Daily that showed that dogs can detect with an accuracy of 93.75% changes in human breath and sweat. So in this study, the dogs could tell the difference between breath and sweat samples from people before and after a stress inducing task like fast paced arithmetic. And our odor is different when we're stressed. And of course our dogs know that firsthand. So I think the lesson here for our dogs and ourselves is let's all intend to have less stress in our lives. Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode. Beth Miller is recognized as the #1 dog-friendly expert in the US. She is the Founder and CEO of Wagtown – a non-profit focused on helping communities become more authentically and responsibly dog friendly. Beth is also the creator of the innovative SMART Dog Park platform. Known as "the on-ramp to the dog park industry," SMART Dog Park is the only comprehensive resource dedicated to setting dog park excellence standards, providing elevated health & safety guidance, conducting top-notch research, accelerating collaboration and connections to resources/expertise, and much more. Hello dog lovers, do you want to advocate for your dog's health and wellness? Well, you're in the right place. And today I am joined by Beth Miller, who is going to share with us the effect of dog friendliness on canine health and wellness. Beth, thanks so much for being here today. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited. You have such great energy on your show. I can't wait. Oh, well, you're amazing. And I can't wait for you to share with us. What we're going to talk about today. So why don't you first introduce yourself and tell us why are you so passionate about how community affects the health and well being of our pups? Hmm, great question. Well, you said my name is Beth Miller. And actually my background, in addition to being an animal lover my whole life and working in obedience and CGC training and all of those things, my background was owning an ad agency. And so I had this wonderful opportunity to work on not just selling products with people, but also working on community shift projects, and catalyzing changes in how we feel about things and how that translates into our behavior. And therefore the vibrancy of the areas we live in economically from a wellness perspective. And of course, all of that trickles down into the little furry guys, right and all of our companion animals and animals in general. So when I when I was working in conservation, I decided to jump out and I wrote the program for a nonprofit called Wagtown. And the idea behind that is that we help communities go from we wish we were dog friendly to we are dog friendly, but doing it in an authentic way, very much, much more genuine, and also much more responsibly. So that's kind of our forte there. So I quit my job on September 20 of 2016. And spent about two and a half years, interviewing more than 600 people all over the US to try to figure out what seems to be this new, overused term, which is “dog friendly”. You really, really need to be there before you realize what they mean by dog friendly, and what your expectations are. And there are a lot of mismatches. So that's the mission of ours is to create those communities where the prioritization of the dog is evident. It's regular, it's prioritized, and it trickles down into the quality of our communities. Well, I just love what you're doing. And I guess I never really thought about the benefits of dogs in our communities because I just, I guess take it for granted. But it makes sense that people with dogs who do activities with them, it creates connections with other people. I know just walking my dog Winston, you know, it gets me out of the house, I get to meet other people. It's just, we're approachable when we're with our dogs. And instead of, especially in this day and age being so isolated, it's refreshing to have a neighborhood where people interact with their dogs. So I guess the first question, are dog friendly communities healthier? Are Dog Friendly Communities Healthier? I would say 1,000%. Yes. And one of the real buzz words right now, which I think sort of clarifies what the point here is, is social, emotional health. And dogs to me are the ultimate social lubricant. They bring people together, they take away our defenses that we have our walls that we have up around each other, because it gives us something common to bond about. And as a result of that, you have seen people with better attitudes, better life expectancies, their numbers are better in terms of from their cardiological health, everything, from physical wellness, to emotional wellness, to spiritual wellness, to community wellness. And if you can imagine the impact of that not everyone loves dogs. Not everyone should have a dog, right. But if we had a community where we know, on average, 68% of those people have at least one dog in those homes, that’s 68% of the population that is getting up and active more often, that they're more engaged with something they have purpose in their life of caring for something else, is a conduit to meeting other people, it's a way to support the local economy that then in turn, is more appreciative of the dog focus in that community. So you see how it trickles down, even though you think of health as being