After more than two decades as an entrepreneur, Amy Addington, president and co-founder of Woofie’s, is scaling a national pet services franchise while staying grounded in the same relationship-driven approach that launched the brand in Northern Virginia in 2004.

“This business is entirely predicated on the relationship with the client. It is not transactional,” Addington said. “You can’t underestimate the value of the relationship.”

Founded in Ashburn, Virginia, by Addington and her neighbor Leslie Barron, Woofie’s began as a local pet sitting and dog walking service before expanding into mobile grooming and, eventually, franchising. Today, the brand combines pet sitting, dog walking and mobile grooming under one platform and operates more than 80 units nationwide. 

After officially launching franchising in 2019, Woofie’s joined Authority Brands in 2022, a move Addington describes as a defining moment for the company.

“From the beginning, it was very clear that if we were going to franchise, we needed to do it properly,” Addington said. “These are people putting their livelihoods on the line to run a full-scale business, and I wanted to make sure we had every possible resource in place to support them.”

As a mobile, service-based concept, Woofie’s appeals to franchisees seeking lower overhead, recurring demand and deep community involvement. Addington emphasized that success in the system depends on operational discipline and service excellence as much as a love for animals. Woofie’s growth is ultimately about the trust it earns from customers, franchisees and local communities.

“When a client says, ‘Thank you. I can finally go on vacation because I know Woofie’s is taking care of my pets,’” Addington said. “That’s the best compliment I could ever receive, and it reinforces that we’re making a difference.”

Addington joined 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills on a recent episode of the “Meet the Franchise” podcast to discuss responsible franchising growth, the role of relationships in pet care and why staying a franchisee matters as a founder. A transcript of Addington’s interview with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for brevity, clarity and style.

Nick Powills: How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What’s your franchise-by-accident story?

Amy Addington: First, thanks for having me. We started the business back in 2004 in Northern Virginia, Woofie’s, offering pet sitting, dog walking and mobile grooming. Over the years, we had clients who moved out of the area and would call us and say, “I need a Woofie’s in our area. I wish we had a Woofie’s.”

That led us to start thinking about growth. Do we grow organically? Do we open more corporate locations? Or do we franchise? I began looking at the franchise industry in 2015 and attended my first IFA convention. That’s where I met Mark Siebert from iFranchise Group. He was an incredible mentor.

The more we learned about franchising, the more it felt like the natural growth strategy for our brand. In 2019, we officially started franchising.

Powills: How many units do you have today?

Addington: Today, we have over 80.

Powills: That’s crazy. Go back to the founding, long before franchising. There was a long stretch of being independent. What were your expectations back then? What was the dream when you first got into this?

Addington: We always hoped we would grow the business, but when we started in 2004, I didn’t know we would go the franchising route. We knew there was a need for an upscale, premium pet services business in our local community. We were deeply committed to building it and had a lot of passion for what we were doing.

As we built the business and grew our team of pet sitters and dog walkers, and later added mobile grooming, it became clear there was a bigger need beyond our local market. That’s when we started thinking there was something special about what we were doing with Woofie’s and how we could replicate it in other markets.

To have Woofie’s nationwide and work with these incredible Woofie’s business owners is honestly a dream come true.

I always share this story: I started the business with my neighbor, Leslie Barron. We lived right across the street from each other. We quit our corporate jobs and started Woofie’s in 2004, before social media, digital marketing or SEO. We knocked on doors and networked constantly. On our first day, we walked two dogs for $10. Very humble beginnings. It’s exciting to look at where we are today.

Powills: Back then, there were a few similar businesses that were franchising. Did you ever consider becoming a franchisee of another brand, or was it always independent?

Addington: I never looked at a franchise at the time. The pet industry has evolved significantly over the last couple of decades, and there are many more companies in the space now. But early on, it was very different. I never considered buying into a franchise. Our focus was always on building Woofie’s. We were confident in what we were creating, and that’s where all our energy went.

Powills: You go to IFA, you meet Mark Siebert, and you decide on franchising. You launch the franchise, and I’m curious what the dream looks like at that point. I ask because sometimes expectations can be unrealistic. You have to keep the dream in check while knowing you’ve solved a real problem. What was going through your head when you launched, and how do you stay realistic about franchising?

Addington: That’s a really good question. When we started franchising, it was late 2019. We had three franchisees in the Northern Virginia area, and we were doing everything internally. We worked with iFranchise Group and surrounded ourselves with great mentors and consultants.

From the beginning, it was very clear that if we were going to franchise, we needed to do it properly. That meant having the capital, expertise and resources behind us. If you’re going to do it, you have to do it right and put everything into it.

Early on, we knew we would eventually look for a parent company—someone with franchising experience who could help us grow responsibly. These are people putting their livelihoods on the line to run a full-scale business, and I wanted to make sure we had every possible resource in place to support them.

Then COVID happened, which made that even more clear. We needed the backing of a parent company to ensure we could take care of our team members and our franchisees. We began talking to different groups, and in January 2022, we became part of the Authority Brands family. That was a defining moment for our brand.

What I love about Authority Brands is that they supported Woofie’s in staying unique and special while providing the resources and capital needed to grow from three to over 80 locations. We would never have been able to do that on our own. We’re incredibly grateful to be part of the Authority Brands family.

