We love a good origin story, especially when it involves the precious pups of our own franchisees.

Meet the reasons Dogtopia of Redmond (and now Bellevue, too!) exists—Xeus and Xiana! Hear from franchisee Allison Christian Rau how Dogtopia changed her family’s life, saved their home from dog-induced destruction, and inspired her and her husband, Michel, to start their own business. Before finding Dogtopia, she describes their house looking “as if beavers lived there” because of their unruly dogs. Fortunately for them and their furniture, Allison and Michel found Dogtopia—and that changed their lives.

“Now, I have to admit something: Before Xeus and Xiana, I thought dog daycare was flat-out the dumbest thing I’d ever heard of,” Allison said. “Then we discovered Dogtopia, and I instantly became a believer. This fantastic dog daycare, specifically its Alexandria, Virginia, location, became Xeus and Xiana’s second home. Open-play daycare supervised by certified Canine Coaches, boarding, spa, training—it was fabulous socialization, education, and fun for our dogs, who came home tired, calm, and with all that crazy energy out of their systems. No more chewed doorjambs and half-eaten sofas at our house! Michel and I were able to work, play, and travel extensively because we knew that even when we weren’t there, our babies were in remarkably loving and capable hands. Dogtopia, its brilliant business model, and its wonderful, caring staff took away all the worry and complication of having dogs. They simply made having dogs easier.

“Then we moved to Seattle. And though there are Dogtopias all over the country, there wasn’t one anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, and we couldn’t find a daycare that was the caliber to which we had become blissfully accustomed. So Michel and I decided to fix that… with our own Dogtopia!”

If you are considering opening your own Dogtopia, we encourage you to review our Why Dogtopia? page to find out more about us as well as our Ideal Franchisee page to see if this role is a good fit for you.