About

Brandon wanted to build a dog care facility where he and his wife, Shayda, would feel comfortable leaving their own dogs. It was their belief that dogs are entitled to some core services, whether socializing in daycare or boarding overnight.

After investigating the pet boarding service industry in Northern VA, he felt he could offer the market something new and innovative by combining some key features that were not currently being provided in tandem, along with a high level of creature comfort and a superior customer experience. Such features included regular outdoor potty breaks along with 12 hours of continuous cage-free dog daycare, spacious kennels, and 24/7 onsite attendants. His goal was to provide these services and keep the cost to customers at a competitive price point.

Brandon’s dream became a reality when Healthy Hound Playground opened its doors in Sterling, VA in March of 2013. The original 6,200 sq ft facility boasted 23 large 4 ft by 6 ft canine cottages (kennels) and 2,000 sq ft of dedicated daycare space, subdivided into two large playrooms.

The quick growth of the business surprised Brandon and Shayda and they realized that if the opportunity came along to expand the facility, they should seize it.

In the forefront of their desire to expand was the desire to grow their customer base responsibly. They did so by increasing the footprint of the facility, ensuring that their guests have ample space to run, play, and socialize in daycare, and also maintaining their spacious canine cottage size so that the dogs are always comfortable overnight. They have also preserved staff to dog ratios, ensuring that their safety standards are consistently met.

Since 2013 Healthy Hound Playground in Sterling has expanded three times into three adjoining suites and now boasts 18,000 sq ft that provides over 100 large, built-in canine cottages and 6,000 sq ft of dedicated daycare space divided into multiple playrooms – becoming one of the largest dog care facilities in Northern VA.

After initially offering daycare and boarding, Healthy Hound Playground decided to expand their service offering by building a full spectrum Grooming Salon & Spa. The salon has since been Voted “Best Grooming” by Northern VA Magazine in both 2018 and 2019 and by the Washingtonian in 2020. Customers of Healthy Hound Grooming Salon & Spa include both daycare and boarding guests, as well as those who visit solely for grooming spa services.

In September of 2021 Healthy Hound Playground proudly opened the doors to their second location in Rockville, MD. Presented with the opportunity to utilize a beautifully built out facility that shares a building with one of Rockville's premier pet emergency and surgery hospitals, expanding their staff and service offerings to Maryland customers made perfect sense.