From Managing Properties to Managing Puppies: How One New Jersey Woman is Achieving Her Dreams with K9 Resorts

When Natalie Mooney decided it was time to leave her job in property management to work for herself, she went to a trusted friend for advice on starting a new business. Her friend, who is a vice president at a bank and is experienced in helping entrepreneurs get businesses started, simply asked her what she likes. Mooney first mentioned her love for dogs and caring for her pets – so the banker knew exactly where to point her: K9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel.

Mooney looked into the luxury hotel for dogs a bit, but decided it'd be best to see it in person. So, she swung by unannounced to check it out. The owners were out of town when she came by, but she was blown away by her first impression regardless.

"It was the most phenomenal thing I've ever seen," Mooney said. "The employees were super helpful, and the place was immaculately clean. The biggest thing that caught my attention was the cleanliness and the way everything was handled, from start to finish – I’ve never been quite satisfied with boarding services for my own dog, so I noticed these things right away. I was so impressed that by the time we met with the K9’s corporate team, it was almost a done deal."

Now, after experiencing K9 Resorts' in depth training sessions as well as the brand’s first annual convention, Mooney is set to open her own location in Hamilton, New Jersey this month.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have someone like Natalie lead the charge for our newest location in Hamilton,” said Jason Parker, co-founder and co-CEO of K9 Resorts. “There’s a strong need for our services, and we could tell from the start that Natalie is aligned with our goals and values. It’s not always easy to find satisfactory boarding facilities for dogs, which is why we plan to continue growing with franchisee partners like Natalie throughout the entire country.”

The Hamilton location will be the brand’s seventh east coast facility with three more currently in development, and in recent years, the brand launched a new, aggressive plan for nationwide growth, aiming to sign on as many as 12 additional new franchisees by the end of this year. Additionally, the brand was awarded by Franchise Times as a Top Dealmaker of the Year for their minority investment with Navigator Partners, which is also fueling growth nationwide.

When K9 Resorts was first founded by Jason and Steven Parker in 2005, it filled a hole in the pet care industry. The Parker brothers, after their parents wouldn’t allow them to have a dog of their own as kids, started a dog walking company, which they eventually sold in order to start their luxury hotel for dogs. Now, the brand boasts one-of-a-kind cage-free suites, state of the art air purification systems and five-star hotel-quality customer service and is continuously raising the bar for the increasingly growing pet care segment.

“When new franchisees like Natalie join our team, we always take a proactive, hands-on approach to the grand openings process in order to ensure our partners feel confident from the start,” said Parker. “We know first-hand that launching a business can be nerve-wracking, which is why we love the franchise business model. It gives us the chance to use our experience to help others achieve their dreams.”

K9 Resorts’ support system doesn’t end with start-up training, however. Throughout the entire business ownership, the brand offers marketing guidance to help spread the word about each K9 Resorts location and to bring in more clients. And because the brand’s model has already proven to be extremely successful, it helps with general best practices to ensure each location’s operations are running correctly so that each owner has the opportunity to be just as successful.

“After years of establishing the K9 Resorts brand as an award-winning franchise, we now have the opportunity to really make a lasting footprint throughout the country with partners like Natalie,” Parker said. “K9 Resorts has really grown into a brand with unlimited potential, and we’re excited to continue growing with the help of new and existing franchisees.”