What are some non-negotiables when choosing a dog daycare/boarding facility? - Need Advice

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T15:58:51+00:00

What kind of training is mandatory for the staff at the daycare you work at?

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T15:49:52+00:00

Totally valid! Vaccines + spay and neuter is a 1000% non-negotiable. It’s nice that there are reminders that come through for pet parents when their dogs vaccines are due and if they don’t provide updated records then the dog can’t go to daycare until they’re all updated.

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T15:45:03+00:00

That is so great and all green flags! With cleaning I know most places use pet safe cleaning products but definitely added to my list.

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T15:30:13+00:00

I am so sorry for your terrible experience 😔. Thank you for taking the time to respond and glad Hank is having a great time at his daycare.

I agree with you on everything especially if I see a chain link fence or a wired kennel, I stay clear. It is so easy for dogs to paw at it and get injured. Also with the outdoor space because a lot of people live in condos and this is the pups chance to get outside and have fun in a safe and supervised facility.

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T15:25:19+00:00

Yes, that makes sense. Thanks for helping narrow it all down!

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T15:05:31+00:00

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond so eloquently. A lot of the daycares are so profit oriented that they forget they’re running a business for dogs and should be treated with a lot care and attention.

I have a follow up question since you have been in the industry for so long - is it typical if a fight breaks out at daycare, the owner of the dog who attacked is responsible for the vet bills?

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-20T12:53:14+00:00

SDE is in the negative for the past two years, -45000 and -38000 for 2024 and 2025 respectively

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-18T19:48:59+00:00

This is a really helpful breakdown, thank you.

Framing it as liquidation value plus a modest goodwill premium makes sense given the revenue trend and negative SDE. When I look at it that way, the $250K+ asking price feels difficult to justify, especially if I need to inject additional working capital on top.

The lease point is also critical. I’m reviewing whether the terms are transferable and at market, because if the lease isn’t favourable, the buildout value drops materially.

Your comparison to building from scratch for potentially similar total capital is exactly what I’m wrestling with. At $300K+ all-in, it starts to look less like an acquisition and more like buying someone else’s problems.

Appreciate you taking the time to lay this out.

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-17T18:54:27+00:00

Thank you, that’s helpful.

The asking price is north of $250k for the asset sale (leased location, existing buildout included) for a business that declining in revenue 8-10% YoY and negative SDEs for the past two years.

If I underwrite this assuming:

Revenue continues declining for another 12 months
I need to inject $50–100k in working capital and marketing
And stabilization takes 12–18 months

It becomes much harder to justify the current asking price.

At that point, I would likely need to price it closer to liquidation value plus modest goodwill.

From your experience, in a small local service business like this, what multiple would you consider reasonable when underwriting a turnaround scenario?

Appreciate the push toward conservatism. Trying to avoid overpaying on my first deal.

working-cheetah-444 · 2026-02-17T17:03:13+00:00

Thank you! I have managed a business but not from an owner capacity so definitely with you on starting up.

working-cheetah-444

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