• Hero Banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Buying or Selling a Practice
Hospital Design
Leadership & Personal Growth
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Technology
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Live Conferences
Conference News
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Case Study: Doggie Daycare Helps Socialize and Relax Dogs

January 7, 2004

Five years ago Pet Care Hospital in Plano, Texas, opened a doggie daycare service and the practice, clients, and dogs continue to reap the rewards. "Clients take home tired dogs, worn out from a day full of play and exercise. And over the long-term, the daycare builds the dogs' self-confidence so they aren't fearful," says Jill Vincent, a certified trainer who runs the daycare as well as the practice's dog-training classes.

CASE STUDY:

DOGGIE DAYCARE HELPS SOCIALIZE AND RELAX DOGS

Five years ago Pet Care Hospital in Plano, Texas, opened a doggie daycare service and the practice, clients, and dogs continue to reap the rewards. "Clients take home tired dogs, worn out from a day full of play and exercise. And over the long-term, the daycare builds the dogs' self-confidence so they aren't fearful," says Jill Vincent, a certified trainer who runs the daycare as well as the practice's dog-training classes.

Advertisement

The keys to the success of this program are supervision and rules, Vincent says. She limits daycare to 10 dogs a day; all dogs must weigh less than 50 pounds, receive Bordetella vaccinations every six months, and be current on their other vaccinations; and the males must be neutered to lessen aggression. "Supervision is important," she says. "Anytime I'm not in the room, they're crated." Vincent also puts dogs in their crates for bad behavior, during the hours when the practice is open but the daycare is not, and when she takes her lunch break.

The daycare is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Owners can drop their dogs off any time after the practice opens at 7 a.m. and pick them up before the practice closes at 7 p.m. The extended hours are a convenience that working clients appreciate, Vincent says.

The strip-mall practice dedicates a 600-sq.-ft. front room to doggie daycare, and charges $18 for the first day a week, $15 for the second, and $12 for the third. A half-day of daycare costs $9. "The more frequently the client brings a dog in, the more the fee goes down," says David Sooter, practice manager and veterinary assistant.

"Ten dogs is the maximum for Jill to handle and we can't increase the room size, but we're always looking for ways to expand the care the dogs receive," he says. For example, for additional fees, Vincent also gives clients' dogs special dental chew treats (10 cents), baths ($10), and teeth brushings ($2). Sooter says that some of the practice's clients will do all three days of daycare ($45), and also ask for their pets to receive chews each day (30 cents), a bath ($10), and daily teeth brushings ($6), adding up to $61.30 each week.

About six to eight dogs come to play each day depending on the time of year. The number rises in the summer when vacationing families board more dogs. Clients who choose daycare for boarded dogs receive $3 off the boarding charge.

"Doggie daycare brings in $2,500 to $3,000 each month," Sooter says. He says that the person running a daycare should receive 40 percent to 60 percent of the revenue for his or her time and knowledge, and after that there are few other costs. "To promote the service, we added a sign on the building, run a Yellow Pages add, and give coupons. And we provide treats and water and towels for the dogs' crates. Jill provides most of the toys and many of the crates were donated," he says.

It doesn't cost much to promote the daycare, says Sooter, because clients do the job by word of mouth. "And all of our top 20 clients use this service," he says. Practice team members do recommend the service during exams--especially to clients with fractious, overly timid, or newly adopted dogs--which has proved particularly helpful for clients referred to the hospital after adopting pets from local rescue groups. Clients also learn about the service when boarding their pets. "And our nearby sister hospitals refer clients to us, because they don't have the space for their own daycares," Sooter says.

Vincent recommends that the team member who staffs a doggie daycare have a minimum of two years' experience training dogs to learn about behavior. And she says her seven years of dog-training experience keeps dogs and people safe, reassures clients, and enables her to answer client questions about behavior issues. She also spent two years as a veterinary assistant at the practice, so she can talk knowledgeably with clients about heartworm preventive, diets, and other basic health issues. Beyond that, Vincent says she recommends that the client talk to a veterinarian at the practice.

"This service draws more people to our practice, and increases clients’ attention to their pets' veterinary care and diets,” says Sooter. “Our daycare dogs are always current on heartworm preventive and vaccinations, and their owners stay educated and informed.”

Related Content:

Practice Finances
Tax season tips for veterinary professionals
Tax season tips for veterinary professionals
Market research: How to find your edge
Market research: How to find your edge
A technician’s true value
A technician’s true value

Advertisement

Latest News

Zoetis announces Apoquel grant program

American Veterinary Medical Foundation welcomes new executive director

Details of new pet performance supplement line revealed

Veterinary scene Down Under: DEI advancements, plus title protection and more

View More Latest News
Advertisement