RAVENSWOOD — Bosly’s Backyard, an indoor dog park pet owners can rent out for their pups, recently moved into a 2,400-square-foot play space in Ravenswood.
The space is years in the making for owner Kim Theobald, who wanted to create a safe environment for dogs like her pup, Bosly, whom she adopted from the Anti-Cruelty Society.
“I struggled with living in the city and not having a yard where I could bring her to release all her pent-up energy off leash and let her play,” Theobald said. “She was about a year old at the time and she also started not doing really great at dog parks.”
Theobald has also volunteered as a board member at One Tail At A Time, a no-kill, all-breed dog rescue. That experience also helped shape her vision for Bosly’s Backyard.
“I think that really opened up my eyes that I’m not the only person with a dog that doesn’t fit into a dog park environment. That we need to create spaces that work well for individual dogs’ needs instead of putting them in a situation where they might not feel comfortable,” she said.
Theobald decided to pursue opening a business last year. She started with pop-up events at venues in Wicker Park before the pandemic.
“Then the pandemic happened, so I kind of took a hiatus until August, when I found a bigger event venue in Logan Square,” Theobald said.
Theobald was based out of the Logan Square space until relocating to the Ravenswood Event Center at 4011 N. Ravenswood Ave. in late April.
“Basically, it’s a private environment where you come and play with your dog. You can make a reservation for 30 or 60 minutes and we have agility equipment and other cognitive stimulus for your dog,” Theobald said. “The whole premise is to build a shared, stress-free one-on-one experience with your dog where you don’t have to be hyper vigilant about other dogs running up to you that your dog might not be friendly with.”
One 30-minute session costs $55 and has the option of adding up to two dog siblings for an additional $15 or two dog buddies for an additional $30.
“Socializing your dog is doing different things with them to stimulate their brain and their physical activity,” she said. “It doesn’t always mean you have to bring your dog off leash to a dog park.”
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