It all started with one dog. One adorable, yet shoe-terrorizing, sock-eating, squeaker-toy annihilating dog. Our Lucas, the inspiration dog.

After many years of marriage, we were happy as a couple. Just the two of us – no kids, no pets. Then we came across this shivering little mass in the corner of one of our construction jobs. A timid ball of fur that latched onto my arm as if saying, “Are you my mom?”

Lucas went everywhere with me, riding in my lap. Family members gasped. “You – with a dog?” I found loving and nurturing this precious little thing was more natural than I’d ever realized. And I soon found my furry baby was inspiring yet another addition to our family. Several in fact – a little boy and several furry siblings.

All the while, Lucas made us laugh with his puppy antics, and frown at the damage one little dog can do. So we spent a lot of time at the city dog parks. Every weekend, we would plan our day around an outing for Lucas, and watch with happy smiles as he gleefully bounded around the park, playing and rolling, chasing and jumping, sniffing and being sniffed. Then we relished our evening home and the following days with a snoring, stretched out, feet-in-the air, sleepy lab-basset mix.

As time went by, we kept up the routine knowing all too well a lapse in our dog park schedule would mean saying goodbye to another pair of favorite shoes. But with the seasons came the unbearable heat or the uncomfortable cold. Little shade or seating, water spickets that wouldn’t run, muddy, grassless parks and equally muddy dogs all made our outings less than fun for us. And we thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place inside we could go for Lucas to run and play that was more comfortable?” We started playing with the idea while we researched the possibilities – and the demand. We counted the people and dogs that came to the parks on good-weather days. And we counted them on bad-weather days. And we counted and we counted, and we were astonished. The demand for a place to let a dog run-off leash was amazing, despite the barren offerings. What if you could take this idea and improve upon it…would people want a dog park designed equally with their comfort in mind?

We began the long process of creating business plans, raising capital, hiring architects, attorneys, engineers and contractors, seeking ad agencies and building marketing plans. Most people never told us we were crazy – but it was obvious they were thinking it. But those weren’t “dog people.” Dog lovers like us latched on to our idea with enthusiasm and supported us whole-heartedly.

As the market soured our resources plummeted. Several banks pulled out of their commitments to us. Our stock portfolios, funding the balance, virtually disappeared. Construction costs, like fuel costs, spiked once we were in the midst of the actual building. Much too entrenched, there was no where to move but forward.

We cut costs. We shaved square footage. We created multiple phases of construction with the goal of getting the core services open and completing additional amenities once we could cash-flow them with revenue. A long-standing relationship with a local bank remained strong. The rest we funded with every penny of savings and then some. We bartered. We negotiated. We endured. And we finally opened the doors in March 2009.

Now people tell me all the time, “I had that idea once.” I’m proud that we not only had a big idea, but also the fortitude to execute it and to bring it to fruition. And thus, Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks.

And the rest, they say, is history. All because of one little dog. Our Lucas – the inspiration dog.