Dog day care franchise Hounds Town USA already has a winning business model: a pack-oriented play facility where dogs get to be dogs. The pups love it (of course), but Hounds Town – Commack Rd. owner, Teri, came up with a winning idea in the slower first quarter to engage pup parents too. A wedding, plus two events leading up to the wedding that provided an opportunity to increase daycare numbers and revenue.

Um, Did You Just Say Wedding?

Yup. Jackie, a mixed breed rescue from Puerto Rico became instant friends with Damien, a Doberman Pinscher from her AKC Tricks class. Between off-the-leash play dates and date nights at agility class, it was an unlikely match made in Hounds Town heaven.

How Did They Pull It Off?

The team at Commack Road all pulled together to help. They ordered back drops for the big day, a custom dress for Jackie on Etsy, a tux for Damien on Petco, and little decorations and fun wedding items. Plus it was intentionally timed with Valentine’s Day, so love was already in the air.

Was It a Success?

Commack Road made the event a big splash for dog moms and dads by offering incredible discounts. A normal day at the Commack facility is $31. All dogs who came on the wedding day, the bachelorette party day (girls only), and the bachelor party day (boys only) only had to pay $20! Dogs had to be signed up in advance, and the team announced it to regular customers and on social media, and guess what? Commack experienced record numbers for all the wedding day events. And the best part was that all the pup parents got to cheer for them on social media as the adorable events unfolded. Parents also shared the photos and videos, providing great social media marketing for the store.

 Are there Other Themed Events that Could Work?

Hounds Town has hosted birthday parties, holiday celebrations, doggy milestones, anniversaries, you name it. It’s a terrific way to make a normal day fun and festive for the team, and it gets a lot of doggie traffic in the door.

For more information on Hounds Town, visit www.houndstownfranchise.com.