Unleashing success in a doggy daycare business
Plus: Top news of the week — Voters oust longtime commissioner Pat Cotham; Aldersgate accused in lawsuit of mishandling money; Hornets name new executive; County workers push back on in-office mandate
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SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
From teacher to entrepreneur: How Amy Hillis transformed her passion for pets into a thriving business
Some dogs love large-group play, but not all do. That’s how Social Pet owner Amy Hillis differentiated her business from others — with small group settings. (Photo courtesy of Social Pet)
Amy Hillis loved her job as a teacher at Jay M. Robinson Middle School, but she knew something was missing.
A career in education wasn’t stoking her passion for business and, as she puts it, for “doing my own thing.”
So she and her husband took $50,000 in savings and, despite knowing little at first about the pet care industry, started Social Pet Hotel and Daycare. In the past 10 years, the business has grown to three locations and offers daycare, lodging, grooming and training.
Amy’s experience meant navigating challenges familiar to those involved with entrepreneurship — from financing to staffing and stiff competition.
But, as she explains, it took a year after opening to discover what would come to differentiate Social Pet in a saturated doggie daycare market: small-group settings for dogs uncomfortable with large-group play. “That’s where it really caught on, and that's where we started to see our occupancy climb and then our revenue per dog per day climb because we were offering something different,” she says.
Her journey has had moments that, while now entertaining, were hardly so at the time. Shortly after opening, Amy was certain their phone lines were broken since they never rang. Unfortunately, the lines were fine — it’s just that no customers were calling.
And for those unfamiliar with boutique animal care, her story illuminates the creative steps taken to provide unique experiences: from themed parties to Christmas Eve readings of “The Night before Christmas” (followed by a belly rub).
Hillis sat down for a conversation with Ledger editor Tony Mecia to talk about the journey of opening Social Pet, which you can hear in its entirety on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast.
Responses have been edited lightly for clarity and brevity.
◼️ Growing up dog-less: “When I was growing up, I was actually not allowed to have a dog. We had other pets, we had fish, we had a rabbit, we had other pets. But I was never allowed to have a dog, and I wanted one so badly.
“And so I always joke with my parents, ‘This is an overreaction to a repressed childhood.’ But you know, as soon as I moved out on my own and I moved to Charlotte, that's when I got my first dog. And it was really challenging trying to find proper care for him and trying to know who to trust and, and where I should take him.
“And so the experience prior to Social Pet was actually not a lot. It was really just with my own dog and just having a love for animals.”
◼️ Differentiating Social Pet from competition: “I don't think pet parents really knew what to expect or what questions to ask, and so we wanted to provide something that was really accessible for pet parents who really wanted their dog to have a positive experience and who viewed their dog as a family member. So just like when you drop your child off at daycare for the first time, or maybe your child is going to kindergarten for the first time.
“You know, there’s a whole experience around that. And we wanted to bring that level of detail to the pet care industry, and that’s something that we started doing from the very beginning.”
◼️ ‘This is actually going to work out’: “So we had a moment, actually about a year after we opened. And what we were finding is that there were a lot of really great dogs that were not fitting well in a large group. And at that time, that’s primarily what you saw was large group play — a group of 30 dogs out there with a few people, and there were a lot of dogs that were great and they loved to play for a little bit, but they would get too anxious in the large group, or they would start to get reactive. We were like, ‘OK, something’s not right here. We need to figure out what to do.’
“The answer is not to just keep them all one-on-one separate from each other. So we went to a conference and we learned about the concept of enrichment daycare, which is small groups. One-on-one play, but you’re engaging them mentally as well as physically. And when we heard that, we were like, ‘OK, that's it.’”
◼️ Special events: “We have daycare parties, for example, where every month there’s a different theme, and there’s a party and the dog gets to play and have different treats and do different activities and get their picture taken. And we want pet parents to know that their dog is safe and happy, and that they can have peace of mind knowing that their dog is in good hands.
“We serve a lot of clients who are extremely busy. They’ve got demanding careers or demanding family life, and pet care should not be something that they have to worry about. We should be the bright spot in their day. And when they come to pick up their dog, it should be really the best part of their day.
“They get to hear all of the great things that their dog did. They get to see their dog excited to see them come back. And so, you know, we tell our team, you’re not just doing dog daycare, you are providing peace of mind and you're making people’s lives possible.”
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This week in Charlotte: Can Dems win Tricia Cotham’s seat?; health department issues mpox warning; Charlotte FC signs star; gamblers lured with free sports bets
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Elusive voucher school has a new address in Harrisburg: (WFAE) Teaching Achieving Students Academy, a Charlotte private school receiving North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship funds, faced scrutiny over its elusive location. WFAE reporter Ann Doss Helms found a new address in Cabarrus County. The incident underscores broader debates over accountability in voucher programs.
