The Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled the NFL’s first in-stadium dog park on Monday, which officials say will help raise tens of thousands of dollars for the Jacksonville Humane Society.
Pet Paradise Park officially opens at TIAA Bank Field during the Jaguars’ first preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday, Aug. 9.
At Monday’s unveiling, Scott Massey, who is the team’s senior vice president of corporate partnerships, said that in order to achieve financial success, the organization has “to plan around the wins and losses,” because they have no control over that. What they can control is the stuff that has nothing to do with what’s happening down on the field.
“And that is giving people an experience at the stadium that is as close to, and better than what they can get at home,” Massey said.
He said the same theory applies to other recent endeavors at TIAA Bank Field: a pair of “spas,” or pools, at the west and east corners of the north end zone and the NFL’s longest video board, both of which were unveiled in 2014.
The team also recently announced that it would be dedicating part of the stadium’s North Deck to Jacksonville’s military heritage.
Dog owners have three ways to get their pets into Pet Paradise Park for the day:
1. Enter to win the Pet Paradise Top Dog sweepstakes at Jaguars.com/PetParadise. Each week ten dogs will be picked to gain access to the park and their families will be given a pair of tickets to the game. One of those ten canines will then be featured by the Jaguars as the grand prize winner on the videoboards on game day and on the team’s social channels.
2. Bid on one of five game day packages for every Jaguars home game at JaxHumane.org/Bid. The package includes two game tickets, one parking pass, and access for one dog to Pet Paradise Park. All proceeds will benefit homeless pets at the Jacksonville Humane Society.
3. Season ticket members have an extra chance to win if they fill out the form at Jaguars.com/PetParadise. Five season ticket members will be selected at each home game to bring their dog to the stadium.
Dogs who set paw inside Paradise Park will have access to a large artificial turf play area, a bone-shaped swimming pool, veterinary services, and pet suites. Owners will be required to bring their dogs to the drop-off area three-and-a-half hours before kickoff and can pick up their pets about an hour after the game ends.
And before dogs are allowed into the park, they will have to be taken to a Pet Paradise location for pre-registration. Staff will check to make sure dogs’ vaccinations are up to date, that they are compatible with other animals, and they are suited for play in the stadium dog park.
Game day walk-ups will not be allowed into the dog park.
Dog owners will be allowed to watch the game from their seats, or on the south end zone patio near the dog park, where they will pick up their pets after the game.
Officials say more than 250 dogs will be admitted into Pet Paradise Park during the 2018 season (That’s about 20 dogs per game), and they expect the entrance auction to raise more than $50,000 for the Jacksonville Humane Society to help homeless pets in Northeast Florida.
According to a permit application submitted to the City of Jacksonville, the 1,854-square-foot “day resort and spa” cost $167,000.