this big, behemoth. You know, insurance companies all that. This is sort of flipping it upside down and saying that the tail wags the dog, right, so when we have these wagging tails around us, and they get us up and active, they get us walking, they get us thinking they get us, connecting with people, and especially to your point, when we've been so isolated and been in so many silos. Now we're going on this journey of reentering life as it is now. But now we have a companion, because one out of three people got a dog. So that's one out of three people that are more capable, in my opinion, of really reentering into this new reality in a much more healthy way, because they have a dog in their life. And I think it's just a very powerful thing that we need to recognize and sort of promote that that would grow and become more of an accepted thing. So that we say if health is important to our community, then dogs are important to our community. I agree. Well, when do you think it happened that the majority of dog owners, at least here in the US thought of dogs as actually being a family member? How long do you think that's been the thought? How Long Have Dogs Been Considered Family Members? Well, I think it's one of those things that went up on a curve. But I do think that there was a sharp uptick. And I think what we've seen happen is like, when I was growing up, we owned a dog. And I can remember, Popcorn was her name, she would be tied to the deck post, you know, and, you know, she was a dog, and we treated her like, we would treat a dog in the 60s and 70s, which was very different than it is now you wouldn't see a dog in a stroller with it’s ear pierced and a dress on. And when I was growing up, right, but now, it's like, I can't believe you don't have an outfit for your dog. I can't believe you don't have enrichment activities for them. And I think what we've seen is that we've gone from I own a dog, to my dog is family, which by the way, is now 95% of people and a lot of those people are now switching to My dog is my child. And for some people, it's My dog is my soulmate. And when you start to say let's give the example that your dog is your child, look at what we do with children in terms of surrounding them, immersing them in enrichment activities, not just being happy and going through the motions, enriching them so that they can have a full experience and be exposed to new things and understand the world in better ways. Now we're seeing people demand that for their companion animals, in particular dogs in this case. And I think that's a wonderful evolution, because of the fact that we're now starting to recognize the similarities in the needs of a dog with our own and how we can sort of mix those two things together to make it a much stronger fabric for all of us to get where we need to be. Absolutely. And I think it's funny, I don't know when this happened, but it just seems in the last few years, like when I go to a model home, and they have these extravagant laundry rooms with room for a dog and a washbasin for the dog and hooks and cubbies for dogs things. I think that's amazing. Well, I do too. Let’s see two years ago, we were looking at moving from Dayton, Ohio, you know, maybe some sunshine, maybe some mountains, some lakes, something like that. And so we Googled dog friendly city in America. And there were 28.7 million hits or something like that. And so my initial reaction was, Wow, this is everywhere. But then when you look at it, it's apartment complexes trying to get you to rent from them. And it's the restaurant that's having a thing for a night. And so it's really hard to find what it truly means. You know, Have you have you run into that? Yeah. When I think of the US, I don't think we're as dog friendly, as in Europe, which they are so lucky, you can go to a elegant restaurant and see a standard poodle under the table. I love that. And I wish that we weren't so hung up on policies, and the dogs are dirty. And… Why Does Europe Seem to Be More Dog Friendly Than the US? Yes, it is a big misconception. We worked with Laurel Denise and Bill Cooley in the state of Ohio, in 2018. It was the first time that it was legal to have a dog on any patio for bars and restaurants, regardless of whether you want to have a pups on patios. And so that meant that some businesses that we we worked with some people who were complaining that they were going to lose up to 20% bump on the days that they had dog patio days. And then, of course, the animal welfare organizations that do fundraising on those patios, they had a significant hit in their ability to cover their capital and operational costs. So we worked with them. And we looked and looked and looked for research that showed that there was a danger as a result of having the dogs on the patio. And the only thing that I could find that had even a decision was a report that was done by the State of California public health. And they said that when they looked at that, they could find no evidence to suggest that it would be a problem, no evidence. And this was a massive study. So I think there's this perception of that. And I agree with you, when I've been overseas, it's a completely different vibe. And what is interesting, when I did all these interviews, it was so different in New York