Politics
Voters oust Pat Cotham from county commission: (Ledger) Democratic voters in Mecklenburg ousted longtime county commissioner Pat Cotham, nearly a year after her daughter switched political parties. In a heated Republican primary, pastor Mark Harris emerged victorious despite past controversies, setting the stage for significant shifts in local representation. Check out the results from Tuesday’s primary election.
Can Democrats win Tricia Cotham's NC House seat? (Ledger🔒) The upcoming race for the N.C. House seat held by Republican Tricia Cotham in Mecklenburg County is poised to be highly competitive, with Democrat Nicole Sidman securing the nomination and Democrats eager to challenge Cotham, who switched parties, in a grudge match that could draw national attention and significant spending.
Local news
Resident's lawsuit says Aldersgate mishandled money: (Ledger) An Aldersgate resident has filed a federal lawsuit alleging an "unlawful racketeering enterprise" by the retirement community's administrators and board regarding seniors' entrance fees, with demands for refunds and punitive damages totaling over $1M, while also calling for criminal investigations by federal authorities.
Health Department warning of mpox exposures: The Mecklenburg County Health Department is reporting “an alarming trend with mpox in Mecklenburg County.” Health officials say they’re worried about exposure to people with active mpox cases. So far, transmission is via “close physical/sexual contact.” For more information, go to the county’s mpox page.
Business
N.C. gamblers lured with free sports bets: (Ledger) North Carolina's newly authorized sports betting platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel are enticing prospective gamblers with hundreds of dollars in free bets ahead of the legal online gambling debut next week, while state officials anticipate revenue boosts and prepare for potential increases in gambling addiction.
Art gallery board resigns amid debt dispute: (WBTV) The entire board of Charlotte Art League resigned in December after learning of about $200,000 in unpaid debt. Internal emails obtained by WBTV show that the nonprofit art gallery owed the money to landlord Flywheel Inc.
Sports
New Hornets exec: The Charlotte Hornets named Jeff Peterson as executive vice president of basketball operations. Peterson, 35, spent more than four seasons as assistant general manager for the Brooklyn Nets.
High school basketball upset: (Observer) Myers Park High’s nationally ranked boys’ basketball team lost in the playoffs to North Mecklenburg High on Friday night, 79-63. Myers Park was the defending state champion and had a 23-game win streak.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Nonprofit operates a thrift store: The thrift shop at the corner of Old Pineville Road and Tyvola Road in LoSo not only offers bargain deals on second-hand items but also serves as a vital source of support for children and families through Assistance League of Charlotte's various programs, from providing meals and clothing to offering college scholarships and grants for low-income students participating in extracurricular activities.
Larry Toppman reviews 'Peter Pan': Ledger arts critic Lawrence Toppman attended Tuesday night’s touring performance of “Peter Pan,” which runs through Sunday at the Belk Theater. Read the full review.
Queens says it got application bump from rom-com: Charlotte is making waves on the small screen with the rom-com "The Other Zoey," filmed largely at Queens University of Charlotte, which says the film might have contributed to a recent boost of student applications.
Alcohol inspector busts upscale restaurant Counter: Counter, a Wesley Heights restaurant renowned for its culinary excellence and chef Sam Hart's James Beard Award nomination, received a citation and fine from the N.C. ABC Commission for unlawful possession of alcoholic beverages.
County IT workers push back on 5-day in-office mandate: Several Mecklenburg County IT employees expressed opposition to the county's new return-to-office policy during a commissioners' meeting, citing concerns over fairness, productivity and a potential employee exodus due to the shift from a hybrid to a full-time in-office requirement starting July 1.
Corporate events lawsuit: Charlotte-based events company TCG Events is suing North Carolina wedding-planning firm The Gathering Co., alleging trademark infringement and customer confusion due to the similarity in names, as The Gathering Co. utilizes “TGC” and “TGC Events.”
Darlene Evans Jonas will be honored by Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte this summer with a house built entirely by women. Darlene, who passed away at the age of 89 from complications of Parkinson’s disease, dedicated her life to connecting with people and contributing to the world around her.
Why relying on cars alone 'simply doesn't work': The Ledger talks with Shannon Binns, the executive director of Sustain Charlotte, about Charlotte’s transit plan, the Unified Development Ordinance and more parks, greenways and sidewalks.
Charlotte FC signs a young star: The team seized the opportunity to land a star who was ensnared in a polarizing Israel-Palestine debate in Scotland. Charlotte paid the biggest transfer fee in its three-year history — reportedly $8 million — to acquire Abada from Celtic FC and signed him to a three-year deal through 2026 with an option for a fourth.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative