When Steve Hager’s wife told him he could quit his job and do anything he wanted to do, he knew it would be something working with dogs. He chose opening a new dog daycare, boarding and grooming facility in Worcester for several reasons
WORCESTER—Pet care is big business. The ever-growing number of pet parents are often asking where to find the best insurance, the best food, the best veterinarian, and “where’s the best doggie daycare?”
Self-proclaimed “devoted dog enthusiasts” and local residents Steve and Greta Hager hope to have the answer to that. Opening earlier this month, Dogtopia at 71 Pullman St. is the newest dog daycare service available in Worcester, and offers not only daycare but boarding and spa facilities. There are currently 250 Dogtopia franchises throughout the country.
“Since childhood, I’ve been obsessed with dogs and truly love them unconditionally, like they do us,” said Steve Hager. “With four dogs of our own, what drew us to Dogtopia is their unwavering commitment to prioritizing the wellbeing of dogs above all else.”
Steve and Greta met in 2004, both auditors at Grant Thornton at the time. They didn’t date until much later, and have now been married for nine years. Five years ago, Greta’s career as the head of financial planning and analysis at MassMutual took the Hagers to Massachusetts from Houston, Texas.
Continuing his career as an SEC specialist for a public company, Steve said Greta’s success put the couple in a place where he could choose whatever he wanted to do. Retiring from being an accountant was the easier part.
“Like many dog owners, I love dogs more than people,” quipped Steve. “In fact, I’ll learn your dog’s name instantly, while forgetting yours time and time again. We had always toyed around the idea of getting a daycare in addition to our roles, but we never had the time to commit. Now that I am making this career change, I’m 100 percent focused on taking care of dogs, and I haven’t been happier in my life. When I did my research on daycares and competitors, I figured…..if you can’t beat the best, join them.”
Opening Dogtopia in Worcester, too, was an easy decision. It’s close to home, and in need of more dog care options right in the city.
“The only other option, and where I imagine my second location going, was Natick,” said Steve. “Dogtopia is concentrated on keeping shelters empty. This was the area where I could help the most dogs and their pet parents.”
Steve stressed that Dogtopia is “unparalleled” in regard to its safety, cleanliness and training policies, which is one of the main reasons he chose the franchise over opening a new “brand.”
“I have four dogs of my own and finding quality daycare up here was impossible,” said Steve. “It wasn’t like back home in Houston where there were plenty of really good options. When I searched for my dogs’ own care, I found that almost all facilities were a little dirtier than I would have wanted, had concrete flooring in the playrooms, and no cameras that I could log into. Dogtopia has all of this. We are so proud at how safe and clean we are that we take every customer (if they wish) on an 11-stop tour through our facility while we educate them on our process.
“We also have cameras so you can watch your dog play all day. It makes your work day go faster, I promise. Also, we have rubberized floors. Yes it’s very expensive, but it’s necessary. These floors are designed for maximum protection for your dogs’ paws and joints.”
Steve added that there are countless reasons as to why it’s important to socialize pet dogs, and has many success stories involving people who thought they needed to dump a recently-acquired dog for reasons such as not having company over, bad behavior, lack of time, job changes, or moving.
“They dump their dogs at shelters,” said Steve. “With Dogtopia we have so many success stories of behavioral and health changes in dogs, making stressful situations for pet parents go away. They finally have a family member now….and not ‘just a pet.’”
Contact Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
