The Barking Lot
The Barking Lot is a Dubai-based full-service pet care operator running two facilities (Al Quoz and Business Bay) that provides daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and a citywide pet taxi service for dog and cat owners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Barking Lot does
The Barking Lot is a Dubai-based, full-service pet care operator serving dog and cat owners across the emirate. The company runs two physical facilities — an 18,000+ sqft flagship in Al Quoz and a second location in Business Bay — and delivers daycare, overnight boarding, grooming, training, and an in-house pet taxi service branded Doggy Express that covers all of Dubai. It has also launched what it describes as the UAE's first outdoor Catio, extending its service envelope into dedicated feline boarding and enrichment.
The underlying operating model is a multi-vertical physical services platform rather than a software or marketplace business. Core technology consists of facility infrastructure (kennels, grooming bays, training space, the Catio), a fleet-based pet taxi operation acting as both a revenue line and a distribution layer that pulls customers into the brick-and-mortar services, and a booking/back-office stack supporting reservations and subscriptions. Service quality is delivered primarily by human staff — the company employs 37 people across its care crew — rather than by automation or proprietary software IP.
The company monetizes through a tiered, transactional-plus-subscription pricing model. Individual services are priced across a wide range (AED 25 entry-level products up to AED 200+ for premium offerings), and subscription packages bundle daycare, boarding, grooming, and training into recurring relationships that increase customer lifetime value and visit frequency. Additional revenue comes from the Doggy Express pet taxi, themed weekly activities, seasonal programming such as Summer Camp, and ancillary retail. The customer base is direct-to-consumer, comprised of individual pet owners in Dubai, with no apparent concentration in any single enterprise or institutional account. The business was founded and is operated by a Canadian-Indian founding team and has been recognized with a Pet Industry Award.
The Barking Lot firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Barking Lot
- Legal name
- The Barking Lot
- Website
- https://thebarkinglot.ae
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Barking Lot is a Dubai-based full-service pet care operator running two facilities (Al Quoz and Business Bay) that provides daycare, boarding, grooming, training, and a citywide pet taxi service for dog and cat owners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Barking Lot industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pet Care Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Small-Group / Structured Dog Daycare (HSANAFAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local Pet Taxi (On-Demand Rides) (HSANAIAA)
Keywords
Where The Barking Lot is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Barking Lot business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Doggy Daycare: Daycare services offered in multiple tiers: hourly (AED 25), half-day (AED 60 up to 5 hours), full-day (AED 110), and package options including 10-day (AED 1,000), 20-day (AED 1,800), 2x weekly (AED 720/month), and unlimited monthly (AED 2,550). Recurring revenue through package subscriptions.
- Dog Hotel/Boarding: Overnight boarding services with multiple suite options: Bachelor(ette) Pad (15 sqft), Townhouse (26 sqft), Haven (25 sqft), Villa (32 sqft), Mansion (47 sqft), Nest (15 sqft), Paradise (40 sqft). Pricing varies by accommodation type and duration.
- Cat Hotel: Dedicated cat boarding services with private accommodations and outdoor Catio access.
- Dog Training: Behavior training services at AED 200 plus VAT per session. Includes puppy training and basic obedience training.
- Grooming: Professional grooming services including bathing, brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning. Complimentary for stays of 5+ nights.
- Doggy Express (Pet Taxi): Pet transportation service available as add-on to daycare packages or included in UNLIMITED package. Covers all of Dubai with pricing based on location.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Trial - No cost first experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hourly Daycare - Flexible hourly option |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Half Day - Up to 5 hours of care |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Day - Standard daycare |
| Subscription | Monthly | 2x Weekly - 8 sessions per month |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 10-Day Package - Bulk savings |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 20-Day Package - Maximum savings |
| Subscription | Monthly | UNLIMITED - Unlimited monthly access |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dog Training Session |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Barking Lot product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Barking Lot operates a full-service pet care facility in Dubai, UAE, offering supervised dog daycare with themed daily activities, overnight dog and cat boarding/hotel accommodations ranging from 15-47 sqft suites, professional grooming (bathing, brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning), dog behavior training (puppy and obedience), and the Doggy Express air-conditioned pet taxi service. The Al Quoz facility spans 18,000+ sqft with 7+ unique indoor and outdoor play areas, including the UAE's first outdoor Catio for cats.
Product overview
The Barking Lot is a Dubai-based pet care facility offering a comprehensive suite of services for dogs and cats. The core offerings consist of Doggy Daycare (supervised play with themed daily activities), Dog Hotel/Dog Boarding (luxury accommodations ranging from 15-47 sqft suites with amenities like TVs and cameras), Cat Hotel (boarding with UAE's first outdoor Catio), Grooming (professional bathing, brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning), Training (puppy and obedience training), and Doggy Express (air-conditioned pet taxi). The Doggy Express service can be added to any daycare package or included in the UNLIMITED monthly package. The Al Quoz facility spans 18,000+ sqft with 7+ unique play areas including both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Doggy Daycare Supervised dog daycare service providing structured daily activities including pool parties, agility training, and themed days (Mowgli Mondays, Tone Up Tuesdays, Widescreen Wednesdays, Bouncy Thursdays, Frisbee Fridays, Showtime Saturdays), with vet check-ups every other Friday. Designed for dog owners in Dubai seeking professional care and socialization for their pets.