City, than it was in Key West than it was in Nashville than it was in Chattanooga than it was in Portland. So when people say what is dog friendly, it really, really, really does depend on where you live, the attitudes that you have the infrastructure that you have. Some people live in what I call a dog friendliness desert, and talk about a thing that can really affect the health and wellness of the animals. If you live in an area where you don't have access to emergent care for your dog, where there is no infrastructure to support them being out and active, if there is no way for them to be socialized. If you don't have options for different kinds of you know, different kinds of health care for that dog. If you don't have enriching activities, if you don't have open space where they are allowed, if you don't have training available, you know, if you don't have a good resource system to help people who can't afford to have to have those dogs, those are the things that make it possible to say, Okay, I've got the base covered for all of the physiological needs for my dog, and we belong. And now if I want to go up to you know Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and have my dog, self actualized and have the best life possible, it's nice to know that their basic care and their basic needs are taken care of, just because you live in a community that prioritizes the wellness of the animals that live there. You're so right. People just don't think about that. They do not. Thank you. So we have a lot more to cover, but we are going to take a quick sponsor break and we will be right back. Thanks to our friends at Walkee Paws for being our monthly sponsor.   Walkee Paws are the world’s first patented all-in-one dog boot leggings designed to be the “better bootie” and provide you and your dog worry-free walks. Unlike traditional dog boots that slip off mid-walk and are tight around your dog’s ankles, Walkee Paws connects over the back, so they’re easier to put on and comfy for your dog to wear. 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Walkee Paws are available in different sizes, colors and patterns…functional and fashionable.  And they also have indoor sock leggings, ideal for our senior dogs that need a little extra traction to prevent slipping on indoor floors.   It took my dog Winston just a few tries with his Walkee Paws, but got used to them and now enjoys romping in the snow all winter with clean and dry paws.     Order your dog some Walkee Paws today by going to https://walkeepaws.com/ and use the discount code WOL20 to receive 20% off of your order.   While you’re there, be sure to check out all of the stylish and functional Walkee Paws products.  Your dog will thank you! Welcome back everyone. We are speaking with Beth on dog friendly communities and how they affect our dog's health and wellness. So Beth, we already covered are dog friendly communities healthier? And yes, obviously they are. But are they safer? Are Dog Friendly Communities Safer? Actually, they are. And in some surprising ways even we're starting to see Ironically, one of the tendencies with dog parks is to put them apart from the city instead of being a part of the city. And what they see happening is that areas that were infested with crime and drug use, those activities are curtailed because those spaces are activated. Unfortunately, they're putting the dog parks where the drug deals were happening. But it kind of goes to show you I know Bar K in Kansas City with their they specifically chose the location there where they knew they could invigorate that area. And so you know, you have more people walking around and more people on the streets. And then I worked with a woman in Cleveland Heights, she developed a program between the dog people and the police people, right, put them together, the police trained these dog walkers who literally walk every square inch of that community, right, they you know what's supposed to be there, and what is not supposed to be there. You know what's healthy for your dog and what's not healthy for your dog and for you. So they train you this is something you should call 911 for. This is something you call this other number for, this is something that you take a picture for us, and we'll just take care of it later. And then they talk to the police officers. And there's a group specializing this in Texas, how to approach the dogs in a situation that's tense, or, you know, some kind of criminal situation. You know, they've got uniforms on a lot of times sunglasses, I hat, keys, things that make noises stuff that's attached to their belt. And that's very intimidating. Plus, they're approaching their person. So how do you start having those conversations about what is normal and abnormal dog behavior in terms of having a signal of being a problem? Is there a way that you can approach that in a different way. And then, of course, the community is self policing it is the streets one by one by one. So when you start to see that, and you start to see crime going down. And if we finally start putting dog parks in areas that have been traditionally red lined and excluded from that amenity, even though in many cases in the various communities that need them the most. We're not going to see that until we start to see some equity