Dogtopia marks 20th anniversary with opening of 200th daycare

Dogtopia, the national dog daycare franchise, is proudly wagging its tail as the company celebrates its 20th anniversary and a Guinness World Records recognition.

The franchise scooped the title for the most photos of dogs sitting uploaded to Instagram in one hour. To achieve the record, the dog daycare rallied its community of pet parents across the U.S. and Canada to share photos of their Dogtopia dog to Instagram.

Along with these impressive milestones, the franchise’s 200th daycare, Dogtopia of Uptown Phoenix, is set to open soon in the headquarters’ backyard of Phoenix, Arizona.

Company history

Founded in 2002, Dogtopia is an early pioneer and innovator in the pet services industry, helping all dogs live long, healthy and happy lives with services that provide canine wellness in a holistic manner.

“We are indebted to our loyal franchise partners, pet parents and their furry children for their loyalty leading up to these incredible achievements. Their dedication is what sets Dogtopia apart in the bustling pet industry,” said Neil Gill, CEO of Dogtopia. “After 20 years in business, we are growing faster than ever, so it feels like just the beginning with many more amazing years ahead to provide pet parents with a safe and trusted daycare that always has the health, wellness and best interest of dogs in mind.”

As part of the franchise’s 20th anniversary celebration, all daycares offered special activities for the dogs and celebrated with dog-safe birthday cake-flavored bubble parties during open play.

Service dog support

Just in time for National Service Dog Month in September, the Dogtopia Foundation also surpassed the sponsorship of 200 service dogs for veterans with the help of Dogtopia’s dedicated franchise partners.

More than 100 of those dogs were sponsored in the last year as the Foundation has ramped up efforts for this cause, with some daycares sponsoring their sixth and seventh dogs. Other recent initiatives include a partnership with Painting with a Twist, through which 50 percent of proceeds from Paint Your Pet events will be donated to the Foundation and support for a Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine study on service dogs for veterans, which was published this summer.