Dog-care world expands in Rochester

It appears a local business woman went barking up the right tree. Eight years after opening a daycare for dogs, a former Xerox employee is expanding the whole operation because demand is so high. She says people and their pups are scratching at the door to get in.

Emily opened Dogs at Play on Howell Street in 2000. The daycare gives pups a chance to get rid of energy, so they’re tired out when their owners get home from work. Miller takes care of 25 dogs every day, and she has at least 30 people and their pooches on her waiting list.

“We grew 20 percent every year,” she said. “We just couldn't bring in anymore dogs.”

The demand was so great, Miller has started renting space from a building, right next door to her daycare.

“This place was like a gift,” she said. “I mean it's perfectly set up. We had to just come in and get the old carpet up and get these floors put in.”

That's 5,000 square feet more play space for her customers. There's also a doggie wash and a soon-to-be padded room for elder dogs in the bunch.

“It’s so they're not getting slammed into by the two-year-old lab who thinks it's funny to run as fast as they can!”

Altogether, the expansion cost about $65,000 that will not just go to the dogs.

“It's been a lot of hard work,” Miller said. “It's been 8 years - no vacation one sick day.”

Local pups can expect to hightail it into the new building within the next month.