and more excellence. And at that point, you need to say, we're going to say that companion animals and their happiness, wellness, their security is a priority for our community. Wow! What a great program. Okay, what about dog friendly communities helping local economies? Do Dog Friendly Communities Help the Economy? Well, that can be pretty substantial. was interesting to me that when I did my travels, when you go to a community that's more dog friendly, then obviously, there are more supply stores and grain stores and training places and grooming places. And it's almost like that joke about if you throw a stone, you can hit a Starbucks anywhere in Seattle, it was like that in some of these communities where you would go down a city block and find seven or eight individual very diverse opportunities for people to engage in commerce about their dogs. And they've recognized that there's a need there that there's a demand for that elevated enrichment experience. And so there's a lot of room because there's so much space in the pet industry for, I guess, unique experiences, products and services that are available, that there's a lot of room for growth there. So we're starting to see organizations like PackHire, that's an app that sort of like LinkedIn, but just for the animal industry. Well, that's a perfect example of people gravitating toward. They want to know what the whole scope is of how they can contribute to that. So when you start to use that in terms of what that means for your community, and you start to say that hey 30% of people who now travel with their pets alongside them. We have a dog park here, we have great health care here, we have places where you can go run your dog, we have dock diving here, all of those things. And those are all things that drive hotel sales. Those are things that drive business to local restaurants and bars, that their dog friendly, right? They're getting that business. And then you start to see people saying, oh, my gosh, people are making a killing, because people are spending all this money on their dogs. And so then you start to see people pivoting and creating new, and then, you know, great innovations in the pet space, particularly coming out of COVID. Wow. And obviously, dog friendly workplaces are huge that companies are taking notice that people want that to be able to bring their dog to work, which is cool. Dog Friendly Workplaces People wanting to take their dog to work is I'm sure it's an all time high. And I think one of the great things about that is the recognition that we're all having conversations about separation anxiety for the dogs that we have adopted during COVID. But there's not as much recognition of the fact that people are having separation anxiety, they've lived the last couple of years, alongside something that provides them with emotional support, sometimes physical support all kinds of, I guess, accompanyment on this journey that we've had. And now you're going to pull that away and expect the same amount of productivity, when we know from before COVID, that people are willing to give up a week vacation as a benefit of employment, if they can bring their dog with them. We know that the toward the pandemic, that the numbers for productivity, for showing up for work for staying someplace for being loyal to them to be a good spokesperson for brands, all of those things were true. And now we have a much more intense, emotional relationship with animals that are going to be I don't know, knocking at the door, I guess, of the bars and restaurants and the business places. And I think it's going to revolutionize the way that we think how we want our communities to be represented, if that makes sense. So if you don't have welcoming amenities, and infrastructure and policies, and business practices, then I think you're going to be not as competitive. Good point. Well, Beth, I know that you have tons of information, and people can actually go to your site to learn more about each aspect of how community culture gives us and our dogs, a more enriching and healthy environment. But because this show, of course, focuses on canine health and wellness, if we can just cover a few of those in the time that we have remaining. How do these communities help with longer life expectancy? Life Expectancy Well, it's interesting that you bring that up, we're actually working with a group in Las Cruces. They're working with senior single women who are looking for ways to stay active, stay engaged, and also have purpose. And there is a little discrimination against seniors in terms of getting a dog or adopting a dog fostering a dog because there's concern of the dog outliving the person who's taking care of them. And so they lose some of that companionship, and that that's been shown to increase longevity and quality of life. And so we're sort of taking away this crutch that we give that helps not only enrich our lives, but it actually extends them. So if you think about the fact that this animal is going to be helping you long term over the let's say you have a dog, eight years on average, that means that eight years of that there are opportunities to get up and active to go for walks to go hiking, or even just getting up off the sofa and working with them to play for a little while. That's still