K9 University Chicago

What K9 University Chicago does

K9 University Chicago is a single-location, full-service dog care facility founded in 1992 and headquartered at 2945 W Lake St in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood. The company operates a 34,000+ sq ft climate-controlled facility — comprising 20,000+ sq ft of K9Grass antimicrobial outdoor turf and 14,000 sq ft of indoor space — supported by 40+ trained staff and a proprietary K9U mobile app for registration, booking, and vaccination records. Its core services are dog daycare, overnight boarding (Regular and Deluxe tiers), grooming, and a deep training ecosystem spanning puppy socialization, basic obedience, agility, nose work, CGC certification, board-and-train bootcamps, and private lessons, with specialized programs for reactive, senior, and unspayed/unneutered dogs.

The business runs as a direct-to-consumer, primarily in-person service operation with revenue generated through transactional and short-duration pack-based pricing (e.g., $45/day daycare, $67–$77/night boarding, $200–$350 per training course, $1,500–$4,200 per board-and-train bootcamp). Distribution is local to the Chicago metropolitan area, augmented by the Dog Shuttle pickup/drop-off service across Central, Loop, North, and West neighborhoods and a free first-day trial for new customers. The company has served 12,000–14,000+ Chicago dogs and families over 30+ years, maintains a 4.6-star average across 600+ reviews, and is privately held under founder/owner Ruby Madrigal and CEO Mariya Sergeeva, with no disclosed external funding.

Name

K9 University Chicago

Legal name

K9 University Chicago

Website

https://k9uchicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

K9 University Chicago is a full-service dog care facility in Chicago operating since 1992, offering daycare, boarding, training, grooming, and shuttle services to individual pet owners, with specialized programs for reactive, senior, and unaltered dogs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Care Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro primary industry

Dog Daycare with Boarding Add-On (Daycare + Overnight) (HSANAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small-Group / Structured Dog Daycare (HSANAFAD), Senior & Special-Needs Dog Daycare (HSANAFAH)

Keywords

• Dog daycare services
• Dog boarding services
• Dog training programs
• Pet grooming services
• Dog transportation service

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dog Daycare Services: Daily and pack-based daycare services with pricing tiers based on number of days purchased (single day, 10-pack, 20-pack). Walk-in and transportation options available. Revenue generated through recurring usage by pet owners working full-time or needing supervised care for their dogs.
2. Dog Boarding Services: Overnight boarding with regular and deluxe comfort options. Prices range from $67-$127 per night depending on service level and number of dogs. Includes complimentary bath with six nights of boarding. Revenue from one-time and recurring overnight stays.
3. Dog Training Programs: Multiple training revenue streams including group classes ($200-$350 per course), private lessons ($125-$150 per hour), board-and-train bootcamps ($1,500-$4,200), day camp training ($137-$153 per day), and puppy board-and-train ($1,500-$1,550). Revenue from both one-time intensive programs and recurring group classes.
4. Dog Grooming Services: Professional grooming services including bath/grooming starting at $45, nail clipping at $20, and additional grooming services for boarded dogs.
5. Dog Shuttle/Transportation Services: Pick-up and drop-off transportation service for daycare and boarding with additional fees of $20 per way, $40 round trip. Revenue from transportation add-on services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

K9 University Chicago operates a full-service dog care facility providing supervised daycare, overnight boarding, professional grooming, and a comprehensive training program (group classes, private lessons, and board-and-train bootcamps) from a single 34,000+ sq ft climate-controlled location in Chicago. It also operates a dog shuttle for pickup/drop-off and accepts all breeds and temperaments, including reactive and senior dogs.

Product overview

K9 University Chicago is a full-service dog care platform operating since 1992 from a single 34,000+ sq. ft. climate-controlled facility at 2945 W Lake St, Chicago. The core offering combines dog daycare, boarding (Regular and Deluxe), and grooming as the primary service pillars, supported by a comprehensive training ecosystem and specialized care programs. The training portfolio spans Puppy Board and Train, Puppy Training, Basic Obedience, Intermediate Obedience, Dog Agility, K9 Nose Work, Loose Leash Walking, Off Leash Obedience, Canine Good Citizen, Stress Free Puppy, Puppy Confidence Building, and Private Lessons (facility and in-home). Specialized daycare programs include Reactive Dog Daycare, Unspayed/Unneutered Dog Care, Senior Dog Care, and Individual Activities. The Dog Shuttle provides pickup/drop-off transportation across Chicago neighborhoods. Add-on services include Dog Group Social Rehab, Dog Day Camp Academy, Emergency Boarding, Bed Time Treats, and a K9U mobile app. The company differentiates by accepting all dog breeds and temperaments, including reactive and behaviorally challenging dogs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of K9U puppies who complete socialization and training pathway transition into adult daycare without reactivity or aggression issues
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Rescue OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerK9 University Chicago partners with rescue organizations to provide training and care services for rescue dogs, supporting community adoption efforts and helping newly adopted dogs transition into their new homes through behavior-focused programs.
• Veterinary ClinicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnerships with veterinary clinics for health coordination, vaccination records management, fecal testing services (via Antech lab), and referral of dogs needing specialized behavioral support or medical care.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Petco (Doggie Day Camp): National pet retailer operating Doggie Day Camp and full-service grooming locations. Provides comparable daycare and grooming services as part of a broader pet care retail ecosystem.
• PetSmart (PetsHotel / Doggie Day Camp): National pet retail giant offering PetsHotel overnight boarding and Doggie Day Camp services inside most stores. Overlaps with K9U's daycare/boarding offerings as part of a much broader pet products and services portfolio.

Direct peers

• Camp Bow Wow: National dog daycare and boarding franchise with Chicago locations offering all-day play, overnight boarding, and training add-ons. Closely comparable service mix and urban-suburban customer base.
• Best Friends Pet Care: Multi-location pet boarding, daycare, grooming, and training chain with Chicago-area presence. Comparable one-stop pet care model with overnight and daytime services.
• PetSuites: Pet resort and daycare operator combining boarding, daycare, grooming, and training under one roof. Comparable integrated pet care platform model.
• Wags Chicago: Local Chicago dog daycare, boarding, and grooming facility serving the same metropolitan market. Comparable urban-focused, multi-service pet care competitor in Chicago.
• Dogtopia: National dog daycare, boarding, and spa franchise with multiple Chicago-area locations. Directly comparable as a multi-service dog care operator serving urban pet owners with daycare-led offerings.
• Central Bark: Dog daycare franchise emphasizing enrichment-focused care with add-on training, grooming, and boarding. Comparable full-service pet care platform targeting similar urban professional dog owners.

Emerging players

• ZoomRoom (Dog Agility & Training): Franchise focused on indoor dog agility training and group classes. Comparable to K9U's agility and nose work training programs, though narrower in daycare/boarding scope.

Regional players

• Dogtopia of Chicago: Specific Dogtopia franchise locations serving individual Chicago neighborhoods with comparable daycare-led service models. Direct head-to-head competition within K9U's home geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/K9UChicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/k9uchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about K9 University Chicago