Kelowna Construction Firms Build Custom Doghouses for Charity
In Kelowna's Home Depot parking lot, a unique competition brought together local construction companies to build custom doghouses for a good cause. The inaugural 'Bark and Build' event was hosted by the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA) on September 26, 2026, to raise money for Paws it Forward, a non-profit dog rescue society in the Okanagan.
Seven companies participated in the competition, each paying $500 to enter. Teams had roughly 30 days to build their creations, with a focus on creativity and structural soundness. According to SICA's Events and Community Experience Manager, Courtney Fedevich, some notable features included piping and plumbing added by Ace Plumbing and Heating, as well as Flynn Roofing's exceptional roof construction.
The event also featured free dog goody bags and toys, Polaroid photos, a 'good dog' board, and a Home Depot children's station for building miniature construction projects. The custom-built doghouses were listed in a silent auction, with winners able to take them home or donate them back to Paws it Forward.
Fedevich expressed her admiration for the participating teams: 'I'm speechless, to be honest, with the way that our members showed up to build for this cause. We see so much creativity and pride in ownership in these. They're so structurally sound, you could actually live in these.'