activity. And I'm not saying that your activity needs to be a marathon every weekend to extend your life expectancy. What I'm saying is that those little mini races of experiences with your dog, those are the things that I think accumulate in us and give us a better outlook and they give us more purpose, and they give us more reason to keep going. That's all true. Well, how does community culture improve nutrition? Improve Dog Nutrition? Are you speaking about nutrition for people or nutrition for dogs? For dogs. Okay, well, that's a very good point. One of the things that we're starting to see and I'm sure you see it much more than I do is conversation about what's the best way to feed your dog. And there's the whole you know, kibble, right, the word kibble can can start a whole fight. So I think what we need to realize is that all of us that have you know, the equivalency of a human kid, you feed your kid the way that you think is best for their upbringing, and I think we're doing the same thing with our dogs. But when you go to a community where they have a higher value placed on the fresh produce, for example, there are areas of the community that I've visited around the country where you can't find fast food, everything is healthy. And so when you're surrounded by healthy options, and less healthy things don't really have room to grow in that environment, because the people celebrate that healthy behavior. So then you start to see dogs that are living longer, you start to see dogs that have fewer health issues. And that trickles down into you know, the wonderful effect of our veterinarians having a better relationship, for their vocation, and for the animals that they're caring for. So it's what I always say, when you plop a poodle into a town, there's a ripple effect. And most definitely, the nutrition, the care, the well being the safety, the economic vitality, the welcoming infrastructure. I don't see how that cannot be a recipe for success for the dogs and for everyone. Yep, absolutely. What about bite or aggression dampening? How can a community help in that aspect? Dog Bites and Aggression A great way to approach bite issues and aggressive dog issues is, first of all, to accept the fact that it is a part of the community. I did see a program in San Francisco, where they have police cases come up are flagged and they went to a special team. And they would have mediation sessions. Both parties come they tell their story. They have resources for them at the hearing. And, you know, discuss with them how to control the dog make a judgement as to the fitness of the dog to be in there. But also helping people understand that not every dog is controllable by every person. You know, I once worked with a training group where there was a 10 year old boy working with a three year old Labrador that had never had any training. That's not going to end well. Right. And so there's, there's sometimes I think, a mismatch in those things. When we take a look at bites, if you have dogs that haven't been in an environment where they understand how to meet other people, or how to meet other dogs, and people understand how to meet other dogs and other people. Everyone assumes that if you see a cute dog that it definitely wants a hug from you and a selfie, but maybe not in that order. But would you want someone to just randomly walk up to you and accost you basically and take pictures of it while they're doing it? No, no. And so we don't we don't see that. When I was in Little Italy, in San Diego, I was amazed and disappointed in myself that I didn't anticipate. I mean, I knew that the dogs would be better around the people, because they were in that environment had been steeped in that from birth. But I really wasn't anticipating how much better the people were at approaching dogs. And I think that combination of more respect more exposure, and then more opportunities for the dogs to understand appropriate behavior and for the people to better, better understand, you know how a dog thinks, what's appropriate to do and not to do around the dog. And then that trickles down into your body language. All of those things need to be a part of the conversation in the community. There are things like safety school, for kids to understand traffic, there needs to be more replication of what we're seeing at shelters and rescues and humane societies across the country, which is teaching kids about how to be safe around dogs and how to become a better person for an animal when they grow older. You are so right. On your site, I saw a reference to a study by the NIH. Do you want to tell us about that and what their findings were? NIH Study I'm glad you brought that up. That study I think is very important for people to pay attention to because when you start to take a look at that finding, it talks about the physical activity through dog walking, and we've seen time and time again, that the access to that can curtail a person's ability to get around and it affects the walkability of the city, the ability for people to have access to things that they need to in the city. And when you start to see things like no dogs allowed, essentially what that means for you as a dog Toter that means you are not allowed, right. So it's constrained your ability to live in an environment where