Dogland started with a series of simple questions.

Why do dogs make people so happy, and why aren’t there more places built just for that joy?

I first noticed it watching my sisters. Both of them got dogs, and suddenly their lives revolved around them. One celebrated her dog’s birthday with gelato. The other brought her dog on a full family vacation. At first, I thought their behavior was odd, indulgent even.

Then one afternoon at the dog park, I saw it differently. People were tossing toys across the grass, pulling homemade treats from their pockets, and chasing their dogs like they were playing tag. Everywhere I looked, there was pure delight. That’s when it hit me—these aren’t just people’s dogs. They are family.

And that thought spiraled. If dogs are such a central part of so many lives, what do we do for them and with them to celebrate this? What is the pinnacle dog experience? What is the dog version of Disneyland?

Around that time, I was going through a breakup. I had started craving a dog of my own, partly inspired by watching my sisters, but I was not sure it was the right time. They nudged me gently and said, just look, see what is out there.

Not long after, I came across the cutest Westie puppy I had ever seen. It felt like he appeared exactly when I needed him.

It was peak COVID, so I assumed it would take months. But the next morning, an email arrived:

"I have a Westie puppy. Can meet at Costco at 2:00 PM."

The next day, I met Rick in a Costco parking lot. And that was the beginning of my family.

Through heartbreak, a move to Austin, and life’s ups and downs, Rick has been my constant. A true source of unconditional love. Curled up in bed, riding shotgun, or nudging me outside for walks when I needed them most, he’s been my ride or die through it all.

Rick has a way of finding joy in everything. He chases pretend mice, hops through snow, and runs with his friends at the park with pure, unfiltered delight.

And in watching him, I realized something profound. Dogs live in joy, and that joy changes you.

Rick taught me what I had only seen from the outside: dogs are not just pets. They are chosen family.

If you watch parents with their kids, you notice the little rituals they create to bring joy. The first trip to see Santa. Birthday cakes with everyone singing. Popcorn on the couch for movie night. Some families save for years to take their kids to Disneyland, not for themselves, but for the joy of seeing their child light up.

There is a special kind of happiness in witnessing someone you love experience pure delight.

That is exactly what it feels like with Rick.

It made me wonder, where are the experiences like that for people and their dogs?

Dogland is built around that idea.

It is a place where people can bring their chosen family, their dogs, and spend a day celebrating joy together. It is a place where the best part is not just what you do, but watching the dog you love have the absolute best day ever.

When your dog is that happy, somehow you are too.

That shared joy between people and the dogs they love is what Dogland is all about.