Hounds Town USA Signs 50th Location and Leaps Past 2020 Goals

In 1981, Mike Gould was working for the NYPD and was selected to participate in a pilot program in which officers would patrol with a canine in each New York City borough. Never before had dogs patrolled the streets with the NYPD, and it was a wildly successful experiment. Thus, the NYPD K-9 unit was formed. Little did Gould know this experience would lead him down a lifelong career path in canine management.

When Gould was deployed to Naples, Italy, after 9/11, he oversaw the Military Working Dog Program thanks to his background as one of the founding members of the NYPD K-9 Unit. As he approached retirement from the canine unit, he opened Hounds Town USA. Now, the doggie daycare brand has spent the past twelve months blowing past every goal they set for themselves, despite the tough economy that the COVID-19 pandemic brought.

As the country settled in this spring amid stay at home orders and shutdowns, dog adoptions shot up. What homeowners realized was that even though the remote work allowed them to stay home with their dogs, it didn’t necessarily let them entertain or socialize the pups. 

“Since pet care was deemed an essential business, Hounds Town locations remained open during lockdowns with franchise owners taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety of employees and customers alike while providing a high-quality pet care experience,” said Gould. “In this way, we were able to give health care workers, teachers, police officers, EMTs, grocery store employees and other highly important essential workers a way to ensure that their pups were having a good time running, playing and just being dogs while they were working long hours.”

Throughout the pandemic, new Hounds Town USA stores have been opening to an evaluation rate that is approximately 75% higher than stores that opened in 2019. Overall, Hounds Town USA has seen a systemwide year-over-year increase of 30% in dog occupancy rates, largely due to the addition of five new stores opened in 2020 — Sanford, Smyrna, Hillsdale, Nashville and Space Coast — as well as the pent up demand for pet daycare services. 

“There is something to be said about a business model that can perform well in a struggling economy,” said Gould. “Since I founded the brand back in 2000, we have not only survived, but thrived through the aftermath of 9/11, the housing crash, natural disasters including Superstorm Sandy, and now COVID. This is due mostly to the simplicity and affordability of our services. Interested franchise candidates are really responding well to this and to the uniqueness of our brand and model. We’re always excited to bring in new franchisees who are looking to take their careers in a new direction and really grow with the brand.”

Hounds Town USA now has 16 open locations in six states, with another 12+ slated to open in 2021. The systemwide occupancy has increased by more than 30% this past year. The doggie daycare brand will close the year with 15 to 18 new signings, which will in total create over 100 new jobs and push Hounds Town USA over the impressive 50-units-signed mark. 

“Looking ahead, our 2021 goal is to add another 20 to 25 locations, which would create another 175 jobs,” said Gould. “As of right now, we are projected to open approximately twelve new stores next year, and we will also be expanding our corporate team by approximately 70% in 2021.”

As 2020 comes to a close, Gould says that their development team is targeting growth in Florida, Texas, Tennessee and New Jersey. With work-from-home conditions likely to continue into the new year, Hounds Town USA franchisees will be ready to supply a much-needed service for dogs and their families.

The overall investment to open a Hounds Town USA ranges from $265,800 to $492,500 and includes a one-time franchise fee of $45,000 for a single unit. For franchising opportunities, please visit http://www.houndstownfranchise.com.