Securing Dog Parks with PDK: The Expertise of International Controls & Equipment
- ProdataKey
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Dog parks are popular fixtures in cities and towns across the world, creating a welcoming space for pets and owners to socialize and play. Often constructed as municipal projects, staff are faced with the challenge of keeping these public venues safe, organized, and easy to manage. International Controls & Equipment, a Michigan-based installer, has emerged as a trusted partner for communities looking to secure their dog parks, relying on cloud-based access control from ProdataKey (PDK) to deliver seamless solutions for their customers.
What is International Controls & Equipment?
International Controls & Equipment began with a focus on gate security and automation; over time, that expertise grew into broader access control work, particularly for municipal environments. Next, after working with cities on secured buildings and parking facilities, their services began to expand to municipal dog parks. “It was a pretty natural transition for us, and dog parks seem to be something that a lot of local communities are rallying behind,” reflects Tom Bushe, Director of Business Development at International Controls & Equipment.
As they’ve done more and more of these dog park installs, International Controls & Equipment has become a go-to dealer in Michigan. “We became the main people in this area to do the design and build work,” Tom elaborates. And with a feature on a local news station highlighting technicians as they set up ProdataKey access control at a dog park, their stellar reputation has only grown.
Why Use Access Control in Dog Parks?
Dog parks require effective security in order to keep pets and owners safe and healthy at all times. One of the most immediate concerns for dog parks is managing different dog sizes within the same facility. Often, small dogs and large dogs are kept separate in order to avoid accidental injuries during play.
“There's a concern over dog sizes, so providing access to different areas based on what size dog they have is very important,”
explains Justin Lemon, Project Coordinator at International Controls & Equipment. By controlling which individuals are able to enter specific areas, park managers can ensure that owners won’t bring their pets into potentially dangerous areas.
Beyond physical separation, access control also plays a key role in enforcing health and membership requirements. Many dog parks will require dogs to meet specific criteria before being allowed inside.
“They’re making sure that everybody's up to date on all their vaccine records and their dogs are up to a certain criteria health-wise,” Justin explains. “Then on an annual basis, they review all of that information and make sure fees are paid and records are updated.” Access control ensures that only approved, compliant users and their pets can enter the park.
Protecting Dog Parks with ProdataKey
When it comes to the installation, the team at International Controls & Equipment has these projects down to a science. They set up Red™ High-Security Readers at entry points, such as small dog entrances, large dog entrances, and sallyport main entrances when applicable. Occasionally, International Controls & Equipment has even integrated Digital Watchdog surveillance cameras into these dog park systems, giving municipal staff eyes over their facilities at all times.
A mixture of ProdataKey’s credentials are used to gain access to these parks. “Cards and fobs are really common,” explains Tom. “People like to stick cards in their wallets or purses, and then fobs easily go on a keychain or even on the dog’s leash.” And for municipal staff who want remote access, International Controls & Equipment can easily set them up with mobile credentials. This gives staff the power to open doors remotely—anytime, anywhere.
PDK’s remote capabilities aren’t just crucial for easy access—they are pivotal for managing these often remote, unstaffed areas. “Dog parks are typically on their own out in a field somewhere, with no staff on site,” says Justin. “Using on-premise software 15 years ago for these installs was always clunky. You had to go out there with a laptop and plug it in, and then somebody had to maintain that.” The shift to ProdataKey’s cloud-based platform has changed everything for International Controls & Equipment.
“The cloud-based solution from PDK has had so much success in these more remote locations. It’s turned into quite the no-brainer for a lot of these communities. It’s a plug-and-play solution that’s so easy to learn and share with the management staff.”
Justin Lemon, Project Coordinator at International Controls & Equipment
Remote access management that is user-friendly and easy to follow allows end users to complete any management tasks with confidence. One of the most important management tasks is automatic access scheduling, since many dog parks run on a dawn-to-dusk schedule that naturally shifts throughout the year. “That type of scheduling is a moving target, and dealing with that on an older, on-premise system was quite the task,” Justin reflects. Tom adds: “It was a constant upkeep before. But with PDK you can make those changes on the fly, and it saves end users the fee of having us roll a truck.” By relying on PDK for industry-leading access solutions, International Controls & Equipment delivers a cost-effective and user-friendly solution to their customers.
A Trusted Approach to Dog Park Security
With the help of ProdataKey, International Controls & Equipment has built a strong, positive reputation for dog park access control installations. The combination of remote management, flexible scheduling, and ease of use has eliminated many of the typical challenges associated with securing this type of outdoor, unmanned facility. Through their impeccable work, International Controls & Equipment helps dog owners and their pets feel safe, healthy, and protected at all times.
About ProdataKey
ProdataKey is a team of security integrators with decades of hands-on, in-the-field experience.
PDK believes that the best technology is created by professionals who know what it takes to secure a facility properly and provide the end user with a solution that instills confidence and safety.
PDK is passionate about creating technology to enhance the security, safety, and overall experience of both the professionals installing electronic access control and those that live with and use the system. PDK continues to create technology every day to enhance its products and the products of its technology partners.
