MOBILE, Ala. — A familiar building at one of Mobile’s busiest intersections is headed for a very different second life. The former CVS at Cottage Hill and Azalea roads is being converted into Barx Parx Mobile, a members-only indoor dog park where dogs play off-leash while their owners relax with a beer or a glass of wine.
Franchise owner Jonathan Rayner said he hopes to open in roughly three months, with the timeline depending in part on the city’s permitting process.
“It’s an indoor dog park,” Rayner said. “You can come hang out, have fun with the dogs, enjoy a cold beverage.”
More than a play space
The concept extends well beyond an indoor yard. Barx Parx Mobile plans to offer daycare and kennel-free boarding, with the possibility of adding training and grooming services later.
Barx Parx began in Las Vegas around 2018 and only started offering franchise opportunities about a year ago. Rayner said he and his son are the first franchisees, making Mobile the company’s first franchise location.
Finding the right building took a year
“It’s been about a year trying to find an appropriate location,” Rayner said.
He eventually connected with local businessman Don Henry, who purchased the former CVS building, allowing Rayner to sign a lease. Converting a pharmacy into a dog park sounds like a substantial undertaking, but Rayner said the existing structure suits the purpose well.
“We’re still in the initial stages of getting all the plans and whatnot put together, and we’ve got to get permits,” he said. “The nice thing is there’s not a lot of build-out that’s required.”
Painters were already at work at the property as the transformation began.
From microbiology to dog parks
Running an indoor dog park represents a career change for Rayner, though not as sharp a turn as it might appear. His undergraduate degree is in animal science and he holds a Ph.D. in microbiology. He spent about nine years as a professor at the University of South Alabama before that appointment ended in May.
“I was like, you know what? Let’s take a step aside from science for a little while and maybe do something else,” Rayner said.
He has spent more than 30 years working on drug and vaccine development and remains a part-time chief scientific officer for startup biotechnology companies, but said Barx Parx will become his full-time focus.
A family operation
Rayner is opening the business with his youngest son, who is 22 and will help manage the location.
“We are a big dog family,” Rayner said. “I have four dogs at my house, and I’ve got seven grandpuppies.” His wife, children and stepchildren all share the interest.
“We’re just trying to bring this in, make it a big family affair, be able to hang out with people and basically kind of take this whole shared love of animals, specifically dogs, and be able to enjoy that in a controlled, safe environment,” he said.
Safety requirements for off-leash play
Because dogs play off-leash, entry comes with conditions. The facility will be members-only, and dogs must pass a behavioral assessment and remain current on required vaccinations. Dogs will also be checked on arrival for fleas, ticks or signs of illness.
Staff members called “park rangers” will be stationed in the play yards with leashes, ready to intervene.
“Even if a dog passes an assessment, they’re dogs, right?” Rayner said. “And so there’s somebody there to basically intervene in that situation.”
The off-leash approach extends to boarding, which will not use traditional kennels.
For the humans
Barx Parx plans to sell canned and bottled beer and wine, giving owners somewhere to socialize while their dogs play, and to hold events aimed at building a community around the park.
For now, the former pharmacy sits mid-transformation — no paws on the floor yet, but work underway on what Rayner hopes will be a playground built for both ends of the leash.