Bark Buildings Sets New Standard For Pet-Friendly Housing

If you think transitioning back to working in the office is going to be hard, how do you think your dog feels? Stressed out!

After over a year of spending every waking moment together at home, pets are having serious separation anxiety as their owner's transition back to their old lifestyle.

And when you think about how much pet ownership skyrocketed during the pandemic, and with 48% of millennials and Gen-Zers planning to adopt this year, it's easy to see this is a widespread crisis.

Bark Buildings, a unique lifestyle brand that builds pet-friendly communities and promotes responsible pet ownership, is announcing a new national program that brings the company’s sought-after amenities and concierge-style services to multi-family buildings across the U.S.

At a time when pet ownership is on the rise and both animals and humans are navigating post-pandemic living, Bark Buildings offers critical tools and programming for pet families and property managers alike.

Originally founded in Jersey City as an in-building amenity, the company is transitioning to fill growing needs across the country. The brand is introducing an innovative model that can plug into any building in any market, beginning with Chicago and Washington D.C.

Bark Buildings is a modern pet amenity that helps communities attract, retain, and support pet owners—one of the fastest-growing demographics in the country.

Millennials currently represent the majority of the housing market and constitute 80 percent of pet-owning residents in the U.S. That number is only increasing, with almost 50 percent of millennials and Generation Z intending to adopt a pet within the next year alone.

Despite these statistics, many prospective renters and owners still find it challenging to secure housing that not only accepts pets, but also provides a safe, welcoming environment for them.

Bark Buildings is filling this urgent hole in the market with its intuitive amenity program that aligns the needs of building residents with the business goals of building operators, setting a new standard for pet-friendly housing.

“As animal lovers, we created Bark Buildings to help pet families thrive in multifamily communities. And guess what happens when property managers start prioritizing pet owners? They see higher rents, better retention and what we call the halo effect: the property becomes more appealing to other demographics,” said Danit Zivan, who co-founded Bark Buildings along with her brother Devir Zivan.

Residents enjoy access to the best local pet care providers that are vetted by Bark Buildings—from walkers to veterinarians—along with educational resources, and community engagement tools to connect with fellow pet families in the building.

Bold signage, a treat jar, and new pet ‘welcome gifts’ immediately make new pet owners feel welcome and at home, as well as help to generate a sense of community within a building.

On-site activation kits further assist in organically drawing residents together as well as illustrate a building’s commitment to supporting a pet-friendly environment.

“We are thrilled to expand Bark Buildings with this new model that can be tailored to multi-family communities across the country,” said Devir. “With more and more people adopting pets and the needs of on-site teams evolving, property managers are seeking solutions to keep pace. At the same time, pet owners are expecting more from pet-friendly communities. There's a real need for Bark Buildings, and our customers’ feedback has validated that.”