Pet+Spaces+Visual+Essay+and+Concept+Map

Pet Spaces Visual Essay Summary
Slide #1: Introduction For my project, I chose to look at pet spaces in metropolitan Toronto. I began my research in various neighborhoods of Toronto, including Davisville and Yorkville, and the beaches. While researching and venturing out around Toronto, I tried to take the position of a Toronto pet owner, and critically look at the spaces in Toronto for Pets. Ultimately, I found that while some neighborhoods of Toronto catered to pets and pet owners more then others, in general Toronto was a very accommodating city for pets and pet owners alike.

Slide #2: Critical Position For this reason, I decided to make my critical position a positive one: “Public and private pet spaces and services available throughout the city of Toronto enhance the lives of both Toronto pets, and their owners.” The rest of my visual essay will outline the crucial spaces and services in Toronto that led me to this conclusion, and will discuss the needs of pets and their owners and how they are met in Toronto.

Slide #3: Concept Map This is the concept map that I created, based on all of my research. It shows all of the areas that I looked into, and how they all connect, and shows a definite divide in the commercial services and spaces, and the public services and spaces for pets in Toronto.

Slide #4: Pet and Owner Pairs There are many different kinds of pets that live in Toronto, and many different types of pet owners. Some pet owners treat their pets as if they were their children. Others treat their pet like a companion or friend. Some see their pets social outlets, and others as reflections of themselves. The city of Toronto has a lot to offer all of these owners and pets. All pet and owner relationships are a bit different; however in my research I have identified tends “types” of “pet and owner” pairs. The following slides will outline 4 typical “Pet and Owner” pairs, their needs and interests, and how they are met in the city of Toronto.

Slide #5: Parenting Pet Owners Some pet owners treat their pets as if they were their children. All of those parenting pets that live in Toronto are lucky, because there are tons of resources for those who love to baby their pets. Toronto offers several different daycare services for pets. Some of these daycares even allow pet parents to watch their pets on web cams while at work. Toronto also offers some of the best services around as far as pet healthcare. Vets in Toronto are very proactive, and offer top of the line vaccines and treatments for pets. It is said that pets receive faster and more quality health care then humans without health insurance plans. While doing research in the Yonge and Eglinton area of Toronto, I witnessed the epitome of two parent pet owners- a man and a woman strolling down the sidewalk with their two small dogs in a baby type carriage. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of them- I actually thought that there were babies in the carriage until I got close to the little family so I was unable to stop them for a photograph.

Slide #6: Socialite Pet Owners The socialite pet owner loves their pet, yet none the less they love to use as an excuse to socialize with other pet owners. Socialite pet owners take advantage of various events and groups hosted in Toronto, including events like Woof Fest, dog playgroups, and even dog dating sites. While researching online, I stumbled upon a site called “DatemyPet.com” which allowed pet lovers to look up profiles of other pet lovers interested in dating. Socialite pet owners are also known for living vicariously through their pet- going as far as posting online profiles for their furry friend!

Slide #7: Traditional Pet Owners This pet owner has been around for a long time. This is the typical pet owner that you would find in the country, suburbs and city alike. A person who likes to walk their pet, feeds their pet non-gourmet food, and enjoys the simple companionship of having a pet. These pet owners can make use of the ample pet parks in Toronto, dog beaches, and trails for walking. They can make use of typical pet stores and vet services all over the city, and can veer away from the glamorous pet boutiques and fashion chains.

Slide #8: High class Pet Owners This is the Paris Hilton type pet owner. High-class pet owners love to dress their pets in the latest fashions, and book them appointments at the classiest pet spas in Toronto. High-class pet owners tend to impose their personalities and interests onto their pets- making them as high maintenance as themselves

Slide #9: Pet Friendly Neighborhoods In my explorations of Toronto, I found that different neighborhoods seemed to cater to specific “pet pairs”. Neighborhoods did not go as far as limiting which pets they catered too, but what each one had to offer distinctly catered to some pet personalities more then others. The next three slides will provide a summary of three distinctive pet friendly neighborhoods in Toronto that cater to pets and pet owners with varying needs, interests, and personalities. This is not to say that pet owners and pets do not inhibit areas that don’t directly compliment their personalities, It just illustrates a trend that I noticed in my research of “what types of pet owners and pets live where”.

Slide #10: Yorkville Despite its exclusive personality, I have found Yorkville to be a very pet friendly area of Toronto. I frequently see dogs of all different breeds being walked in this area, and Tillie and I even stumbled upon a dog accessible water fountain while roaming around the area, which I featured on the last slide. I also spoke with several pet owners in this area, and they were all very sociable. Judging from my experience in Toronto, Yorkville seems to be home to many socialite pet owners.

Slide #11: Cityplace City place, as many of you might know is a new condo development near lakeshore blvd downtown. During my research I looked into one of the condo’s websites to find that they offer special indoor and outdoor pet areas, as well as pet day care services.

Slide #12: The Beaches The Beaches is definitely an area of the city that caters to the Traditional pet owner. This neighborhood boasts a specified dog beach and several dog parks, both on and off leash for pets and owners to explore.

Slide #13: Pet Benefits Pets undoubtedly benefit from living in Toronto. They are often more socialized then pets who live in suburban and rural areas because of their constant interaction with other pets and people in the city. They have lots of opportunities to be active, from walking around the city to running and playing in off leash dog parks.

Slide #14: Owner Benefits My research shows that the strongest benefits of living in Toronto with a pet are those received by the pet owner. Toronto allows pet owners to provide for their pets and all of their needs, to use their pets as vehicles for socializing and personal expression, and to meet new people. Pet owners can choose an area to live in within the city of Toronto based on their needs and interests. Furthermore, neighborhoods, particularly those that are pet friendly can reach of to pet owners, providing entertainment for original residents and helping new Toronto dwellers to fit into their neighborhood and become comfortable in the city.

Slide #15: The City vs. The Suburbs While researching and exploring pet areas and services in Toronto, I tried to compare what Toronto had to offer to what many surrounding suburban areas had to offer. While suburban cities surrounding Toronto could definitely provide more green space for pets, they definitely did not compare to Toronto when it came to social events for pets and pet owners.

Slide #16: The few downfalls of Toronto from a Pet’s Perspective Despite all of the good services and spaces that Toronto offers for pets, there are a few neighborhoods that could be improved upon. During one of my trips to Toronto with my dog Tillie, I found that the more business-oriented sectors of Toronto were a lot less pet friendly than the residential areas of the city. While this makes some sense, business areas of Toronto could be made more pet friendly if more green spaces were created.

Slide #17: Conclusion So that sums up my research and critical position on pet spaces and services in the city of Toronto.