“Stick Library” for dogs, a fun hit in the park [Video]

• David Carter with his son Jeremiah set out a mission to build a “Stick Library” for dogs and families in their community.
• The “Stick Library” is made out of leftover lumber, simply a wooden box laying on the ground, with sticks in it.
• Currently, the library has two branches, and David plans on putting up more branches soon.

Dogs are suckers for sticks. They have this utter fascination to things they can chase, catch, toss, and chew!

This is the motivation behind David Carter’s idea to come up with a “Stick Library” for dogs who love spending time in the park with their hoomans.

The idea sprung originally from social media to which David bought, so he can spread cheer among dogs and families in Saskatchewan, Canada, especially during the pandemic. He then made this a special project between him and his 10-year-old son, Jeremiah.

They set out to build the “Stick Library,” carefully calculating the right measurements to come up with the perfect design. The father duo used leftover lumber.

“We had to have a discussion about the kind of dimensions it should be so it was the right length for the sticks that most dogs like and we had to make it sturdy enough so that it would stand up to being in the dog park,” David said.

To make it more special and personal, Jeremiah labeled the library box using a wood burner. On the box, the branch name is also indicated, as David and Jeremiah planned on putting up more branches of the Stick Library, which currently has two.

“We came up with the idea of calling each of the dog parks a ‘branch’ of the library which made us giggle a little bit,” David said. “Then [Jeremiah] put the lettering on and we put it together.”

What makes this different from regular libraries, though, is its return policy. David came up with a laxer rule because dogs are just, well, dogs. He expects however that people would have the initiative to return the sticks so others can enjoy them too.

“We’re dealing with dogs here, so the rules are pretty slack,” David said. “We don’t have an overdue policy or anything like that. We hope people will put the sticks back.”

With their unique idea coupled with their innate love for dogs, David and Jeremiah’s Stick Library was an instant hit, with a lot of visitors coming over and just relishing the experience of a fun play day at the park.

“It’s been really exciting to see dogs running right over and grabbing a stick. Ultimately, it’s a wooden box on the ground, but I think the story is about giving people something else to think about and talk about that has nothing to do with the pandemic and is about something fun — especially since it involves their pets,” David shared.

There’s no stopping though, as David plans to improve the design for the succeeding branches.

Source: The Dodo