Virginia-based franchise Dogtopia is building a dog day care center in Fort Myers. Expected to open in mid-October or early November, the location, 4429 Cleveland Ave., Suite 10, will be the newest of more than 250 locations across the U.S. and the first in Southwest Florida. 

The 7,000-square-foot building will house four spacious playrooms, a reception area, standard and luxury boarding suites, a kitchen and a fully equipped spa. Each indoor playroom is climate controlled with rubberized flooring.   

Dogtopia stresses the importance of wellness, socialization and exercise, as well as ensuring a safe and stimulating environment for man’s best friend. 

“We offer 10 full hours, seven days a week of open play with safe socialization with other dogs, interactions with our team, exercise and the opportunity to burn off pent-up energy,” General Manager Victoria Scardino said. 

With safety being a top priority, each dog is required to participate in a meet-and-greet process prior to booking.  

“They just want to make sure that the dog is comfortable with us touching them and that they’re OK being in a room with other dogs,” Scardino said. “We’ve got the steps broken down to a process, but we want to make sure that that dog is comfortable with open play, and know that we’re not accepting any dogs in our day care that could be aggressive or not cut out for that type of environment.” 

The meet-and-greet is a 30-minute process with one of the center’s canine coaches. Aside from paperwork and health history, a nose-to-tail assessment is completed, as well as a supervised introduction to some other dogs. 

Considering the off-leash, open-play environment, dogs moving on from the initial meet-and-greet are then placed in groups accordingly. 

“They’re separated according to size, play style and temperament,” Scardino said. “For example, a 10-pound dog is never going to be paired with a Great Dane. Really high-energy dogs are going to be paired with other very high-energy dogs. Shy dogs are going to be paired with dogs of the same temperament.” 

No breeds are turned away at Dogtopia, but all dogs must be at least 12 weeks, fully vaccinated, in good health, nonaggressive and not food or toy protective. 

The staff, also called canine coaches, are required to participate in 80 hours of training curriculum designed by a registered canine behaviorist before they can supervise dogs. The curriculum has been approved by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. 

“It’s not like we’re just hiring people who love dogs,” Scardino said. “We require extensive training to be in the room with those dogs, so our canine coaches can recognize behaviors that maybe somebody who just really enjoys dogs might not see.” 

With a focus on health and wellness, the average dog in Dogtopia takes 40,000 steps a day compared to the average 4,000 steps a dog that stays at home takes.  

“We’re excellent for improving your dog’s health and increasing the overall lifespan,” Scardino said. “And we all really love dogs, so we do everything we can to make sure that your dog is treated as if they were our own.” 

The center is offering a special for 25% off two or three days of day care for the first six weeks upon opening with 100 slots available.  

Four-legged friends that stay at Dogtopia will participate in activities, including playing with bubbles and follow the leader. 

While Dogtopia is primarily a day care service, overnight boarding and spa is also offered. Since many pet parents consider their dogs as part of the family, 24/7 webcam access is available at the center. 

“We want them to feel confident that they’re leaving their dog in good and capable hands,” Scardino said. “A lot of places you drop them off, maybe your dog sits in a crate for a few hours. You don’t have to worry about that with us. They’re engaged, they’re active and they’re having fun.” 

Dogs are separated for nap and feeding time, while the rest of their stay encourages physical and mental stimulation. The center also has a custom cleaning program that utilizes pet-safe cleaning products.