Soft play centre for dogs opens in Southport

The owner of a bar in Southport, Merseyside, has launched a soft play centre for dogs.

Karl Diamond, who owns Retro Bar in Southport and No 6 wine bar in Formby, decided to launch Soft Paws when his black Labrador Hugo became reactive to other dogs on a lead.

The facility – in Old Hall Farm Business Park, Unist, Crowland Street – is set over two levels. It has all the usual soft play features – including a ball pit, slides, obstacles and tunnels – made suitable for dogs.

Diamond told The Guide Liverpool: “We’ve put an anti-slip surface on the slide which lets them grip it so it’s more like a ramp that they can run up and down. We have hanging obstacles, balls, tunnels for them to run through and in the centre we have lots of soft play building blocks that they can pick up and throw about.”

He said the company will look at introducing inflatables, such as a bouncy castle, in the future.

Soft Paws is private hire and all breeds are welcome, including XL Bullies.