March 8, 2020 was an exciting day for David and Jennifer Giardino. It was a day they dreamed of and worked so hard for: the grand opening of Dogtopia, their brand new business in Warwick.

After three long years of building a state of the art doggie daycare facility at 30 Jefferson Blvd, their dream has finally come to fruition.

Giardino, an entrepreneur and avid dog lover, was looking for his next adventure. After much research, Giardino, along with his wife Jennifer, decided that opening a Dogtopia franchise was exactly what they were looking for. They could’ve never imagined that a pandemic would immediately follow their grand opening celebration and potentially destroy their dream.

The following day, on March 9, then-Gov. Gina Raimondo declared a state of emergency in Rhode Island. Giardino still gets choked up when he talks about the emotional roller coaster they went through, from feeling elated at the grand opening to feeling shattered with the worry of what was yet to come.

Reflecting on how he felt at the grand opening, Giardino said, “It was so much fun. We worked so hard and so many people came. I felt like we reached a the plateau, we got there.”

Jennifer seconded the sentiment by saying, “The day was beautiful; we were so happy.”

But those feelings quickly changed, and like so many businesses, Dogtopia had to come to terms with the new reality of trying to navigate a pandemic. So many businesses were forced to close their doors or reduce capacity as the pandemic spread quickly.

Giardino wondered what would become of all his hard work and investment, questioning how long they should go on, and even contemplated closing down for the next few months. He and Jennifer decided it wasn’t an option, because they already had an initial client base that was committed to bringing their dogs, as well as brand new staff members. They felt the need to press on.

As things got worse for their business, many staff members left, the client base declined, and Dogtopia was not eligible for the paycheck protection program (PPP), a loan system to help businesses keep their doors open during the pandemic, because they had opened too recently.

Determined not to give up on their dream, and in order to survive, they needed to get creative. The pandemic had greatly impacted the boarding aspect of their business, so Giardino utilized the increase in dog adoptions to his advantage. Because so many people transitioned to working from home, animal shelters saw an increase in adoptions. While people wanted the companionship of a pet during the pandemic, adopters soon realized that their pets still needed socialization.

With that in mind, Giardino decided to ramp up puppy training classes as well as many other unique activities, like doggie slumber parties and puppy preschool. With the help of word of mouth and social media, the classes and activities started to take off, and the business was able to fill staffing gaps with college students who suddenly found themselves without any classes to attend.

The Giardinos felt the momentum begin to return.

The Dogtopia facility has a state-of-the-art air filtration system, valet door service, and top notch cleaning protocols to comply with COVID requirements. Recently, dog grooming and boarding has returned to the business.

“We are keeping out foot on the gas,” said Giardino.

Dogtopia was able to participate in a fundraiser to support the RI animal community, and raised $6,000 for the Dogtopia Foundation program, Service Dogs for Veterans.

“Through the generosity of Dogtopia’s clients and a matching donation from Maynard Dog Training, this achievement could not have come at a better time,” said Giardino. “It made all of the year’s challenges worth it.”

At the one-year anniversary celebration, there were special treats for pups and an overall feeling of gratitude. Going forward, David and Jennifer hope to continue the Dogtopia mission: Enabling dogs to positively change our world. The Giardinos are planning to keep connecting with the animal community through outdoor events once the COVID restrictions have eased.

For more information about Dogtopia, visit www.dogtopia.com/warwick or call (401) 903-4900.