bark! bark! grew organically out of a dog walking business started in the late 1990s by Vivian Dominguez, who saw the dogs in her Southern California neighborhood were desperate for socialization. Each day after her shift at work, Vivian would do what she loved—spending time with her neighborhood pups. 

It didn’t take long to see how much these dogs craved socialization with other dogs while their owners were away, and Vivian’s pack grew. And grew some more.

In 2009, Vivian teamed up with co-founder Danielle Portillo to open the first bark! bark! location in Downtown Long Beach, California. Together, they created the vision not only of how bark! bark! would socialize the dogs in their care, but how they would take care of their employees. At bark! bark!, employees enjoy coming to work because morale is high, training is thorough, and there is upward mobility. The workplace culture is one of fun, enjoyment, and safety for the pups, and it shows in the loyalty of the employees as well as the families who’ve entrusted bark! bark! with their furry family members. Some families have been with bark! bark! for more than 10 years!

Word of mouth grew, and so did the bark! bark! customer base, and Vivian and Danielle opened a second location in Signal Hill, California in 2011. Despite opening in the middle of a recession, the bark! bark! business has flourished with dog daycare and hotel services, grooming, and certified professional training classes ranging from beginner to advanced level. 

bark! bark! is where cool dogs go to just be, well, dogs! They play, learn to socialize, get lots of love and cuddles while their humans are working hard to give them the best life possible. The attention to detail and safety at bark! bark!—from the cool cams where pet parents can watch their pups play to the thoughtful design that ensures dogs don’t get stuck and are supervised day and night—are what elevates us above other dog daycares and pet hotels.

It’s why we’ve become the go-to dog daycare, and we’re ready to share that with potential franchisees who have a love of dogs and an entrepreneurial spirit as boundless as the energy of the pups in our care!