District Dogs, a D.C. business born out of a dog-walking service seven years ago, has opened its sixth D.C.-area dog daycare and boarding facility in the area, and it’s the first of several local businesses selected by Amazon to be part of its HQ2, at the Metropolitan Park complex in Pentagon City, Virginia.
It is District Dogs’ sixth location, with a seventh opening soon at Alexandria’s Carlyle Crossing.
Founder Jacob Hensley opened the first District Dogs in D.C.’s Park View neighborhood in 2014, and has expanded services to include daycare, boarding, training, dog spa services and even on-site spaces that can be rented for dog parties.
Earlier this year, Hensley announced plans to franchise District Dogs nationwide. The company said it has already garnered significant interest from potential franchisees across the country, though it did not identify any initial franchise locations.
When Amazon announced plans for the 67,000 square feet of retail that is part of the 2.2 million square foot Metropolitan Park development, it said it would emphasize small, locally owned businesses. More than a dozen food and service provider local companies were chosen.
Met Park is expected to open for Amazon employees next month. In March, Amazon said it was delaying the continued construction of PenPlace, the second phase of new construction for HQ2.
