March 27, 2017

Meet Kathy Baker of Must Love Dogs in Marietta

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Baker.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Must Love Dogs was born out of love and continues to be a labor of love. Twelve years ago I was a sales manager at IBM and adopted a lab puppy. Working the ungodly corporate hours of a manager I started looking because being in a crate all day was unacceptable to me. The available options for doggie day care back then were equally unacceptable to me. It occurred to me there was a real need for someone to do this the right way (IMHO) and I had become increasingly unhappy in the corporate environment so I quit my job and started Must Love Dogs.

I started the business in my basement and backyard and quickly grew the business to where a permanent facility was needed. I wanted enough space for the dogs to have plenty of room to run…I also wanted green space, which few if any of the existing day cares had and since I was using my IBM retirement money to fund the business I wanted a secure investment (real estate). After months of looking, I found the right location, centrally located in Cobb County, new, but unfinished. I made a turnkey offer on the property, and they built it out according to my specs (I designed it for the dogs and with the dogs in mind). We moved into the new location in September of 2007 and never looked back. Because we put the dogs first (instead of the almighty dollar), because we only hire people who share my passion for the dogs (instead of people just looking for a paycheck) we have shown year to year growth steadily with virtually no advertising relying on repeat and referral business.

Has it been a smooth road?
Largely a smooth road….we opened our doors in Sept of 2007 and the bottom fell out of the economy in Jan 2008. Despite the worst economy since the great depression, we did continue to grow but not at the rate we needed. Because of our great story and the continued success of Must Love Dogs the SBA granted a 6-month deferral on our loan, which was just enough to get us through the rough spot and it has been uphill since.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Must Love Dogs story. Tell us more about the business.
What sets us apart is our love and the excellent care we provide for the dogs (not the money). We always put the dogs first. Our 10,000 square foot facility can easily accommodate approx. 120 dogs before we are maxed out. During major events instead of cramming 120 dogs into our space I cut it off at 80/90 dogs enabling a house full of dogs who still have plenty of room to play and run and sleep, and more importantly without diminishing the quality of care our staff is able to provide during peak times.

We mainly focus on boarding (sleepovers) and doggie day care. We also provide Spa Services which encompasses everything a groomer would do with the exception of the haircut, i.e. baths, nails, ears, teeth, anal glands, furminator services, etc.

The thing I am most proud of and the thing we are known most for is the excellent care we provide to our customers. I built this facility for my dog, Maddux so he would get the best possible care available. My customers know that when their dogs are in my facility I consider them my dog and they receive the same level of care my dogs (I now have 3) receive without exception.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It’s a great industry. Despite the ups and downs of the economy, people typically do not cut costs when it comes to their children or their pets. If I were younger I would branch out and open Must Love Dogs, Too!

So for the next 5 – 10 or however many years remain before I retire I will continue to provide the best possible service to our patrons and hire only those who share my passion to run the business.

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