I don’t know when the I first articulated the idea for what I call “Lola Beans – Dog-People Community Centers” but it wasn’t long after Lola and I rescued each other. Shortly after Lola came into my life, I quickly understood there was a pattern of civil unrest in my home on the days Lola did not get walked. I live in New England and so the weather can be a real challenge, some days its just too wet, too cold, or too hot to walk. This Spring has been killer on my allergies, some days being outdoors feels like an assault on my face and I just can’t hack it. 
On those days Lola would be into everything, constantly wanting to “go – out”, chewing things that are not meant for puppies, perpetually wanting interaction and play time. She became a real high demand dog which made everyone and everything else in house a greater challenge than it already was. I found myself wishing for a place I could take her that was indoors, so no matter what the weather, we could get in our walk – for both of our sakes.
The things is there isn’t anyplace I can play with my dog and other dogs without going to a public, outdoor, dog park and I’ll admit I sometimes get a little sketched out going to public dog parks because I’ve been in situations where the owners cannot really can control their pets. Doggy daycare is alright for the days I need to be away or just want to give Lola a little more social activity but it’s not what I want. I can’t stay there and be with Lola there. I want someplace I can enjoy her, develop our relationship, and play. There isn’t anyplace I can be with my dog in and environmentally controlled atmosphere. I started to talking to other dog-people about it and put out this survey to figure out if I was some kind of weirdo or if other dog-people wanted the same kind of remedy. Turns out, I’m not that weird. That’s the spark for Lola Beans.