parks understand that there can be some negative impacts for dogs and in natural spaces. And there can be some bad experiences from dogs on patios. There can be bad experiences from dogs in schools that can be you know, I always say there's a dog, there's a squirrel for every dog. Even a perfect dog. There's going to be something right that would it could be something silly, but we need to understand that the more we allow the population to enjoy those spaces. Those people will better understand how to read a dog, how to understand how they can give their dogs access to off leash play so that the dogs can learn how to be a dog appropriately, and not taking it to the dog park for the first time, without any kind of introduction or training on how to behave there and expect that it's not going to be a little overwhelming for that dog. And in some cases, it can really affect the dog for life. So we need to stop thinking about dog friendliness as a turnkey solution. And really embrace what NIH is saying, which is, you know, contributions to building things and creating zones of allowance and welcoming, so that it can really impact all of us long term. That makes total sense. So Beth, you've traveled near and far you've studied all these communities. If you had to pick one place in the United States, whether it's a town or a city, what would you say is already an ideal community for dogs? Where is the Most Dog Friendly Community? Oh, wow. And there are people of course, you are going to put me on the spot like that. Yeah, cuz I want to know, where what are they doing? Where is this? And who can take note of how this community is in existence for dog lovers and their dogs? Yeah, well, it's a tricky question. What I have found to be the case for me personally, is that, although I've been to cities where I say, Wow, they really got it figured out here. You always come across something that's surprising to you. So when I was in Lake George, New York, there's an unbelievable dog park at Lake George RV park. And Dave King has built this amazing, amazing thing that's just breathtaking. But it has some built environment has like a chalet experience. Very, very nice. And then there's another dog park in Marymoor, Washington, and or Redmond Washington called Marymoor Dog Park. You have to Google this thing. It is unbelievable. Now I'm a nature lover. So this is 42 acres linear along a slow moving stream. So you're out there, they have put ins like we would have for kayaking, but they're for the dogs to gently get down to the water level. Five of them along this stretch. A lot of it is not fenced. There are chuck its and treats and toddlers and strollers and there's a Leonberger playing next to a Chihuahua. And just everything you think would not go right for, say a dog park, we're having all these dogs together works there. And I think that's where I would want to live is I love what they've created in New York. But I'd like to have it all right. So just like we want to have varieties for wellness options for our animals, I think we need to find places that say, Oh, here's something that's working, let's share it with people and say this is what's possible when you prioritize it. And when you integrate wellness and play and health and the impact of dogs on our lives, and put that into the actual structure of our community. So I've seen a lot of things out West. Honestly, I don't know that I would pick a whole lot of places in the middle of the country. Some of the areas in the South are not great. And they have some historical histories with equity and relationships with dogs that are very complicated. But you do see a lot of East Coast and West Coast in terms of access. There's a lot of surprise when I go to those areas. When I tell people like for instance about no dogs on patios in some areas. They look at me like I have three heads. No, I just I just had dinner at a tiny little bistro in Carmel, where there was a Great Dane under the table. And I didn't even know he was there until I left. And he was massive. And the dogs don't walk in like, Whoa, check this out. I’m going to go nuts in here. This is great. They don't they're like we're here at Starbucks again. Mom's getting get her chai tea latte, and then we're gonna go to another patio. Just another day in a dog friendly community. Well, that I can't believe we're out of time. This always happens. This is just fascinating. And you've got so much more information to share. And you've launched the SMART Dog Park, and you have an offer for our listeners. So do you want to share that? SMART Dog Park I do. I'm glad you brought it up because we were talking about, you know, the pluses and minuses of things. And I am very much in the same camp of probably a majority of the people listening here that dog parks have a problem. They have no regulation, they have no supervision. There are no inspections, no certifications, no training, no centralized resource to find things you need the subject matter expertise that you can find at the drop of a hat, all of the things that are essential to having a quality dog park experience. So we can get away from saying, oh my vet said you know not to take the dogs there or oh I have a puppy or Oh my dog is small. I could never my dog, you know, it needs to be better than