How hotel operational excellence is coming to pet resorts

The modern pet resort bears little resemblance to the neighborhood kennels of the past. Today's facilities span up to 25,000 square feet, with operations more closely resembling boutique hotels than traditional boarding facilities. As the Chief Operating Officer of Pet Resort Hospitality Group, I’ve seen firsthand how people are treating pets like family members and how that translates into a high bar for their pets when they’re away. And just like hotels, the right technology infrastructure can improve both operational efficiency and customer experience in the pet care industry.

Shifting the private equity model in pet care toward growth and customer focus

The private equity playbook has traditionally followed a predictable pattern: acquire as many assets as possible, cut costs aggressively, increase EBITDA, and sell to the next buyer. But that model has largely gone out of fashion, particularly in the pet care space.

A more effective approach focuses on growing companies through strategic acquisitions. It's about investing in strong teams and founders, then giving them room to operate effectively. That's the direction PE is moving across the industry.

Every acquisition has unique circumstances. Some businesses already have exceptional management, and they would be fine for years without external support. In those cases, the best strategy involves gradually introducing scalable systems and identifying opportunities to optimize revenue and expand services. Other situations need more hands-on involvement, but the focus should remain on growth rather than cost reduction. 

What makes this industry particularly interesting is the diversity of founders and their journeys. One couple who were former investment professionals initially wanted to invest in Rover but missed the early funding rounds. They started walking dogs on the platform, then boarding pets in their home. That modest start grew into two successful daycare facilities. Now, under the Pet Resort Hospitality Group, they manage five additional resorts under their brand.

Building a consistent playbook in a non-standardized industry

What makes pet resort consolidation particularly challenging and interesting is the industry's lack of standardization. Veterinarians follow similar educational paths and operational models—they earn PhDs, attend established veterinary schools, and learn from a mature industry.

Dog daycare operators are quite different. They typically create their own systems from scratch. Every facility essentially makes up its own rules and procedures, which results in wildly different approaches to pet care and business management.

To bring consistency in this diverse industry, our group created a playbook of roughly 20 non-negotiable standards that every location must implement. Some are obvious like giving dogs access to water at all times. Others reveal deeper operational excellence.

Take our collar policy, for instance. While some facilities operate "naked only" (no collars) due to safety concerns during play, our team requires snap buckle collars with identification tags. If dogs get in a tussle, their mouth can get caught on the collar. With the buckle, you can unbuckle it really quickly. We keep safety boxes in every play yard with seat belt cutters, so if you can't unbuckle it, you can cut that collar off.

These details might seem minor, but they become critical at scale. Proper collar protocols are also helpful for emergency evacuation procedures. If the team and dogs need to evacuate a facility quickly, staff can run a rope through every leash, move the dogs out efficiently, and secure them safely outside. Evacuations would be nearly impossible without standardized collar requirements.

It's the kind of detailed protocol that emerges only when you've had to think about keeping dozens of dogs safe across multiple facilities. You have to think right down to preparing for scenarios you hope never happen.

The future of pet daycare: smart collars and seamless pickups

The most exciting developments in the pet resort industry are yet to come.

Consider the routine of pet pickup. Clients arrive between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. to collect their dog from a large facility, and their dog might be in a playgroup somewhere in a 25,000 square foot building. The client waits in the lobby while staff communicate by radio to locate and retrieve the pet. That process can take five to ten minutes. Geolocation technology could recognize when clients are approaching, alert staff to prepare the dog for pickup, and have the pet waiting in the lobby when the owner arrives.

Dynamic pricing models present another opportunity. Just as hotels and airlines adjust rates based on demand, pet resorts should implement variable pricing for boarding services. When facility occupancy reaches 60% heading into a holiday weekend, rates should automatically increase. While existing software platforms haven't fully implemented this capability, it represents a significant revenue opportunity.

As it relates to pet health, pet resorts see some dogs almost daily, while veterinarians typically see the same animals only once or twice yearly. Pet care facilities see the dog more than any other business. 

Imagine equipping each dog with activity monitoring—similar to human fitness trackers—to measure exercise levels during daycare visits. This data could generate diet and activity recommendations: "Your dog played vigorously today, consider providing extra food tonight," or "Your pet has had three high-intensity days in a row, consider a rest day tomorrow." The concept resembles a Whoop or Orange Theory fitness approach, but for pets.

These facilities could provide pet parents with comprehensive activity histories and wellness insights, creating a holistic picture of their pet's health that coordinates with veterinary care.

Operational excellence at scale

Building a successful pet resort network requires more than animal care expertise. It requires operational rigor and technological infrastructure standards common in other hospitality sectors.

The pet care industry still has enormous untapped potential. Standardizing this traditionally fragmented sector can help businesses become more efficient, more consistent, and ultimately better for animals and their owners.

Taylor Wallace is Chief Operating Officer of Pet Resort Hospitality Group, which operates 24 pet resort locations across the United States.