The founder’s story

I built HoundTrust because I wanted more time with the dogs

By Dave Waggins, home dog boarder and founder of HoundTrust

My wife and I have boarded dogs out of our home in Salt Lake City for six years, most nights eight to ten dogs. I love the dogs. I got tired of how much work it took to keep the business around them organized.

The paperwork followed every booking

For years, we worked out of group texts, sticky notes, and a paper calendar. A booking meant getting the paperwork signed. During a stay, there were updates to send. I had to piece together who had paid across different apps.

If you board dogs or pet sit for your own clients, you probably know the feeling. The information exists. You just have to remember where you put it.

That’s where HoundTrust started. I wanted one place to run our business, and I still use it for that today.

Before the next dog arrives

With Trust Link, you send the owner a private link. They share their pet’s routine, care instructions, veterinary details, and emergency authorization. You can review the profile before you arrange the booking and care agreement. The owner can complete it in a browser.

Returning clients have a shorter check-in called Quick Trust Link. It asks what has changed since the last stay, such as a new food or medication. The answers stay with the booking.

HoundTrust also keeps bookings, signed agreements, client updates, and payment records in the same workspace. Those are the jobs I needed help with in my own business. They are still the reason I keep working on it.

The numbers behind my business

I also publish the numbers behind parts of our boarding business. The dog boarding income case study publishes an anonymized, Rover-only 33-stay export with $2,277.10 in platform fees. Our private clients are not included in those figures. The guides and the free course draw on the same work. When a page models a market test that does not apply in Salt Lake City, I label it as a scenario. A home boarder should be able to hear this from someone who does the work.