The community impact of franchises is easy to see in dog daycare, where a location does much more than watch dogs for the day. A location built around interactive dog daycare gives pet parents dependable care and gives local dogs daily exercise and play. It can also give shelters and rescues a partner that helps dogs get ready for adoption.
Hounds Town builds that impact into its franchise model. Franchisees are encouraged to connect with local rescues from the start. Locations also partner with shelters and foster programs to help dogs find their forever homes.
Key Takeaways
- Dog daycare meets a recurring local need: supervision, exercise, and social time for dogs while pet parents work or travel.
- Hounds Town designs care around what dogs need, using Houndology™ to group dogs by size, temperament, personality, energy, and play style.
- Fostering gives shelter dogs time to build confidence around people and other dogs, which can help them get adopted.
- Through Hounds Town Charities, locations offer discounted services to shelter and rescue dogs awaiting adoption.
- Community outreach starts before opening day, as franchisees build relationships with shelters, rescues, veterinarians, and local businesses.
What Is the Community Impact of Franchises in Dog Daycare?
The first impact is practical. Dogs need supervision, exercise, and social interaction, and many pet parents can’t provide all three during a long workday or a trip out of town.
Pets aren’t an afterthought in most households. Many owners see their dogs as family. The humanization of pets has also raised expectations for how dogs are cared for when no one is home. A daycare designed for dogs gives families an option they can rely on every week.
Daycare also serves a different need than in-home care. Comparing dog daycare and overnight boarding vs. pet sitting shows why many families use more than one option.
Over time, a location can become a familiar meeting place for local dogs and the people who love them.
How Does Hounds Town Put Dogs First?
Many pet care businesses are built around what owners want to see. Hounds Town starts with what dogs need.
A 2019 Franchise Dictionary profile of Hounds Town USA noted that the concept is “designed around the unique needs of the dogs” it serves, “rather than the pet owners’.” That focus still shapes every location.
The approach is called Houndology™, Hounds Town’s proprietary philosophy of dog management. Rather than putting every dog in one room, teams group dogs by size, temperament, personality, energy, and play style. It all comes back to one belief: We Let Dogs Be Dogs®.
Breed isn’t a barrier, either. Every dog who passes the temperament test is welcome, including bully breeds that other facilities often turn away. You can see more of what sets Hounds Town apart for franchisees.
Why Every Pet Care Franchise Should Foster a Dog
Fostering is one of the most direct ways a pet care business can help local shelters. Dogs who are nervous or under-socialized often struggle in a shelter. Time in a structured pack, around trained staff and other dogs, helps them build the confidence adopters notice.
That’s why Hounds Town encourages franchisees to connect with local rescues when they open in a new community. The same dog management training used in daily daycare helps foster dogs thrive. Founder Mike Gould developed it over decades of police K-9 work.
How Did Fostering Help Coyote and Bobby Find Homes?
In 2019, Colleen Tracey-Shaver and her team at Hounds Town Garden City fostered two rescue dogs, Coyote and Bobby. After several months of play and socialization, Coyote was adopted almost immediately at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter.
Bobby’s turn came a few months later. After visiting him at Hounds Town for several weeks, the Stoll family adopted him on October 13, 2019. Tracey-Shaver and team member Erin Phillips came to celebrate with toys, treats, and plenty of belly rubs.
“Bobby never forgot his foster moms,” said Ronnie Stoll. “He was so excited to show them his new backyard!”
For Tracey-Shaver, the experience made the case for fostering. “I think fostering is a 100% good idea,” she said. “The dogs are loved, played with, and gain so much more confidence while they’re here. It’s an amazing transition to watch.”
Why Is Fostering Good for the Shelter, the Dog, and the Location?
Everyone involved gets something out of a foster arrangement. The shelter gets help preparing a dog for adoption. The dog gets daily play, routine, and social time.
Locations build relationships that can last for years. As Hounds Town Co-Founder Jackie Bondanza put it in 2019, “Many of our franchisees tell us the dogs they foster end up coming back later as dog daycare customers. Everyone wins.”
Read more about how Hounds Town fosters shelter dogs.
How Do Hounds Town Locations Give Back Year-Round?
Fostering is one part of a broader commitment. Hounds Town Charities, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, works to rehabilitate and train society’s abandoned or unwanted animals. Through it, locations offer discounted services to shelter and rescue dogs awaiting adoption. In 2023 alone, franchisees helped hundreds of dogs find their forever homes.
Locations also form ongoing partnerships with local rescues, shelters, and foster programs. They host adoption events and provide transitional care for dogs in need. That steady presence is a big part of the community impact of franchises like Hounds Town, because it turns each location into a place people trust. Explore more ways Hounds Town franchisees give back to the rescue dog community.
That outreach starts before opening day. Franchisees are coached to build relationships with veterinarians, dog parks, apartment communities, shelters, rescues, and local businesses, with a goal of 1,000 leads before opening. It’s one example of the franchisor support franchise owners should expect when entering a new market.
Build a Business That Gives Back to Your Community
The community impact of franchises depends on the people who run them. Hounds Town looks for franchisees who want to lead a team, show up for local shelters, and become part of the community they serve.
If that sounds like the business you want to build, see whether you have the qualities of an ideal Hounds Town franchisee. For franchisees, ownership is part of the Journey to Freedom™: the freedom to build a legacy, live with purpose, and change lives, one dog at a time.
Start your Hounds Town franchise inquiry
Frequently Asked Questions About Dog Daycare Franchises in the Community
How do dog daycare franchises help their communities?
The community impact of franchises in dog daycare starts with dependable care for dogs while pet parents work or travel. Many locations also partner with shelters and rescues, host adoption events, and support dogs waiting for homes.
Do Hounds Town locations foster dogs?
Many Hounds Town locations partner with local rescues, shelters, and foster programs, and some provide transitional care for dogs waiting to be adopted. Programs vary by location, so ask the location near you.
How does fostering help a shelter dog get adopted?
Fostering gives a dog time outside the shelter to settle into a routine and build confidence around people and other dogs. Once dogs feel confident and comfortable, they stand a much better chance of being adopted.
What is Hounds Town Charities?
Hounds Town Charities is Hounds Town’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its mission is to rehabilitate and train society’s abandoned or unwanted animals, and it supports discounted care for shelter and rescue dogs awaiting adoption.
Is community involvement part of owning a Hounds Town franchise?
Yes. Franchisees are expected to be active in local marketing and community building, starting with outreach before opening. Many also partner with local rescues and shelters once their doors are open.