Hounds Town USA Opens Its First Doggie Day Care Center In GA

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA — Michelle Eason has always dreamed of running her own business, but it wasn't always a pet day care center.

Eason, a longtime metro Atlanta resident and Shiloh High School alumna, spent 26 years in the insurance industry — even opening her own insurance firm — before deciding to pursue her dream of opening a space for dog lovers like herself.

"While I was in insurance, I kept thinking about how it would be a dream to work with animals. I love dogs, I love cats and so this was a calling for me. I kept having that burning desire," Eason told Patch. "I was ready to move on to the next chapter of my life and do something I'm passionate about."

The dog mom of three — Bradley, Penny and Gypsy, who you may see trotting around the center — opened Hounds Town USA's first location in the state on June 26, hoping to help alleviate separation anxiety and keep pets entertained — especially as many in metro Atlanta's workforce return to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic kept people home full time with our furry friends.

The 6,000-square-foot location offers simple pricing, luxury suites for overnight boarding, expansive play areas, dog grooming services, a doggie day spa and even a pet taxi service, where a Hounds Town employee will come pick up or drop off your pet if you live within 5 miles of the center.

Hounds Town also offers overnight cat boarding in their multi-level cat condos, which they aptly named "Purrington Villas" — a small representation of the fun they have at Hounds Town, Eason said.

"In the corporate world, it's very regimented and routine, and things are done a certain way. It wasn't always a fun environment," Eason said. "But here, we don't take ourselves too seriously — the only thing we take seriously is the safety of the dogs and cats that are here with us."

Not only does Hounds Town offer simple pricing options and a pack environment for our four-legged friends, the company also does not discriminate against specific dog breeds, sizes or disabilities — all dogs are welcome.

"I have many friends that have pitbulls and they are sweet dogs with great temperaments, but a lot of places stereotype them," Eason said. "We've got a lot of people that have called and said, 'Hey, I called so-and-so down the street and they won't take me because my dog's a lab-pit mix,' or 'I've got a dog that's 90 pounds, will you take him?' The no-discrimination policy at Hounds Town was so important to me."

Hounds Town first opened in 2000 in Port Jefferson, New York by a founding member of New York Police Department's canine unit, Mike Gould, and his wife Jackie Bondanza.

Gould spent more than 40 years in canine management with the department before opening the Port Jefferson location of Hounds Town, which now operates more than 30 locations across the country. Eason said once she met Gould and Bondanza, she was all in on the company.

"The knowledge [Gould] had about dogs and dog behavior is exactly what Hounds Town is all about. We let dogs come here and we want dogs to be dogs — they play, they run, they jump, they do all the things dogs do in a pack. And with Jackie's business acumen, I knew they had the knowledge to help me be successful," Eason said.

Hounds Town USA is located at 1899 Parker Court in Stone Mountain. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The lobby is closed Monday-Saturday from noon-2 p.m. for nap time.