Miami’s population boom draws LA doggie daycare company to South Florida

A new pet sitter is coming to South Florida, giving dog owners another place to care for their fur babies.

Los Angeles doggie daycare franchise Dogdrop plans to open five sites in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, according to the company’s CEO and co-founder Shaina Denny. The first location will debut in Fort Lauderdale in late 2023, with more openings to follow between 2024 and 2029.

Dogdrop decided to come to South Florida following the region’s wealth boom, including some of their clients relocating from California to the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas.

Denny and Greer Wilk launched the membership doggie daycare operation in Los Angeles in January 2020. Memberships start at $60 a month, which gives members access to any of the firm’s daycare centers nationwide. Dog sitting then starts at $5 for every 30 minutes.

“We see a lot of young families and professionals moving to the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas,” Denny said. “We want to go where our members already go, whether they are traveling or moving. We’ve seen a lot of our members move to Miami. They’re asking when are you going to expand.”

South Florida’s urbanization also plays a factor in the company’s expansion here. Dogdrop rents spaces between 2,000 square feet and 3,000 square feet in a city, including on the ground floor of a condominium or apartment rental building. Miami and Fort Lauderdale’s density, Denny said, makes it an ideal market for their service.

Florida experienced population growth during the pandemic, with South Florida in particular receiving wealthy transplants from across the country. Digital nomads and executives relocated to Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties to benefit from the state’s lower taxes, leaner COVID-19 restrictions and the warm climate. Most came from across the Northeast, including New York, Washington, D.C., and Boston. Some also moved from the Midwest and West Coast.

Dogdrop’s Denny said she recognizes her company will have competition in South Florida, but sees room for growth.

“There’s 90-plus grooming businesses, but we haven’t seen a lot of quality daycare,” she said. “If you go to residential apartment complexes, about 65% of those residents have dogs. We can build up our membership base quickly (being in a high-rise).”

The franchise is also planning to open sites in Denver and more locations around the Los Angeles area.