How to Set Up Doggy Day Care: 6 Essential Steps

If you are looking to set up your own doggy day care, here are the six essential steps you can follow in order to best place yourself in a position to create a centre that has every chance of success as a business within your local community. 

As a business operating in North London with our own fully licenced dog day care service, we hope to shed some light on the advice & tips that were beneficial to us, and could also prove useful to you as well. 

We will break it down and expand on the following six steps: 

1. Market research
2. Set up your business
3. Apply for licencing
4. Identify a location
5. Start laying the foundations
6. Marketing 

Step One: Market Research

Running a doggy day care service is one of the most fulfilling, enjoyable jobs you can have (in our opinion!). 

However, it’s the dogs themselves who make the difference. You probably won’t enjoy your time running a doggy day care if you don’t have enough dogs to look after on a regular basis.

Start by researching the local supply and demand for dog day care in your targeted area. Speak to local dog owners, as well as complementary service providers like the vets. You can also reach out to marketing providers and ask for search data or look into the matter yourself with the help of free tools like Ubersuggest. 

In this step, you’ll want to start piecing together your ideas on what services you want to offer, and the pricing. Many day cares like us offer extra services like dog grooming and dog walking. Our customers love this extra flexibility in what we can offer, and it helps us to build a thriving business.

Write a business plan with details about your target market, pricing, plans and some financial projections. This is a great time to consult business professionals such as accountants and marketing experts to help you understand your options. 

Step Two: Set up your Business

If your idea for a doggy day care is looking viable, it is time to start setting up your business. Speak to an accountant and business adviser regarding the legal requirements for HMRC and Companies House, as well as which sort of business insurance you will need. 

Business insurance you might need:

• Public liability insurance, to cover potential injury to people or damage to property - you can find out more about this insurance type, here.
• Pet business insurance to cover any injuries or illnesses to the dogs in your care
• Employer’s liability insurance if you employ staff

Your future self will thank you for sorting out a watertight contract and onboarding process for all of your customers!

Step Three: Apply for Licencing

This might feel like a cumbersome admin task, but it is a vital step towards setting up your doggy day care. 

Not only is it a legal requirement for “dog day care activities” to have a licence if they’re carried out as a commercial business, you owe it to the future dogs you will have in your care to make sure they are sufficiently protected. 

You should apply for an Animal Activity Licence from your local council. The Local Authorities will make sure that:
Licence holders are following the regulation requirements
Individuals who apply for a licence and do not meet the regulation requirements for the grant of a new licence are refused a licence
They take appropriate enforcement against operators carrying out, attempting to carry on or knowingly allowing a licensable activity to be done without a licence
Licences are not granted to individuals that are already disqualified from holding a licence or have previously had one revoked

Source: gov.uk

As a licence applicant or existing licence holder, it is your responsibility to apply for the correct licence, keep the licence up to date and to ensure each of your facilities has its own licence and star rating. 

Steps to apply for an Animal Activity Licence

1. Apply for the animal activity licence and pay the licence fee
2. The local authority will appoint an inspector
3. The inspector will visit the site of the animal activity and produce a report
4. The local authority will review the report
5. The local authority will make their decision whether to grant or deny the licence application
6. You will be informed of the status of your application
7. If you are refused, you will have a right of appeal to the first tier. 

Other Licences you may need

A DBS Check would be required for staff if they worked in an environment with vulnerable people. This might not necessarily be the case for your doggy day care, but it does help to build trust for your customers. 
Check the planning permission for the exact type of doggy day care you intend to use. 

Step Four: Finding a location

Finding the right premises for your doggy day care could make or break the success of your business. 

You may even have considered running the business from your home. If this is the case, you’ll want to pay attention to this rough checklist:

• Would there be enough space for the dogs to play, chill out and rest?
• Are the indoor and outdoor areas secure, to stop dogs getting out and unwanted visitors getting in?
• Do you have suitable facilities for cleaning, feeding and waste disposal?
• Is the location close to customers?
• How close are your competitors?

Step Five: Start laying the foundations

Start developing policies and procedures to do with key areas of dog safety including:

• How you will deal with bad dog behaviour
• A policy for vaccinations
• Feeding rotas and responsibilities
• Emergency protocols
• How to monitor the health of the dogs

All of your staff should be trained in dog first aid training, for peace of mind for everyone. The staff should be selected for their relevant experience and temperament with all animals. 

Now is the right time to start buying the supplies and equipment you’ll need. You will need:

• Beds
• Toys
• Leads
• Harnesses
• Food
• Bowls 
• Muzzles
• First aid kits
• Healthcare items

Before you start advertising your doggy day care far and wide, it would be advisable to run a “soft launch”. This is a term borrowed from the restaurant industry, and relates to running a small-scale test of your operations with trusted customers who won’t mind if it isn’t exactly smooth sailing!

Step Six: Marketing

“Build it and they will come” is sadly not something that is applicable for your doggy day care!
You’ll want to hit the ground running with customers. 

Focus on creating a brand that is well-known and loved locally.

One marketing approach that works well is to encourage customers to refer your doggy day care to their friends and fellow dog owners. Give them an incentive to spread the word, such as a chance to win a prize for them or their dog!

Networking within the dog community could be a massive contributor to your business success. 

Try to partner with local vets, pet stores and dog trainers. 

Feedback is worth its weight in gold; try to collect as much of it as possible, especially early on. 

Not all feedback will be glowing praise - use negative feedback as an opportunity to review your business offering and improve where necessary. 

Follow these six steps and you should be well on the way to setting up your own doggy day care!