dogs at play
Dogs at Play is a locally women-owned dog daycare, walking, sitting, bathing, and training service in Rochester, NY, founded in 2000, serving individual pet owners from a single two-building facility with public live webcam monitoring.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersRochester, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What dogs at play does
Dogs at Play is a locally women-owned dog daycare, walking, sitting, bathing, and training service operating from a single facility at 75 Howell Street in Rochester, New York. Founded in 2000 by owner Emily, who has 25+ years of industry experience, the company claims to be the first dog daycare in Rochester and has held BBB A+ accreditation since 2003. The core offering is supervised group daycare for dogs aged 14 weeks and older, organized into multiple play groups by size and temperament, with dogs kept in a social pack setting rather than a crate-and-rotate model.
The business operates out of two adjacent buildings on Howell Street with multiple large indoor play rooms, two secure outdoor areas, bio-sealed epoxy flooring, and a custom on-site dog wash station. A distinguishing technical feature is a public five-camera live webcam system (Back Yard, Side Yard, and three Indoor cameras) that allows pet owners to remotely monitor their dogs during daycare hours. Adjacent service lines include obedience and agility training classes delivered in a 2,000 sq. ft. air-conditioned training facility through a partnership with professional trainer Bob Minchella (active since 1986), a la carte bathing services priced $17–$23 by dog size, and branded merchandise sold via a partnership with Mojo's Apparel.
Revenue is generated primarily through monthly subscription daycare packages plus transactional bathing, training, and merchandise sales, all subject to New York State sales tax. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via the company's website, Facebook, and Instagram channels, with online enrollment managed through a Wufoo form followed by manager call and in-person onboarding. The business is privately held with no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no signs of institutional investment or franchise activity.
dogs at play firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- dogs at play
- Legal name
- Dogs at Play
- Website
- https://dogsatplay.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Dogs at Play is a locally women-owned dog daycare, walking, sitting, bathing, and training service in Rochester, NY, founded in 2000, serving individual pet owners from a single two-building facility with public live webcam monitoring.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
dogs at play industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pet Care Services
- NAICS
- Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cage-Free / Open-Play Dog Daycare (HSANAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Full-Day Dog Daycare (HSANAFAA), Small-Group / Structured Dog Daycare (HSANAFAD)
Keywords
Where dogs at play is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rochester
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
dogs at play business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Dog Daycare Services: Core daycare service for dogs 14 weeks and older. Open Monday-Thursday 7AM to 7AM (overnight). Pricing effective January 1, 2026 with various package options. All prices subject to NY State sales tax.
- Bathing/Grooming Services: A la carte bathing services including small ($17), medium ($19), large ($21), and giant breed ($23) dog baths, plus add-ons like nail trimming ($13), ear cleaning ($6), coat conditioner ($4), and brush out ($7-$20)
- Training Classes: Obedience and agility training classes held at the facility through Bob Minchella's Dog Owner Counseling. Classes include Puppy/Basic, Basic, Advanced I/II, Simply Agility, Tricks and Games, Tracking, Well Mannered Leash Walking, and Nosework.
- Merchandise Sales: Branded Dogs at Play merchandise including apparel items sold through Mojo's Apparel partnership. Products available for pickup, local delivery, or shipping.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Daycare services - pricing effective January 1, 2026 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bathing services by dog size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
dogs at play product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dogs at Play is a locally women-owned dog daycare facility in Rochester, New York providing supervised daycare, overnight pet sitting, dog walking, bathing/grooming, and obedience/agility training classes. The company operates from an expanded two-building facility with multiple indoor play rooms, two secure outdoor areas, bio-sealed epoxy floors, and a custom dog wash station. Daycare services run Monday-Thursday with overnight care, and pet owners can monitor their dogs remotely via five live webcam feeds.
Product overview
Dogs at Play is a locally women-owned dog daycare, walking, and sitting service in Rochester, New York. The core offering is dog daycare, supplemented by training classes through instructor Bob Minchella, bathing services, live webcam streaming for remote monitoring, and branded merchandise. The company operates from a multi-building facility with both indoor play rooms and secure outdoor areas, offering multiple play groups organized by dog size and temperament.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Dog Daycare Core daycare service for dogs 14 weeks and older, providing exercise, socialization, and constant professional supervision in multiple play groups organized by size and temperament. Open Monday-Thursday 7AM to 7AM (overnight), with package pricing options effective January 1, 2026.
