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Revolutionizing Doggie Daycare: How Hounds Town Scaled from 31 to 100+ Franchise Locations with MyTime
One unified platform. Every location, transaction, and client — connected, automated, and built to scale.
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Hounds Town, the doggie daycare and boarding franchise founded in 2001 by former NYPD canine handler Michael S. Gould, tripled its footprint from 31 to 100+ locations after standardizing on MyTime — replacing manual scheduling, paper intake, and disconnected reporting with one franchise-ready platform.
- 100+
- Open franchise locations nationwide today
- 3×
- Growth from 31 locations at partnership start
- 1
- Unified platform replacing 5+ disconnected systems
- 0%
- Discount needed to re-engage lapsed clients
- 25+
- Years of canine expertise behind the brand
- 50+
- Additional locations in development pipeline
Brand Spotlight
Hounds Town isn’t a typical doggie daycare — it’s a canine-first concept built on decades of professional dog-handling experience. Founded in 2001 by Michael S. Gould, a former NYPD canine handler and commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department K-9 unit, Hounds Town pioneered the interactive, cage-free model that’s now reshaping the pet care industry.
Facilities are designed to group dogs by size, temperament, and play style — prioritizing canine psychology over cosmetic frills. The result is a remarkably simple, repeatable model that keeps build-out costs low for franchisees while delivering the kind of joyful, natural environment that keeps dogs (and their owners) coming back. What started in a 1,200-square-foot Long Island storefront has grown into 100+ open locations nationwide, with 50+ more in development.
And at the center of it all? A deep commitment to franchisee success and operational consistency at scale.
Scaling Chaos or Consistency?
Hounds Town was growing fast — but the systems holding it together weren’t built for a national franchise. Each location ran its own scheduling, pet and owner records lived in disparate tools, and inventory was tracked manually across the network. As the brand scaled, the operating model exposed critical gaps in scheduling, client data, reporting, and inventory control. For a franchise where consistency and safety are non-negotiable, the cracks were widening.
Before adopting MyTime, Hounds Town struggled with:
- Inefficient scheduling. Each location managed its own bookings, leading to bottlenecks and inconsistencies — especially during peak boarding seasons.
- Fragmented client data. Pet and owner records weren’t accessible across locations, making personalized care and consistent service hard to deliver.
- Limited reporting. Existing tools couldn’t surface the granular insights leadership needed to make strategic decisions across the network.
- Inventory discrepancies. Manual inventory management was error-prone and impossible to manage cleanly across a multi-location footprint.
- A platform that couldn’t scale. Rapid expansion exposed the limits of legacy infrastructure that simply wasn’t designed for franchise growth.
The Turning Point: A True Partner, Not Just a Platform
The doggie daycare industry had been largely overlooked by mainstream booking and POS platforms — and none of them were built to support the franchise model. Hounds Town needed more than software; they needed a partner willing to tailor a solution for the way their business actually runs.
Choosing MyTime was a pivotal decision for us, primarily because of their willingness to work with us and tailor their platform to meet the unique needs of the doggie daycare industry, which was largely underserved by existing products and didn’t have the ability to service the franchise model. MyTime’s ability to provide a franchise-ready solution and their commitment to work with us, to adapt and grow together, and create a custom solution shaped for our business is why we moved forward. It’s their willingness to be a true partner.
That partnership became the foundation for everything that followed — a unified platform that could grow with the brand while preserving the simple, dogs-first operating model Hounds Town is known for.
Before vs. After: Operational Reinvention at Scale
Here’s how Hounds Town’s operations transformed across every key workflow.
| Workflow | Before MyTime | After MyTime |
|---|---|---|
| Booking & Evaluations | Online forms followed by manual phone scheduling — overloaded staff in peak season | Self-serve online booking widget with safety rules built in for eligible pets |
| Client & Pet Records | Disconnected location-by-location data; no global view of pets or owners | Centralized global client accounts — records follow the dog to any location |
| POS & Inventory | Manual inventory and disconnected payments — prone to errors and shrinkage | Integrated POS with real-time inventory tracking across every franchise |
| Reporting | Excel sheets pulled from each location to compare month over month | Unified dashboard with location filters and real-time financial summaries |
| Client Re-engagement | No system to surface clients who hadn’t visited in a while | Lapsed-client reports drive return visits — no discounting required |
| Franchise Oversight | Inconsistent systems and standards location to location | Centralized control with local adaptability and franchisee-level dashboards |
The Business Impact of a Smarter System
Since joining MyTime, Hounds Town has…
Tripled Its Franchise Footprint
- Grew from 31 locations at partnership kickoff to 100+ open franchises today.
- Each new location plugs into the same unified system from day one — no bespoke setup.
Eliminated the Manual Booking Queue
- Pet owners self-serve evaluations and bookings online — 24/7.
- Eligibility rules ensure only qualified pets can book, protecting safety standards.
- Staff time freed from phone-tag and reclaimed for in-facility care.
Unified Dashboard, Faster Decisions
- Real-time financial summaries and operational metrics in one place.
- Filter by location to compare performance — no more month-end Excel reconciliation.
- Leadership can spot trends, anticipate needs, and adjust strategy dynamically.
Re-engaged Lapsed Clients — Without Discounting
- Lapsed-client reports identify dogs who haven’t visited in a while.
