A splash pad that caters just to dogs is booming with popularity.

Shawna O’Handley is the owner of Crazy Dog Splash Pad in St. Croix, Nova Scotia and she tells our newsroom she is shocked as to how quickly it took off.

“I am totally overwhelmed by it. I thought, you know, maybe get a couple rentals here…my dog, sports friends and stuff like that. But it just bloomed, blossomed like crazy,” says O’Handley.

She says she’s had probably close to 200 people come in just over a month, with some that drive in from a ways away – even Truro.

“They just absolutely love it. There are people thanking me for doing this so they can come here and swim their dogs. And, just how beautiful the facility is,” adds O’Handley.

She adds that she wanted it to be top notch and did not spare any expenses when building it.

“I used composite decking so that it wouldn’t rot. And the guy that did the deck, he did a fabulous job on it. Couldn’t have been more pleased with that.”

How did the idea come about?

The idea for the pool was simple – her dog loves to swim and competes in dock diving.

So, O’Handley says, she built the pool for him and her other puppy, then figured she’d rent it out.

She was also weary of blue-green algae in lakes, with a friend’s dog who passed away from it.

Grand opening

Their grand opening was earlier this month with 37 dogs who came and splahed around.

Book your spot

You do need to book your slot, and O’Handley encourages you to book ahead.

However, you can even a half hour before your dog takes a dip, if spots are available.