The Dog Pool Project

It was an unprecedented challenge for Toronto’s BonaVista Pools, but one the family-owned company relished: build a water retreat for dogs.

The Doggie Tales Dog Rescue and Sanctuary in King City, Ontario, commissioned the project, dubbed “Project Doggie Tales.” The non-traditional client? Rescued dogs.

The goal was to create a water feature that was both welcoming to dogs and in keeping with the natural feel of the surrounding landscape. Working closely with the property owner, the landscape designer, and the landscaper, BonaVista Pools focused on the water feature’s positioning on the property and activity level options it presented for the dogs, as well as cohesion with the natural environment.

To achieve the latter, the pool surface was constructed of coloured concrete and finished with beach pebbles in brown and beige to match the surroundings. The beach pebbles and rocks were even placed by hand while the concrete was being installed to provide a streambed look. And unlike traditional pools, the water is treated using an oxymatic system, which creates the Hydroxyl ion to disinfect the pool water, allowing the dogs to splash in chlorine-free, sanitized water. Completed in just three short weeks, the project won BonaVista Pools a Landscape Ontario Award of Excellence in the Landscape Construction category for top water feature. But the real reward, says company president Melissa Brown, “is watching the rescued dogs play, socialize, cool off, and simply enjoy this project.”