Barkers Park set to close

Photo / Ben Fraser

Five jobs will be lost as a Rotorua dog daycare, canine supermarket and grooming service closes.

The owners of the Barkers Park complex on Fairy Springs Rd, P & K NZ Ltd, told staff last week that dogs no longer fitted their vision for the complex. It will close at the end of next month.

P & K NZ Ltd director Stanley Park would not reveal any future plans for the property.

"There are a few things we are looking at but we need to discuss this with our shareholders first before disclosing anything as it's still confidential."

But manager and groomer Nicky Hammond said it's been a shock for staff and frustrating as they've been asking questions of the owners for the last year and have had no definite answers. She has handed in her resignation and will finish in two weeks.

"We haven't been able to sense anything because [Mr Park] just won't talk to us. This last year we've been under humongous pressure because things were so uncertain, I was working 50-plus hours a week, just to try to keep things ticking over," Ms Hammond said.

The dog grooming service has more than 400 clients who visit every four to six weeks. Ms Hammond said some of their clients travel from Gisborne, Auckland and Taupo.

"On a busy day our [dog care] can have up to 16 dogs a day. We have regulars every week and a lot of dogs come from families who have had ongoing barking complaints to the council and they've brought them here.

"It's going to affect the entire community. We have dog training and we've worked with their owners and they've become like family to us.

"There's been complete fury from owners when we've told them, it's been hard for everyone concerned."

Ms Hammond and another worker have now set up their own dog grooming business, K9 Kuts, which launch on November 4. However, the other staff are still looking for work.

"They love their jobs, it's been absolutely devastating for them and a huge loss of income, we're all trying to support families," Ms Hammond said.

Mr Park said they will be in a better position to publicly discuss the future of the complex in the next couple of weeks.

Earlier this year the firm announced plans for a new multimillion-dollar tourism venture next to Barkers Park at the old Caterpillar Experience site. Stage one of the $3.1 million New Zealand Heritage Farm project is slated to begin next month.