Powills: From the outside, Authority Brands may not mean much to a prospective franchisee. Most buyers are focused on what they’re passionate about, how much they can invest and where they want to be. They don’t always realize that the royalty they pay to a brand backed by a larger platform is the same percentage they’d pay to an independent brand.

It’s hard to see the depth of resources you’re describing. Franchise isn’t perfect, and it’s not guaranteed to be magical, but if you’re going to bet on a jockey, you bet on a group that has experience and knows how to take care of brands like this.

Addington: Absolutely. Authority Brands is the preferred home services provider, with 15 brands that are leaders in their respective industries. We feel very fortunate to be part of that family.

From a customer perspective, when someone calls us, we can talk about services across the Authority Brands portfolio, whether that’s DoodyCalls, America’s Swimming Pool Co., The Cleaning Authority or Homewatch CareGivers. There’s a trusted relationship across those brands.

That cross-marketing opportunity is incredibly valuable, and it allows customers to see Authority Brands as a trusted resource for home-based services.

Powills: You spent 18 years as an independent entrepreneur before joining Authority Brands. Mentally, how did you balance that transition after building something on your own for so long?

Addington: Once you’re an entrepreneur, that mentality never goes away. I still have that mindset, but now it exists within the framework of a parent company, which I think is a great blend. I want the brand to always be evolving and staying at the top of the pet industry.

You have to think like an entrepreneur to do that. At the same time, there’s a real sense of security in having a parent company behind you. When you encounter a situation you haven’t dealt with before, or you’re thinking about how to grow the brand, explore new marketing tactics or tap into shared services, having those resources available is invaluable.

Powills: I want to shift to the consumer side for a moment. From my experience, pet sitting and dog walking don’t have a lot of major players, and while more companies have entered pet grooming, supply still doesn’t seem to meet demand.

We moved to Atlanta during COVID and later returned to Chicago. I called around ten grooming providers and didn’t hear back. One place took almost six weeks to return my call. Demand is extremely high, and supply isn’t there. Even with a lot of service providers, it feels like a blue ocean.

That makes the quality of the local business owner essential. If the experience isn’t strong or there’s no concierge-level service, customers will move on. Any thoughts on that?

Addington: This business is entirely predicated on the relationship with the client. It is not transactional. I’ve seen companies try to take a transactional approach, but there is enough business for everyone. More than 70% of households have a pet, so the demand is absolutely there.

What we focus on is providing premium service. We also have two lines of business: pet sitting and dog walking, and mobile grooming. A client may come to us for one service, and it becomes very natural to introduce the other. When clients use multiple services, it strengthens loyalty.

You can’t underestimate the value of the relationship. We are going into people’s homes and caring for their pets, who are members of their families. I have three doodles. They’re my babies. I would do anything for them, and I understand that importance as a consumer.

When we bring franchisees into our system, we look for people who share that passion for animals. You have to be a businessperson—it’s a very busy business and requires strong business acumen—but you also need that passion and willingness to go above and beyond for clients.

That’s what keeps customers loyal, drives referrals and leads to positive word of mouth and social media testimonials. It all builds over time, but it all starts with the relationship.

Powills: When candidates come to the table, are they typically dialed into pet care, or do they come from a wide range of backgrounds?

Addington: We see a little bit of everything. The common denominator is that they’re pet owners, they love animals and they want to be part of their local community. Being present and giving back locally is critical in this business.

People are trusting you with the keys to their home and with members of their family, so they need to know who you are and what your company stands for. That trust is essential.

Beyond that, we see people from many different backgrounds, and I love that diversity. We had our national convention in February in Nashville, and it’s exciting to bring everyone together. We have young owners, second-career owners, people who have owned businesses before and people who haven’t. Some come from corporate backgrounds. Some own another Authority Brands concept. We have veterans and a really incredible mix of people.

Powills: Franchising matters because so many people reach a point where they realize they’re building something for someone else. What I love about this category is that it allows people to own a business they’re passionate about and make a real impact in their communities. If there’s a franchise candidate watching this, what else do you want them to know about the business?

Addington: I break the business down into three key components. The first is logistics—how efficient you are with scheduling pet sitters, dog walkers and groomers. The second is building a team: recruiting, hiring, training and retaining an incredible group of people who can deliver the services the right way and provide the best possible experience for clients.

The third is customer service, and that is huge. It’s truly about going above and beyond. If a client calls at 8 p.m. on a Friday because their flight is delayed and they’re in a pinch, we’re going to be there. We have a team, and we understand how important that moment is, both as business owners and as pet owners ourselves.

For people interested in Woofie’s, it’s important to understand the balance of building a strong team, delivering exceptional customer service, managing logistics and being deeply involved in your local community. You have the opportunity to make a real difference, which not every business can say.

Our franchisees go to shelters and provide free baths and grooming for dogs. That’s incredibly rewarding. It’s also meaningful when a client says, “Thank you. I can finally go on vacation because I know Woofie’s is taking care of my pets.” That’s the best compliment I could ever receive, and it reinforces that we’re making a difference.

Powills: You really are making a difference. Animals are part of people’s families, and you continue to solve a real need. Even after more than 20 years, it feels like you’re just getting started.

I love that you’re still a franchisee of the brand and that you stayed involved. Being part of Authority Brands brings real infrastructure, and when you simplify why people buy into a franchise, it comes down to culture and the business model. Both are clearly there, especially with how involved you are.

Amy, thanks so much.

Watch the interview above or on YouTube.