Working for man's best friend: Ex-AOLers find passion, career taking care of dogs
By Lynn Wolstenholme
It all began when Taylor James adopted Zoey, a rescue dog that was shy and a little timid. To quell her fears of leaving her new best friend home alone, she enrolled Zoey in Dogtopia in Tysons, a dog day-care facility.
James was so happy with the center she decided to quit her job at AOL and open a Dogtopia of her own.
“I was one of those annoying dog parents who would call to see how my dog was doing,” James said. “Now I get those calls, and I don't find it annoying at all.”
James, along with Art Prediger, another ex-AOLer, opened Dogtopia of Dulles April 26, just off U.S. 50 on Dulles South Court in Chantilly on the Loudoun/Fairfax border.
“Loudoun County has a thriving community of dog lovers and is in sore need of this type of service,” James said. “With the high commute times in this area, many owners are out of the home for extended periods of time during the day. Dogtopia will offer them a safe, fun environment to leave their dogs for the day and give them peace of mind.”
Dogtopia offers its clients an atmosphere of supervised play and wind-down time.
A typical daily routine for a dog that boards at the facility begins with rising between 6 to 6:30 a.m., with 15 to 20 minutes of time in the playroom; then breakfast is served. At 7 a.m., day-care dogs begin arriving, and all the pups get playtime in one of the playrooms until noon.
It's time for a nap from noon until 2 p.m. (with midday meals if needed). Once the pups wake up at 2 p.m., they get to play until the owners pick them up around 7 p.m. The dogs that board get dinner around 7 p.m., with more playtime until 10 p.m. when they go to bed. All dogs are crated for nap time and feeding time.
Owners can check in on the dogs throughout the day by logging onto Dogtopia's Web site, www.dogdaycare.com, and watching the webcams located in the gym and lounge areas.
Throughout the day, dogs romp with other dogs in a select playgroup that is best suited for them. Prior to admittance into day care, Dogtopia staff do an evaluation with the dog to see if all shots are up to date and the pet's temperament fits with other dogs. Staff members then decide if the dog is able to be admitted into Dogtopia and which playgroup it is best suited for.
Staff is at the facility from 6 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., but if needed a staff member will stay the night.
“We have stayed overnight before,” James said. “If there is any doubt, we will stay.”
The staff does take their clients seriously and will do almost anything to make them comfortable. James recalls hearing requests to put a night light by a dog at a certain height and to read a story to a dog before bed.
“Both were done,” James said.
The facilities at Dogtopia consist of different playrooms all with rubber, non-porous floors, which are cleaned at least three times a day with antibacterial solution. Dogtopia also provides all food and bedding for the dogs, unless an owner wants to use his or her own items.
Dog owners also can take advantage of the dog wash services – either by staff or by owner ($15 for a half and hour).
James and Prediger are looking into opening up the gymnasium area of Dogtopia to the public as a free indoor dog park, with staff on hand to help the owners watch their dogs.
Prices for Dogtopia day care range from $33 for a single visit to $500 for a month of unlimited visits. Boarding is $20 a night, plus a day-care fee, but multiple night discounts are available.