Can a Woman Find Happiness Playing with the Big Dogs?

In 1994 Pat Clark needed a job but was unwilling to leave her four dogs home alone all day. What her community needed, she thought, was a doggie daycare center. With that simple idea Clark, president and founder of Gulliver’s Doggie Daycare of Williston, Vermont, scraped together $5000 and started her own business. “My thought was that either the business would be a success,” says Clark, “or I’d have a few months of fun playing with dogs.”

In three short months Clark already had enough clients to pay the bills and she realized that her business would indeed become a success. “I made tons of mistakes along the way and had to make corrections to the processes. But it was an enjoyable experience and it let me use both my interest in dog behavior and the years of experience I had with dogs to develop a business that would really make a difference in the lives of the dogs as well as of their owners.”

Clark says they got lots of attention from local media at first because the idea of a doggie daycare was a novelty. “I had to ask my friends to leave their dogs with me in the beginning stages of the business,” says Clark, “so when people came to visit they would see lots of dogs playing.” Within a year Clark’s business had outgrown its location and had to move into a new building. “We now have a 4,000 sq ft building and an acre lot for the dogs. The business climate has also changed and the idea of a daycare for dogs is no longer a novelty but very mainstream. We attract mostly upper middle-class families who realize how much happier their pets are when they have the opportunity to socialize during the day,” she says.

Dogs at the daycare are separated by size and temperament so that little dogs are kept with other small breeds. “We have indoor and outdoor areas so the dogs can choose to come inside to warm up or cool off – depending on the season. We have a dog playground outside with lots of equipment built especially for dogs. By using the tunnels, inclines, floating bridges, etc., a dog will learn agility and really build his confidence. We always have a supervisor with each group of dogs who closely watches their play and will separate any dogs that get close to fighting,” says Clark.

“On the inside,” continues Clark, “we have a large mat on the floor for playtime and hammock beds all around the room for those dogs that need a little rest. We also have crates which the dog may choose when he needs some alone time and for feeding. In the summer we have wading pools outside and big umbrellas for shade. We provide the dogs with lots of comfort and lots of fun.” For the convenience of busy owners, Gulliver’s also provides a pick-up and delivery service, using an actual school bus painted purple. The dogs don’t sit in the seats, however. For security, they ride safely in their crates. The bus is a good way to advertise the business and Clark says it is often invited to make public appearances, such as at local parades.

“Both health and safety are of great concern to us in all aspects of our business. We check for current vaccination records for each dog on every visit,” says Clark. “Clean-up is a large part of our business and we had to develop a system of cleaning that would be safe and effective for both the dogs and the staff.”

With the success Clark has experienced with her doggie daycare system, she decided to franchise the model and make it available to other dog lovers. “We are initially targeting the east coast, “says Clark, “and are looking for entrepreneurs who really love dogs.”

Since the business has just begun to franchise, this is a chance for someone to get in on the ground floor of a great opportunity and make a positive impact on the future of the business. Gulliver’s Doggie Daycare is offering new franchisees 21 days of training at the Williston location and help with site selection, set-up and grand opening. “We have a list of every item a new franchisee will need right down to the paper towels. We have an inventory sheet to help keep track of every item and we’ve had a special computer system developed called ‘Dog Track’ to connect different locations. With this system a dog can be left at one location and the records will be available if the dog is dropped off at a different location the next visit.” The “Dog Track” system keeps a record of the type of food the dog eats and can track general information like the dog’s preferred playmates and the name of his veterinarian.

“Besides daycare, we also offer boarding for dogs and owners can even have us wash their dog for a small fee. We require no reservations and no contract so it is very convenient for our clients. We are also open every day of the year, even holidays. At our location we get an average of a hundred dogs a day. It’s a very fun, happy place,” says Clark.

What do the dogs think? While they may not be able to talk about Gulliver’s, they certainly make their feelings known. “We have had dogs jump out of car windows as they approach our building,” says Clark. “Other will get excited about a block away, when they realize where they are going. Dogs are social animals and they love the opportunity to be with others and to do something besides sit and wait all day for their owners to return. We average about a hundred dogs a day at our center. They really love being here.”

Clark says that a potential franchisee has to have only one important attribute: a love for dogs. Everything else can be learned through the training provided. “We can have a franchisee open in 90 days from the signing of the contract,” says Clark, “and we are constantly improving our system.” Marketing of the new business will be easy as clients will learn about it from appearances on local news channels and word of mouth.

After 12 years of playing with the big dogs (and the small), Clark is still as in love with the concept as she is with her own dogs, who of course get to come to work with her.

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