- Dog Hotel (Boarding) Overnight dog boarding accommodation featuring multiple suite options including Bachelor(ette) Pad (15 sqft), Townhouse (26 sqft with optional balcony), Villa (32 sqft), and Mansion (47 sqft with TV and camera access). Includes daily play, pool sessions, agility activities, and complimentary grooming for stays of 5+ nights.
- Cat Hotel Cat boarding facility offering private accommodations and care, featuring the UAE's first outdoor Catio at the Al Quoz location for safe, climate-controlled indoor play and sunshine access for cats.
- Pet Grooming Professional pet grooming services for dogs and cats including bathing, brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning, and coat care. Mobile grooming is also available.
- Dog Training Dog behavior training services including Puppy Training (socialization and basic commands) and Basic Obedience Training (sit, stay, leash manners), priced at AED 200 plus VAT per session, with a video review of concepts worked on.
- Doggy Express (Pet Taxi) Air-conditioned pet transportation service providing pickup and drop-off across Dubai, with coverage expanding to all UAE upon request including frequent Abu Dhabi routes. Available as a standalone service or add-on to daycare packages, and included in the UNLIMITED monthly package.
Companies that use The Barking Lot
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Barking Lot technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Barking Lot partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, core and minor.
- Stray Dogs Center (Umm Al Quwain)foundationalThe Barking Lot adopted their founding dog Bella (Saluki/Lab mix) from the Stray Dogs Center in Umm Al Quwain in 2020, which inspired the creation of the business.
- House of HoundscoreHouse of Hounds is an organization committed to rescuing and rehoming stray, neglected, abandoned, and surrendered sighthounds in the UAE region. The Barking Lot partners with them to support these dogs with loving care and opportunities for adoption.
- SPCA (Toronto)minorThe Barking Lot founders adopted their cat Enya from the SPCA in Toronto over 10 years ago.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Barking Lot competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Petco: Major US pet retail and services chain with grooming, training, and (historically) in-store veterinary. Overlaps with The Barking Lot's grooming and training services as part of a much wider portfolio.
- PetSmart: Largest North American pet specialty retailer with PetsHotel boarding and Doggie Day Camp. Broader incumbent that overlaps in daycare and boarding but within a much larger retail ecosystem.
Direct peers
- D Pet Hotels: NYC-based luxury dog hotel offering daycare, grooming, spa, and chauffeur services. Comparable full-service model with chauffeur transport (analogous to Doggy Express) and premium urban positioning.
- PetSuites of America: US multi-service pet resort offering boarding, daycare, grooming, and training. Comparable integrated service platform with a focus on resort-style accommodations.
- Best Friends Pet Hotel: Premium pet hotel chain offering daycare, boarding, grooming, and training across multiple US locations. Comparable premium positioning and full-service suite of pet care offerings.
- Dogtopia: Largest dog daycare franchise in North America offering daycare, boarding, and spa services. Directly comparable business model of full-service pet care under one roof with multi-location physical footprint.
- K9 Resort: Luxury dog daycare, boarding, and spa franchise in the US with webcams and live pet streaming. Closely comparable in premium positioning, multi-suite boarding, and tech-enabled parent communication.
- Camp Bow Wow: US dog daycare, boarding, and grooming franchise with all-suite overnight accommodations. Closely mirrors The Barking Lot's combination of daycare, hotel-style boarding, and grooming under one brand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Barking Lot social profiles
Digital presenceThe Barking Lot financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Barking Lot leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Barking Lot funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Barking Lot M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Barking Lot
What does The Barking Lot do?
The Barking Lot operates a full-service pet care facility in Dubai, UAE, offering supervised dog daycare with themed daily activities, overnight dog and cat boarding/hotel accommodations ranging from 15-47 sqft suites, professional grooming (bathing, brushing, nail clipping, ear cleaning), dog behavior training (puppy and obedience), and the Doggy Express air-conditioned pet taxi service. The Al Quoz facility spans 18,000+ sqft with 7+ unique indoor and outdoor play areas, including the UAE's first outdoor Catio for cats.
Is The Barking Lot a public or private company?
The Barking Lot is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Barking Lot founded?
The Barking Lot was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Barking Lot based?
The Barking Lot is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does The Barking Lot make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Doggy Daycare is the primary driver. The others are dog Hotel/Boarding, cat Hotel, dog Training, grooming and doggy Express (Pet Taxi).
Who are The Barking Lot's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Petco and PetSmart. Direct peers are D Pet Hotels, PetSuites of America, Best Friends Pet Hotel, Dogtopia, K9 Resort and Camp Bow Wow.
Does The Barking Lot have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Barking Lot.
What industry is The Barking Lot in?
The Barking Lot's product category is Pet Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSANAFAD, Small-Group / Structured Dog Daycare, with a secondary code of HSANAIAA, Local Pet Taxi (On-Demand Rides). Its NAICS code is 81291.