Brothers Steven and Jason Parker had the desire, determination, and drive – and nothing was going to stop them from achieving their dream.

In 1999 when Steven was 14 years old and Jason was just 12, they opened their first venture: K9 Guardians Professional Pet Sitting. They always wanted a dog, but their parents wouldn’t permit it. The boys thought that starting their own dog walking/pet sitting business would show their parents that they were responsible enough to have a dog of their own.

Steven and Jason’s love of dogs and the way they cared for them attracted many clients, and soon they had a thriving business. It wasn’t long before these young entrepreneurs knew that being with dogs and caring for them was their passion and that their lives would be spent working in the pet care field.

Because they were still in school, they could only operate their business on a part-time basis. When Steven graduated high school in 2002, their pet business became full-time – and they had to add several full-time employees.

“We hit over $100,000 in sales that first full-time year,” recalled Steven. “That’s when we knew that we wanted to take our business to the next level. Jason and I decided to open a brick and mortar operation. Our goal was to open a luxury pet hotel and doggie daycare.

“We spent from 2002 to 2005 researching, attending seminars, and flying all over the country to see other pet care businesses,” said Jason. “From day one, Steven and I wanted our establishment to be very special and really unique – not just a traditional boarding kennel.”

Obtaining funding to build a luxury resort was not easy. The majority of their money came from the sale of their pet walking/pet sitting business, but they needed more to complete their resort.

“Jason and I went to every bank in town – and beyond – to secure financing,” said Steven. “I’ll never forget one banker who said to us, ‘Hey kid, we didn’t build this bank by lending money to teenagers.’”

Undaunted, Jason and Steven continued their search. They persisted and did find financing, and their dream of a luxury pet resort soon became a reality.

In preparation, the Parkers learned from the best in the industry by going to seminars put on by the American Boarding Kennel Association, National Association of Pet Sitters, Pet Sitters International, and Barkleigh’s Groom Expos.

“When we were ready to open, we had a solid foundation from all the seminars we attended,” said Steven. “We took that knowledge and combined it with our real world experience from our dog walking business. We were able to come up with phenomenal procedures and systems to operate a successful resort.”

During the construction phase, Jason and Steven worked with BDA Architecture out of New Mexico, a firm that specializes in high-end veterinary hospitals and boarding facilities, and with Scott Learned of Design Learned, Inc. in Connecticut, who specializes in air purification and the actual layout of boarding facilities. Everything was designed with pet health and safety in mind. Their flooring systems have Microban built in to give them added protection against mold, mildew, stains, and odor.

Instead of traditional grass, they installed K9Grass, an artificial turf with Alphasan antimicrobial agents that fight odors and resist bacteria. It also helps the pets stay cleaner and keeps them from digging in dirt.

In 2005 Steven and Jason Parker opened K9 Resorts Daycare & Luxury Hotel in Fanwood, New Jersey. They were determined to set a new industry standard for pet hospitality and were prepared to pamper every client that walked through their doors.

When you enter their lobby, it looks like a five-star hotel complete with ceramic floors and marble reception counters. Everything is state-of-the-art and specifically designed for the comfort and safety of the pets. All the staff is trained and certified to ensure that every guest is cared for in a professional, safe, and loving manner from the moment they arrive.

“We designed and built the resort to accommodate about 100 guests between the boarding and daycare,” reported Steven. “We decided on that size because we wanted to be able to know all of our customers (two- and four-legged) by their first names. What we do best is service. We focus on that for each of our guests.”

K9 Resorts offers cage-free boarding. Each dog can have its own private suite or executive room complete with flat-screen TV, luxury beds, and outdoor window views.

The Doggie Daycare area is also a cage-free environment that allows the pets to socialize, exercise, and participate in group activities all while being supervised by caring staff professionals.

Opening their luxury pet resort was a huge undertaking for these young entrepreneurs. Why would they risk everything they had on this new venture instead of going with a traditional boarding kennel?

“There are three reasons for that,” said Steven. “One – Jason and I were never straight-A students or all-star athletes in school. We decided that if we’re going to do this, we want it to be the very best – the top of the field.

“Two – one of the reasons that our parents wouldn’t allow us to have dogs growing up was the problem of what to do with the dog when we went on vacation. They felt that kennels were dirty, smelly, and that the dogs came home sick. We knew that if our parents felt that way, other people must, too. We wanted to change that perception.

"Three – we realized that the industry was headed toward the higher end: the more luxurious, cage-free, spotless environment. We wanted to make a place where we would be comfortable leaving our own dog (if we had one).”

Jason and Steven finally have a dog of their own: a beautiful Italian Mastiff named Rocky. He comes to work with them every day and helps oversee all their operations.

K9 Resorts has become an overwhelming success. It has been voted the #1 Pet Service in New Jersey by the New Jersey Monthly Magazine and the Courier News.

Their success led the brothers to the next phase of their dream. They decided to franchise the K9 Resorts. But they didn’t just want to sell franchises. They wanted to share their success and offer ongoing support to all their franchisees.

The Parkers started their business from the ground up. They learned what worked and what didn’t. They knew that everything they had learned and experienced from the conception to the completion of the resort would be invaluable to anyone who wanted to get in the business.

They developed a proven system for operating their luxury resort and daycare. Each new franchisee goes through a training program that includes classroom learning and an on-site training at a K9 Resort.

“We cover every aspect of running their business and provide ongoing support to all of our franchisees,” said Jason. “Having a franchise allows them to be in business for themselves but not by themselves.”

At the age of 24, Jason Parker became the youngest franchiser in America. “We love what we do. We want to do this for the rest of our lives,” said Steven and Jason. “We are passionate, energetic, and enthusiastic, and we wake up every day and think about ways to grow and improve our business. Right now we are #1 in New Jersey. Our goal is to be #1 in the country!”

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