that. These are opportunities for us to come together as a community with and without our dogs, to celebrate our community and being outdoors and active, and having that magical experience which it can be. But if we want to have that happen, then we need to stop ignoring the problem and say I don't go to those places, and develop something that teaches you to plan and to build, to analyze, and to improve every time that you're creating an off leash experience. So, in working with a few dog park projects around, I developed a system called SMART Dog Park. And that integrates in that process that you always address as a team with a lot of people in a constellation of people that are stakeholders in that project. And you're constantly looking through the lens of is it smart? are we considering manners? are we considering awareness? What about responsibility on all parts? And what about training, if we incorporated those ways of those things, into dog park structure, and into programing and into fundraising, and into development, capital projects, all things that really center on it being a part of the community. And that's what we're hoping to strive to do. So now we're right now, filling spots in our founding members launch. So we're going to have our beta class where people can be steeped in that environment, learn all kinds of information. Even if you're talking about just the land. What was it used for before? Was there anything harmful in that soil? Is there any overspray from nearby farms or residents that use those sprays? Are there any view shed issues? Is there going to be a turf problem? Is there a watershed nearby that you could contaminate? Is there a way to access lighting? Is there enough security in all of these questions, and that's just the piece of dirt that you're going to put it on. So I wanted to put something together that would help people go comprehensively from idea and wish with a dog by your side, all the way through ribbon cutting and then beyond. So that it is a positive experience, that people see it as a part as a positive part of their dog's journey. And so I'm hoping that people can reach out, or they can reach out to me either going to https://www.wagtown.org/. And I've got all kinds of information about their the nonprofit and SMART Dog Park. I also have the downloadable on there that people can take a look at how they could start to develop their team to create a dog park experience in their community. So I would love to do that. And if people have questions and would like to talk with me, no charge, I'm happy to do that. I'm just looking to change the world through wagging tails. And if I can help you get in touch with me. Awesome. Well, Beth has created this handbook. Again, this is what the offer is, it's a free download. And I'm going to put all of the links and the social media URLs and tags into the show notes so that they're accessible for everybody. And Beth, you've just opened all of our eyes, I think of how we can all make our communities even better for ourselves, our neighbors, and of course, the dogs. So I just want to thank you so much for being here and sharing such valuable information. Together, we can change the world and make it better for everybody. Here here, or should I say woof woof woof woof? Thanks so much. Thank you. Social Media URLs or Tags Instagram:: https://www.instagram/wagtown Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wagtown.org  Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethamiller Wagtown LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wagtown-inc. SMART Dog Park LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smart-dog-park   website URL Wagtown.org and SMARTDogPark.com I want to again thank the team at Walkee Paws for sponsoring today’s episode and for making products that are both functional and stylish. Keep your dog’s paws healthy, clean and dry by ordering from https://walkeepaws.com/today. and don’t forget to use the promo code WOL20 for 20% off! Thanks for listening. You'll find some helpful links in the show notes and if you enjoy the show, please be sure to follow and listen for free on your favorite podcast app. And please, please share your feedback. Visit WagOutLoud.com for great product recommendations with discounts, amazing online events and fantastic resources. That's also where to visit our Bark About It page where you can suggest topics, guests or products. Be advised that this show offers health and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You're encouraged to do your own research and should not rely on this information as a substitute for nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your dog's health, you should always consult a veterinarian or a nutrition expert. Have a tail wagging day and we'll catch you next time. Hey Winston was that another tail wagging episode? Don’t forget to Subscribe for FREE and please leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify I Stitcher I iHeartRADIO The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a veterinarian, licensed nutritionist or other qualified professional. The host as well as guests who speak on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions, and Wag Out Loud LLC neither endorses or opposes any particular views discussed here.