Bark Social Abruptly Closes All MD, NoVA Locations

COLUMBIA, MD — Bark Social, a chain of dog parks with locations in Maryland and Northern Virginia, abruptly closed this week as the business prepares to file for bankruptcy, according to the owners and reports.

A statement on the Bark Social's website confirmed the business is closed "until further notice."

In a statement obtained by The MoCo Show, Bark Social's owners said the business's last day of operation was Thursday.

"We know this is abrupt, but as a small start-up, Bark Social relies on investors to fuel its growth. The company was in the middle of a growth round when financing that was expected fell through," the statement read. "To do right by its team members who are the heart and soul of the company, Bark Social has made the tough decision to close its doors today and will enter bankruptcy."

Bark Social had locations in North Bethesda, Columbia and Baltimore in Maryland, Alexandria in Virginia, and a fifth in Philadelphia.

Gail Graves, who took her dog to the Columbia location every day, called the closure "a huge loss to the community."

“This was actually one of the reasons why I moved to Pike & Rose because I wanted to be near Bark Social, so now I want to move, honestly,” Graves told WTOP. “I met so many friends here and my dog loved it.”