About

Dog Friendly Kitchener Waterloo

Dog Friendly KW (DFKW) is a woman-led (and founded!), community-focused non-profit organization based in Kitchener-Waterloo. DFKW was founded in 2020 by Justine Sparling and Mackenzie Drinkwater and incorporated as a non-profit organization in January 2023. DFKW aims to create a safe, accessible and inclusive dog friendly community, all while engaging and supporting local, small businesses and promoting responsible dog ownership through education.

Vision: Create the most dog friendly community in Canada through responsible dog ownership, events and education.

Mission: To connect and educate local dog owners and businesses to build a strong community of like-minded dog owners, increase dog friendly spaces, improve responsible dog ownership, and give back to the local community.

Our Values

Inclusivity - we strive to create an inclusive community that is safe and welcoming for all. This includes being inclusive of different training methods and techniques so long as they are not proven to be harmful or unsafe.

Responsibility - we promote responsible and safe dog ownership. This means respecting the space of other humans and dogs, leashing up and embracing a mindset of continuous learning.

Respect - we respect others and trust that dog owners know their dogs best. This includes their choice of training methods, training tools, nutrition and diet or any other polarizing view in the dog space.

Justine and Mackenzie have been friends for almost twenty years having grown up in Muskoka, Ontario together. They have lived in Kitchener, Ontario for the last eight years, and have grown to call this community home. Kersty moved to the region over 4 years ago and fell in love the moment she arrived.

The DFKW team love to explore new dog friendly spots, support local businesses and encourage and grow the local dog friendly community. We are passionate about responsible dog ownership and education, and are known to dig into spicy topics on the Dog Friendly KW Podcast.

We love working with businesses of all types and sizes to help them grow. Want to work with us? We’d love to meet up for a coffee, craft beer, pooch walk or a Zoom call to chat further. Visit our Work With Us page for more details or email us at woof@dogfriendlykw.com.