https://southcarolinavoyager.com/interview/check-out-gray-moores-story
Today we’d like to introduce you to Gray Moore
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Dog Tired has been a concept in my mind since 2002, back when I was in my senior year of college living in Kansas City. It was during my time there, amidst the hustle and bustle of a big city that boasted one of the earliest dog bakeries and doggy daycares, that the idea took root. Inspired by these pioneering businesses, I made Dog Tired the focus of my senior project for my business class, where I first imagined what Dog Tired could become.
In 2003, I relocated to Charleston, SC, where I initially found myself working for an environmental engineering firm. Despite lacking prior experience, I navigated my way to the role of Office Manager, ironically earning the nickname “the pit bull” for my tenacity, especially when handling collections!
At the age of 28, I transitioned into a new family business of managing luxury vacation rentals on the Isle Of Palms, SC. With no prior experience in the field, I started as a property manager but swiftly ascended to overseeing all aspects of the properties, owners, and guests. My expertise was cultivated through immersion in conferences and learning on the job. I spent over 5 years in this industry, then decided, it was time to make a change. After many amazing years at Beachside, my biggest most special mentor, Vicki, was diagnosed with terminal breast and bone cancer. Without her guidance anymore, I felt it was the right time to move on and go for it. I began Dog Tired in 2009, as a side hustle all on my own.
No one believed I could do it. Little did they who they were dealing with! I was up for the challenge! I figured out how to register an LLC by myself (this was before all the You Tube and Facebook Groups that guide people now). I marketed with veterinarians, I made flyers, I sent Thank You notes, I made a website, taught myself how to do a newsletter, create a Facebook Page, and most importantly asked my clients for referrals. In less than 6 months I was thriving more than I ever have! I knew I could make it successful full time, so I left the vacation rental company. I ran the business out of my home for 2 years, which ironically is now frowned upon due to zoning, rules, regulations, and most importantly due to people having lack of experience which may cause health and safety concerns. My dad would always ask me, “How many dogs you have this weekend?” I additionally saw the need for in home pet care and dog walking for pets that preferred to stay home. I did both of these businesses simultaneously. I always had about 10 or so at the house with me, sleeping in my bed with me, or on the couch! My friends and I made funny nick names for them! I also recognized that Charleston was a destination wedding city, so I launched The Wedding Nanny, where we manage and handle dogs for weddings, receptions, photos, portraits and more!
I eventually was so busy at the house with daycare, boarding, pet sitting, dog walking, and Wedding Nanny, I had to hire help. I used a coach, Kristin Morrison, The Six Figure Pet Sitter, to help me with the pet sitting aspects. I realized in order to grow, I had to trust and train employees to help me, as well as to get some time off. I don’t think my family or friends saw me much for 2 years as I worked LONG hours every day almost every day for a few years. The average burn out for a pet sitter is 18 months because they don’t know how to manage and grow without exhausting themselves.
Things changed after 2 years, when I had a complaint from a neighbor (not to me, but DIRECTLY to the city) about the traffic coming and going from the house daily. I was shut down by the City overnight without warning! I panicked, I cried, I screamed, what was I going to do?! That was my only source of income! Up until this point, I was AFRAID of opening a commercial location, I didn’t know how to run a dog business. However, this one incident although horrible at the time, is what pushed me to go commercial. (Thank you to the complaining neighbor)! I opened my first Dog Tired location in 2009 on Johns Island, SC, thanks to the help and support of my parents. I did have to do a presentation to my dad, as well as a business plan! I have learned so much about so many things I did back then, that I would never do now, which is why I’m so passionate to make sure we do things right and forever moving forward.
The business took off on Johns Island. Johns Island was GROWING and thriving. I started hiring employees & groomers. It was a very hard learning curve for quite some time, until I found my mentors and friends, The Dog Gurus; Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs, with whom I’m still friends with to this day. Thanks to their guidance, their staff training programs, and online courses, they helped me to set the bar for ALL doggy daycare and boarding facilities in the area; and for us to be the BEST and SAFEST petcare company in the area, which still holds true to this day. People don’t know or understand that in order to be a successful daycare and boarding facility, YOU HAVE TO HAVE staff training in place to learn dog body language, have small playgroups, assess all of the dogs before they go into group, and NEVER leave dogs unattended in a playgroup.
