National Dog Daycare Chain Revs up Franchising Program

Feb. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- Bethesda, MD – (February 11, 2011) – After spending the last two years perfecting the business model of the dog daycare franchise, Dogtopia is gearing up for record growth over the next year, as access to credit is easing and the pet industry shows no signs of slowing down.

Dogtopia, a leading provider of the highest quality dog daycare in the United States, is expected to add more than 20 new locations to the company by the end of 2012.

Instead of actively pursuing new franchisees, Dogtopia’s main efforts over the past year have been to make sure each existing franchise is profitable, through visits to every store from California to New Jersey. The end result was a 20 to 30 percent store sales increase for each location, over the prior year.  

“We’re in a great place now to expand the reach of our brand and services into even more communities,” said Amy Nichols, CEO and Founder of Dogtopia. “We create exceptional business owners out of passionate dog lovers and we expect to see a lot more of that in the next 18 months.”

In 2010, there was an estimated $48 million spent in the pet industry alone, according to the American Pet Products Association. This year, Nichols is expected to announce an innovation in the pet care industry with the launch of unique pet care product that will appeal to both consumers and business owners.

Since launching in 2002, Dogtopia has grown to 24 locations nationwide. Dogtopia’s design mirrors that of a chic, upscale spa. Laid out with a children’s daycare facility in mind, Dogtopia has multiple playrooms to suit every personality and size. In addition to daycare and boarding, Dogtopia also offers a spa, self-service dog wash, and boutique to pamper pooches. While most dog daycare facilities use chain link fencing and cement flooring, Dogtopia’s clients enjoy an open layout where each room has specialized rubber flooring to ease joints, prevent slipping, and provide for safer play.  

“The loving attention we show each pet is what makes Dogtopia so successful and unique compared to others out there. It’s also the reason Dogtopia becomes an instant favorite for dog owners where we open stores.”

Something else that sets Dogtopia apart from other day care options is the use of web cam technology in each room, allowing dogs’ owners to check on their pets at any time. While most dog daycare facilities don’t use web cam technology, the Dogtopia Web Cam logs more than 50,000 hits each month.

Dogtopia also has a passionate culture committed to giving back, where Nichols has created a permanent non-profit arm of Dogtopia, known as K-9 Support, Inc., to help working dogs, such as military dogs, rescue dogs and Seeing Eye dogs. Annual K-9 Support Dog Wash events raise funds to send care packages to K-9 Handlers and their working dogs in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as support working police dogs in the U.S. Since starting K-9 Support in 2005, Dogtopia has raised more than $45,000 for the cause.

About Dogtopia®

Dogtopia®, prides itself on being a place where pets are valued as family and­ where dogs enjoy endless playtime and spa treatments in a positive environment. Dog owners have the assurance of leaving their beloved pets in the hands of trained professionals while they’re at work or away on vacation. Dogtopia® staff willingly nurtures each pet with attention and love. Each location offers a variety of activities, sociable training and comfortable boarding for dogs of all ages, shapes, sizes, abilities and temperaments.

The company was founded by Amy Nichols in 2002 and began franchising in 2005. Currently, more than 20 Dogtopia franchises are operated across the U.S. Visit www.dogdaycare.com for more information.