Harnett County residents Kristi Bennett and Aric Allen are bringing Hounds Town, a national doggie daycare, boarding and spa brand, to Fayetteville this fall. The Fayetteville location on Ramsey St. will be the seventh one in the state. The grand opening date is to be announced, but the couple plans to introduce the concept at the Haymount Festival, where they’ll share services, pre-opening sign-ups and opening promotions.
Bennett and Allen said they chose Hounds Town for its proven behavior-first model and decades of canine-management expertise.
“We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” the owners said in a statement, adding that the franchise’s straightforward operations and emphasis on dog psychology made the brand the right fit for the market. The couple, whose household includes a U.S. Navy veteran, said the area’s large population of service members and shift workers also influenced their decision to offer extended hours.
Billed as a “town designed just for dogs,” Hounds Town locations provide fully interactive doggie daycare, overnight boarding and pet spa services. The Fayetteville site will feature expansive play areas for all-day, off-leash socialization; large luxury suites for overnight stays; and a day spa with bathing services. Dogs are grouped by size, temperament and play style to foster safe, natural pack behavior. Boarding guests play during the day and rest in private suites at night, with optional spa add-ons before checkout.
The founders of Hounds Town built the system on professional canine experience: the brand’s creator is a former New York City Police Officer who helped launch the NYPD’s canine unit, later served as the department’s Canine Training Officer and is a retired U.S. Navy veteran. Bennett and Allen are confident that pedigree, combined with the franchise’s straightforward operations, gave them confidence that they could deliver a safer, smarter experience for local pets.
“It’s a proven model that works,” they said.
Bennett and Allen said their decision to open in Fayetteville grew from dissatisfaction with current options.
“We weren’t happy with the services available,” they said. “Families deserve an all-inclusive place that puts dogs first, from structured social play to boarding and grooming, and that also works for real-world schedules.”
Marketing for the new location will be led, at least in spirit, by the couple’s basset hound Lola, affectionately dubbed the Head Hound in Charge and “marketing officer.” Lola will appear at community events and in social-media updates as the franchise builds relationships with local shelters, rescue groups and small businesses.
At the Haymount Festival this fall, the team plans to outline first-day procedures, including temperament assessments that ensure each dog lands in an appropriate play group. Staff will take pre-opening reservations for evaluations and distribute information on vaccination requirements, safety protocols and planned hours. Pricing and specific opening-week specials will be announced closer to launch.
Hounds Town’s approach centers on simplicity for pet parents and enrichment for dogs. The brand emphasizes continuous, supervised play over rotational kenneling, which it says produces calmer behavior at pickup and better overall health. Daily communication, optional report cards and guidance on at-home enrichment are part of the Fayetteville plan, the owners said. They also intend to offer extended morning and evening hours designed for commuters, hospital staff and military families.
As the seventh Hounds Town in North Carolina, the Fayetteville franchise will add capacity for a fast-growing region.
Residents can meet the team at the Haymount Festival, follow along on social media and sign up for grand-opening updates and exclusive offers. The opening date will be announced after final inspections are complete. Until then, the owners say, Lola will keep doing what she does best: greeting new friends, sniffing out photo ops and reminding the community that a wagging tail remains the best marketing there is.