- Targeted, value-based outreach drives return visits — no promo codes required.
POS & Inventory, Finally Connected
- Integrated POS streamlines transactions and financial reporting.
- Real-time inventory tracking across every location.
- Holistic sales-and-stock view simplifies multi-location oversight.
Empowered Franchise Owners
- Customizable dashboards at the location level drive accountability.
- Franchisees pinpoint where to focus support and replicate what works.
- Centralized control — with the local flexibility every market needs.
Where Dogs Get to Be Dogs
A look behind the brand — the spaces, the team, and the no-frills philosophy clients trust.
Fueling Franchise Growth
The MyTime products driving Hounds Town’s scale and consistency.
Online Booking Widget & Scheduler
Self-serve booking that pet owners actually love. Eligibility rules ensure only qualified pets can book evaluations, protecting Hounds Town’s safety standards while removing staff from the phone-tag loop.
The introduction of MyTime’s online booking widget has transformed how we manage client appointments, especially for initial pet evaluations. It’s moved the responsibility to the pet owners, making the process nearly frictionless for both pet owners and our staff.
Integrated POS & Inventory
Fast, reliable transactions at every location feed directly into inventory and financial reporting. Real-time visibility into cash flow, retail movement, and stock levels — without manual reconciliation.
Global Client & Pet Records
Every pet and owner profile is accessible across the entire network — vaccination records, temperament notes, preferred play groups, and visit history. Clients can travel to any Hounds Town and get the same personalized service.
Hounds Town’s customer base is highly mobile, often traveling with their pets. MyTime’s global client accounts ensured continuity and consistency of service, regardless of the location visited.
Enhanced Reporting & Dashboards
Real-time financial summaries and operational metrics in one place — filterable by location for instant comparison. Customizable franchisee dashboards let owners track KPIs at the micro and macro level.
The dashboard has been really helpful. We have everything in one place now, with the ability to filter by location. We’ve moved away from pulling data from various locations and putting it in Excel sheets to track comparisons month over month.
Client Engagement & Lapsed-Client Reports
Identify dogs who haven’t visited in a while and reach out with targeted, value-based messaging — not discount codes. Hounds Town drives return visits while protecting margin.
The ability to generate lapsed-client reports has been a game changer for us. These reports help us identify clients who haven’t visited in a while, enabling targeted communication to re-engage them and remind them of the benefits of regular socialization for their pets.
Multi-Location & Franchisee Management
Centralized control with local flexibility. Push pricing, services, or campaigns across the network — while every franchise owner gets the operational data they need to run their location like the business it is.
MyTime integrates booking, POS, inventory management, staff and resource scheduling, and client data into a single platform. That integration was a game-changer for Hounds Town as it scaled.
Not Just a Platform
For Hounds Town, the relationship with MyTime extends well beyond software — it’s a partnership grounded in collaboration, customization, and a shared commitment to a then-underserved industry. MyTime adapted its platform to the realities of doggie daycare and the franchise model when other vendors wouldn’t. That willingness to build alongside Hounds Town is why the partnership has continued to scale with the brand.
It’s their willingness to be a true partner. MyTime’s ability to provide a franchise-ready solution and their commitment to work with us, to adapt and grow together, and create a custom solution shaped for our business is why we moved forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many locations does Hounds Town operate?
Hounds Town has scaled from 31 locations at the start of its MyTime partnership to 100+ open franchises across the United States, with 50+ more in development.
Who founded Hounds Town?
Hounds Town was founded in 2001 by Michael S. Gould, a former NYPD canine handler and commanding officer of the Nassau County Police Department K-9 unit. The company is headquartered on Long Island, New York.
What MyTime products does Hounds Town use?
Online Booking Widget & Scheduler, integrated Point of Sale (POS), Inventory Management, centralized Client Management with Global Client Accounts, an Enhanced Reporting & Dashboard platform, Staff & Resource Scheduling, Lapsed-Client Engagement reporting, and franchisee-facing customizable dashboards.
How did MyTime help Hounds Town re-engage lapsed clients?
MyTime’s lapsed-client engagement reports surface dogs who haven’t visited recently. Hounds Town uses targeted, value-based communication to drive return visits — without offering discounts or financial incentives.
How does MyTime support franchise consistency at scale?
MyTime unifies booking, POS, inventory, client records, and reporting on a single platform with global controls and local flexibility. Customizable dashboards let franchisees track KPIs and compare locations, supporting consistent service quality and rapid scaling as the brand opens new units.
Did Hounds Town offer online booking before MyTime?
Before MyTime, pet owners filled out online forms and waited for staff to manually schedule appointments by phone. MyTime’s online booking widget moved scheduling directly to pet owners, eliminating the call queue and making pet evaluations nearly frictionless — especially during peak boarding season.
From Inefficiency to Operational Excellence
Hounds Town’s journey from disconnected, location-by-location operations to a unified, franchise-ready platform is a blueprint for scale. By connecting scheduling, client management, POS, inventory, and reporting in one place, MyTime didn’t just optimize the back office — it elevated the experience for every dog, owner, and franchisee in the network. The result: a tripled footprint, smarter decisions, and a model built to keep growing toward the brand’s next milestones.
We never set out to build something complicated. The goal has always been to build something that simply works for dogs.
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