We don’t just “throw” any dogs into a group at once. There is a complete timely scientific process that we do for every single dog that comes into our care. Health & safety of the dogs and our employees are our number one priority. Tragedies happen often in pet care facilities, often because they DO NOT know or understand that there is a science to the grouping of the dogs, and the signs to look for in the dogs to intervene when a specific dog posture is noticed. This prevents scuffles and fights BEFORE they happen. It’s absolutely not “Owners and employees getting to play with dogs all day.” Prevention and knowing the signs, is what empowers the staff to make safe small CONTROLLED play groups. Our play groups are less than 10 dogs at a time and are grouped by size and temperment. We also complete daily wellness exams for every dog in our boarding program. Our staff have actually caught bloat and even cancers in dogs before the owners!
We thrive on our commitment to health and safety as well as continuing education to ensure we remain the safest boarding and daycare facilities in the Charleston area.
I opened a 2nd store on James Island, SC, in May 2019 right when the pandemic began, I also had a broken arm from a car accident, which was challenging, but thanks to my book keeper, Amy, and my manager at the time Kate, Dog Tired survived together as a team.
I found running 2 stores together was super challenging and started to experience some burnout, so I decided in 2023 to bring on a partner, Owen. Owen and I have been great yin and yang team to grow the business even further to Summerville in May 2024 and Downtown Charleston coming Late Fall 2024. Thank goodness he loves numbers and spreadsheets! Ha! It has been a wild ride these last 15 years! The only thing I would change, would have been that I wish I had found the Dog Gurus and mentors sooner. Don’t guess at things, when others have already done the guessing for you. Mentors and coaches are priceless. Even having been in the industry 15 years, we are STILL learning new things all the time. My biggest advice to anyone wanting to start a business, don’t let anyone tell you NO or that you can’t do something. It’s hard work, so make sure you TRULY understand the demands of the industry that you are interested in. The animal world is 24/7, 365 days a year and is extremely high stress. Definitely shadow any business before starting one or purchasing one so you know what you are REALLY getting into.
Animal lovers who use boarding, daycare, grooming and in home pet sitting services, it’s important to tour facilities, ask how they train their staff, how long is their training program, how big are their play groups, do they evaluate the dogs before going into group, do they separate the dogs by size and temperament, what certifications do they have, are they trained in Emergency Pet First Aid? Are they members of the Dog Gurus, IBPSA, and or PACCC? You need all of this to ensure your pet’s health and safety. It’s worth it to pay the extra cost for your pets to be in the best care possible.
Dog Tired will continue to lead the way for being the safest petcare company in the Charleston area for doggy daycare, boarding, grooming, training, wedding nanny, and in home pet sitting and dog walking.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are renowned for our Enrichment Program Doggie Daycare 2.0, which includes daily activities alongside group play. This program not only provides physical exercise but also stimulates their minds, offering an additional outlet for mental engagement. The dogs are also sent home with a daily report card. We also like to PAWTY! We host monthly pawties with themed photo ops from Pawjama Parties, Luaus, Field Day, FitPaws, Paw Prints and more!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
From day one of starting Dog Tired, I knew I had to take risks to grow both personally and professionally. To minimize the risk, I initially ran the business from my home, ensuring I had the vacation rental industry to fall back on if things didn’t work out. When I decided to fully commit and leave vacation rentals behind, I put all my faith in myself and my business. I worked tirelessly every day to build Dog Tired from the ground up. Fifteen years ago, no one believed I would succeed. Today, I proudly operate three stores and am set to open a fourth by the end of the year.
Pricing:
- Daycare $43 per day Includes daily report card
- Boarding $56 and up Includes daycare and departure report card
- Grooming $65 and up
- In Home Pet Sitting & Dog Walking $30 per visit & Up
- Wedding Nanny- $90 per Hour and Up
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