How Diamond Lake has become a petting zoo for the diamond industry
- August 25, 2021
In the mid-1960s, a diamond mine in the middle of nowhere in northern Arizona had a pet shop.
It was an old-fashioned petting shop, full of rabbits and chickens.
Today, Diamond Lake is a pet-centric resort, with over 20 different types of animals roaming around the park.
It’s called Diamond Lake Campground, and it’s the site of the Diamond Lake Petting Zoo, which is the only petting and playing area in the park for animals ranging from miniature ferrets to the giant, eight-legged dogs who roam the area.
The park was established in 2011 to allow the owners of the nearby Diamond Lake mine to relax and enjoy their vacation without the hassle of being required to transport and store their pets, said Diamond Lake park manager Michael Foy.
“We have a pet spa that we have for all the different animals and they come in the same car, and we just have to get them to the spa,” Foy said.
The resort is also home to a mini-festival of pet-friendly activities, which include the petting of the “Diamond Lake Mini Festival,” which lasts two hours and features over 50 different animals, including miniature rabbits, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs, mice, and a giant panda.
“When you go to a pet store, it’s all about the animals,” Fay said.
“They’re all different sizes, they’re all the same age, they all have different colors, they are all in different stages of development.
They have a lot of different personalities, so you have to try to find something that fits their personality.”
For Foy, the pet park was a way to bring his animals together.
“It was my way of showing my love for my animals,” he said.
It also brought a new kind of adventure for visitors, who are allowed to take their pets on rides in a helicopter or on a boat.
“People come here and they get to go down to the lake, see their animals, go to the pet spa, go on rides, have a little play time, a little bit of a relaxing moment, a nice time, and you feel like you’re with your own family,” Foyle said.
One of the rides that visitors can take is a “Pet Balloon” ride.
“There’s a helicopter in there that you can go down, float your little pet balloon around the lake and go up and get some ice cream or some water, and go back down again,” Fole said.
There are other pet-themed activities that take place at the resort, including “Pet Adventure,” which is where visitors can find a pet or two that are friendly and playful.
The “Pet Safari” pet-oriented attraction takes visitors on a pet walk in the woods, where they can see all sorts of animals including “pets that look like real people,” Fuy said.
And “The Pet Pause,” a one-of-a-kind pet-driven amusement park, takes visitors to an area called the “Pets’ Pause.”
“We try to put them on their best behavior,” Fry said.
Diamond Lake was founded in 1971 by local ranchers Bob and Lillian Foy to offer a quiet, relaxing vacation, according to Foy’s book “Diamondland.”
The resort has been visited by celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Kate Winslet, and even the pope.
Foy also told Business Insider that the resort was recently named one of the best places to visit by a travel website.
The owners are still committed to keeping their pet-centered park open to visitors, Foy told Business Insider.
“The pet spa is an amazing place,” Folly said.
For now, Diamond Lakes is only open to residents of Diamond Lake and its surrounding communities, but it plans to expand to the surrounding areas in the near future.
“I’m very proud of Diamond Lakes because I think it’s an incredible park and we’ve got a lot to offer the people in the surrounding communities,” Foe said.