Make Your Mud Room a Pet Paradise

Whether your mud room is located in the front entryway of your home, or tucked into a little-used back entrance, it’s a space that can be easily overlooked by homeowners. Shedding clothing, kicking off shoes, dropping bags—a mud room often gets short shrift because it serves an “in-between” function. However, we know that in homes with young children—and especially in homes with pets—a mud room can become an essential space, and all it takes is a little planning.

Transforming a mud room into an organized space is easier than you think—and it all starts with creative design. It’s not just about adding cabinets—although more storage never hurt anyone!—but about designing a functional space that will make your home more comfortable, and that will fit your family and your lifestyle.

Cabinets—Just the Beginning

Storage is crucial when you are wrangling with all of your pet gear: leashes, feeding dishes, medications, grooming products—you could transform your mud room into a pet paradise with a few simple tweaks.

• Add cabinetry for storage: Your seasonal gear can be safely stashed away, and still leave plenty of room for a centralized pet area. Store food securely, and keep toys and treats out of reach.
• Hang it up: A simple, wall-mounted system of pegs will keep collars and leashes up and out of the way until you need them. If you have humans that need organizing, hang two—one for coats and hats, the other for the pet gear!
• Baskets can catch-all: Open cabinetry or cubbies are easily organized with the addition of “catch-all” baskets, where you can keep things you need in easy reach—umbrellas and gloves for the kids, doggy bags for the pups.

Adding new, durable, easy-to-clean floors and counters will help tie the space in to the rest of the house, while also making your mud room a practical pet paradise!

Deluxe Dog Room—Creature Comforts

Don’t just think storage—think living. A mud room can be transformed into a true Pet Paradise with the addition of some creative extras.

• Built-in kennels: Building kennels in below counters—like a cabinet—is an excellent way to maximize space. A counter creates a “ceiling” for the crate, which may make your beloved pet feel even more secure.
• Sinks and showers: Get grooming in your own home grooming center. You can build a sink, or even an entire shower, into your mud room. A small tub with a handheld showerhead is great for giving the dogs their weekly bath, or a quick rinse; you may even find it’s perfect for rinsing off shoes and bare feet after a day outside.
• Freshly laundered: If feasible, moving the washer and dryer to the mud room is a great way to centralize the messiest (but most fun!) aspects of life with your family.

Support Your Local Shelters

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few rescue organizations doing great work in Houston!

• City of Houston/BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions: Adopt, donate, or volunteer your time; join BARC on Saturday, May 17, 2014, at Memorial Park for their next adoption event—BARC in the Park!
• Friends for Life: This no-kill shelter has rescue, rehabilitation, adoption, humane education, and animal food/supply support programs.
• Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP): In addition to adoption services, CAP provides foster care, humane education, and other outreach services.
• Scout’s Honor Rescue: A rescue group that rescues from city pounds, including BARC and the City of La Porte animal shelter; a heavy focus on fostering has resulted in the placement of over 2500 animals.
• Pup Squad Animal Rescue: Saving as many puppies and nursing litters as they can, Pup Squad works hard to protect the vulnerable puppies—and momma dogs—in and around Houston.