“I gave them this insanely crazy number that not even the Waltons would do.”

That’s what Heather Wegner, co-owner of CoolWag, told The Bentonville Bulletin in February 2025, shortly after plans for a new healthcare campus were announced by the Alice L. Walton Foundation.

In the initial plans, there was a noticeable bite taken out of the west side of the campus map: the roughly 5 acres occupied by dog boarding business CoolWag, which Heather and her husband Eric own.

The Alice L. Walton Foundation bought the surrounding land in several transactions totaling more than $35 million, with plans to open the first medical campus buildings in late 2028.

The Wegners didn’t end up getting the “insanely crazy number” floated for the property, but further dialogue recently led to a deal that will see the business move. A foundation spokesperson confirmed the land will become part of the healthcare campus, while CoolWag will rebuild at a nearby site.

A “sale” wouldn’t be the most accurate way to describe the transaction. It’s more of a swap.

CoolWag is exchanging its current property at 210 Prairie Lane for a similarly sized parcel at the southeast corner of Water Tower Road and East Battlefield Boulevard owned by Evans Investment Group LLC, a company connected to the Walton family.

The new location will be just a two-minute drive from CoolWag’s current site.

CoolWag will also receive additional cash as part of the agreement to help rebuild at the new location, Wegner said. The current property includes dog boarding and training facilities, a dock diving pool, and Nellie’s Jellies Cafe.

Wegner said she doesn’t expect to make a profit from the transaction, but the business will “benefit from a brand-new facility designed the way we want it designed.”

The new site gives CoolWag an opportunity to build a campus from the ground up. When the Wegners purchased their current property, it came with several existing buildings that they adapted for their needs.

“When we bought this property, it had three buildings on it that we kept, and so we had to figure out and use those buildings in a wise way. I think we did a good job, but it'll be great to have everything brand new,” Wegner said.

The new campus will allow CoolWag to expand its boarding capacity, which regularly maxes out during holidays.

Plans also include competition-grade agility fields, additional dog sports areas, new turf designed to stay cooler during warm weather, expanded outdoor amenities, multiple drop-off lanes, and a dog splash pad.

The building that houses Nellie’s Jellies Cafe, which opened on the CoolWag property last year, will be relocated to the new property, where it will be used for a different cafe concept and have a drive-thru added.