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Home with special ‘over-the-top’ features for pets considered for Sylvan

“Basically, what we want to do is (include) a whole bunch of just over-the-top stuff for the pet.” DAVID BEART

A Calgary man aiming to build the world’s most pet-friendly house is turning to Sylvan Lake to help make his dream a reality.

A congested real estate market in his hometown forced David Beart to look elsewhere to build the $550,000 home he’s designing to withstand wear and tear caused by family pets.

And it didn’t take long for him to consider Sylvan as an option.

“Here in Calgary, the real estate market is crazy, and if you want to use a custom home builder, you can’t find a lot,” he said. “We went to Okotoks, (but) there are only three lots available. There are lots in High River, but there’s no resale value there. And then there’s Sylvan Lake, which sounds quite appealing.”

Beart met with developers last week to discuss the possibility of building in Sylvan‘s Crestview subdivision.

Should things fail to work out, he’s got a backup plan to move construction to Red Deer.

Sylvan, however, remains his first choice.

“It’s a very pet-friendly town ... and there are lots available,” he said. “Lots available right now is something that’s not easy to come by.”

To successfully achieve the moniker of the world‘s most pet-friendly house, it must be more than just durable.

By including features that will enhance comfort and convenience for both pets and their owners, Beart feels he’s got all bases covered.

“Basically, what we want to do is (include) a whole bunch of just over-the-top stuff for the pet,” he said. “A dog would have its own room with a 60-inch TV to watch, its own walk in closet full of all the coolest toys, its own treadmill, a doggy shower, and a 270-gallon aquarium.

“It will still look just as nice as a house that you‘d like to live in, it just has some extra amenities.”

Upon completion, the house will open to media and the public, including dog owners whose canines will be invited to carry out quality assurance testing.

“We‘ll put the house through its paces,” said Beart. “What we want to do is bring in a dozen dogs wet, muddy and gross, and run them through a brand new house, which no home builder would ever do.

“In doing that, we will show the durability of the floors, the carpets and the furniture.”

Beart, who owns the website www.professorshouse.com, expects his project to generate significant media interest from around the world.

He’s already had 16 magazines from four different countries express interest in providing coverage, while 130 pet product manufacturers have committed to filling the house with their merchandise.

“It’s a marketing project to really promote pet ownership and home ownership,” he said, adding he feels its arrival is well-timed in light of frequent pet attack reports in the media.

“Almost every other day right now, we‘re hearing negativity about pets, and this is going to be a fun project that we believe is going to go global.”

Should construction of the house go ahead in Sylvan Lake, Beart hopes to engage residents in the process.

He’s inviting them to provide input or feedback by emailing him at david@professorshouse.com.