- Pet Sitting
Quantifiable outcome
- Dogs feel safe enough to sleep in pack setting - dogs are most vulnerable when sleeping, showing trust in facility
Companies that use dogs at play
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
dogs at play technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
dogs at play partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Mojo's ApparelminorMerchandise partnership providing branded Dogs at Play apparel and merchandise. Products available for pickup at daycare, at Mojo's 2 Rochester locations, or shipped directly. Production and delivery times vary based on stock.
- Bob Minchella's Dog Owner CounselingcoreBob Minchella has been involved with dog obedience for over 30 years and professional trainer since 1986. Provides training classes at Dogs at Play facility including Puppy/Basic, Basic, Advanced I/II, Agility, Tricks, Tracking, Nosework, and more. Classes held in 2,000 sq. ft. air conditioned training facility.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
dogs at play competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dogtopia: National dog daycare franchise offering cage-free open-play daycare, grooming, and training in purpose-built facilities. Directly comparable to Dogs at Play's cage-free, multi-play-group model, but at franchise scale across North America.
- Camp Bow Wow: Largest U.S. dog daycare and boarding franchise with all-day play groups, webcams, and overnight stays. Closely comparable offering (daycare + webcams + subscription-style packages) and a direct franchise competitor to single-site operators like Dogs at Play.
- K9 Resorts: Luxury pet resort franchise offering daycare, boarding, and spa services in cage-free environments with webcams. Comparable positioning on premium cage-free daycare with technology-enabled transparency.
- The Barkley Club: Independently operated multi-service dog daycare, boarding, and grooming facility with webcams and subscription-style packages. Closely matches Dogs at Play's single-site, multi-service, webcam-equipped operating model.
Regional players
- PetSuites of America: Regional multi-location pet resort chain offering daycare, boarding, and grooming across the Midwest/Southeast. Comparable service bundle but operates across multiple geographies rather than a single site like Dogs at Play.
- Bark & Birch / Petropolis (regional boutique daycare): Boutique, cage-free dog daycare and grooming operators in mid-size U.S. metros. Highly comparable operating model (cage-free open play, premium positioning, single or small number of locations) and a realistic template for Dogs at Play's peer set.
Emerging players
- Rover: Online marketplace connecting pet owners with dog walkers, sitters, and boarders. Partial overlap (walking, sitting, boarding) with Dogs at Play's ancillary services, but platform-based rather than facility-based.
- Wag!: On-demand dog walking and pet care platform. Comparable walking/sitting services to a portion of Dogs at Play's offerings, but lacks the facility-based daycare core product.
Broad incumbents
- PetSmart (PetsHotel / Doggie Day Camp): National pet retail giant offering in-store daycare, boarding, and grooming at PetsHotel locations. Broad incumbent providing overlapping services as part of a much wider retail portfolio rather than as a daycare specialist.
- Petco (Petco Grooming / Pet Care Services): National pet retail and services brand offering grooming, training, and increasingly daycare/boarding at store locations. Overlaps with Dogs at Play's bathing and training services but as a broader retail ecosystem player.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
dogs at play social profiles
Digital presencedogs at play compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
dogs at play financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
dogs at play leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
dogs at play funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
dogs at play 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 dogs at play
What does dogs at play do?
Dogs at Play is a locally women-owned dog daycare facility in Rochester, New York providing supervised daycare, overnight pet sitting, dog walking, bathing/grooming, and obedience/agility training classes. The company operates from an expanded two-building facility with multiple indoor play rooms, two secure outdoor areas, bio-sealed epoxy floors, and a custom dog wash station. Daycare services run Monday-Thursday with overnight care, and pet owners can monitor their dogs remotely via five live webcam feeds.
Is dogs at play a public or private company?
dogs at play is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was dogs at play founded?
dogs at play was founded in 2000.
Where is dogs at play based?
dogs at play is headquartered in Rochester, United States, in the North America region.
How does dogs at play make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dog Daycare Services are the primary driver. The others are bathing/Grooming Services, training Classes and merchandise Sales.
Who are dogs at play's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dogtopia, Camp Bow Wow, K9 Resorts and The Barkley Club. Regional players are PetSuites of America and Bark & Birch / Petropolis (regional boutique daycare). Emerging players are Rover and Wag!. Broad incumbents are PetSmart (PetsHotel / Doggie Day Camp) and Petco (Petco Grooming / Pet Care Services).
Does dogs at play have an API?
No public API is recorded for dogs at play.
What industry is dogs at play in?
dogs at play's product category is Pet Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSANAFAC, Cage-Free / Open-Play Dog Daycare, with a secondary code of HSANAFAA, Full-Day Dog Daycare. Its NAICS code is 81291 and its SIC code is 7900.