The Dog Stop Announces First Kansas City Location

Local Owners to Bring The Dog Stop's All-in-One Dog Care Experience to Kansas City with New 10,000-Square-Foot Facility This Fall

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dog Stop, the all-in-one award-winning dog care brand, is expanding into the Kansas City market with its first location opening in late October at 2713 Cherry St. The location will provide dog daycare, boarding, grooming, and retail services to dogs and their families throughout Kansas City, including the Midtown, Downtown, Crown Center, Union Hill, Hyde Park, Crossroads and River Market neighborhoods.

Husband-and-wife duo, Charlie and Ellen Tocco, will be leading the charge as owners of The Dog Stop Kansas City, with Charlie managing the day-to-day operations. Together, they are combining their professional backgrounds with a shared love of dogs to bring a new pet care option to the rapidly growing Midtown and Downtown community.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Charlie attended Rockhurst University and built his career in public accounting before deciding to pursue entrepreneurship. "We know how valuable dogs are to their families because ours are such a big part of our own lives," said Charlie. "As we looked at different franchise opportunities, The Dog Stop stood out because it allowed us to build a business around something we genuinely care about while benefiting from a system and brand that have already been established." Ellen, a University of Kansas graduate who continues her career in health care technology, was equally excited by the opportunity to build a family-owned and operated business. 

Fittingly, dogs have been part of Ellen and Charlie's story since before they were even a couple. Charlie's Patterdale Terrier, Pumpkin, stole Ellen's heart before she'd even met Charlie. Ellen first spotted Pumpkin while socializing with Charlie's then roommates and describes the interaction as "love at first sight." Weeks later, Charlie met Ellen while he was out walking a friend's German Shepherd on the Country Club Plaza. Today, the couple's family includes Pumpkin, now 14 (she continues to steal Ellen's heart), their 4-year-old Mountain Cur, Tiger, and their two young daughters, a 2-year-old and a newborn. As longtime dog parents and now parents to two little girls, Ellen and Charlie understand just how much pets are part of the family and how important it is to have a place you genuinely trust to care for them when you can't be there, which is one of the reasons bringing The Dog Stop to Kansas City felt like such a natural fit.

"We were drawn to the family-oriented culture of The Dog Stop and its focus on both the dogs and the relationship with their owners, and we can't wait to introduce our community to The Dog Stop difference," continued Charlie. 

Ellen and Charlie believe that The Dog Stop's focus on transparency and individualized dog care, 24/7 camera access, thoughtfully designed play spaces, highly trained staff, and options for dogs who may not thrive in traditional group play, will set it apart from other dog care options. The Dog Stop Kansas City is designed to give dog parents peace of mind that their dog is safe, happy and cared for like family.

The Kansas City facility will feature approximately 8,500 square feet of indoor space in addition to 1,500 square feet of outdoor space. Plans include multiple play yards designed to accommodate dogs of different ages, energy levels, and play styles, including dedicated areas for lower-energy dogs, high-energy dogs, and older dogs. In addition, the facility will also feature a Very Independent Player space, dedicated specifically for dogs that do better with one-on-one care rather than traditional group play and will offer The Dog Stop's comprehensive lineup of pet care services, including daycare, boarding, grooming and retail.

Through The Dog Stop's partnership with Fear Free®, all Kansas City team members will receive specialized training designed to recognize and reduce fear, anxiety and stress in dogs. From boarding and daycare to grooming and everyday handling, staff will use Fear Free principles to create a calmer, more positive experience — especially in situations that can naturally be stressful for pets. The goal is simple: to help every dog feel as safe, comfortable and secure as possible while away from home.

As Charlie and Ellen prepare to open the location, they're looking forward to becoming even more involved in the Kansas City pet community. They plan on exploring partnerships with local rescue organizations, including opportunities to help rescue dogs access grooming services and potentially hosting adoption events at the facility.

For more information about The Dog Stop Kansas City, visit https://thedogstop.com/grand-opening-kansas-city-midtown/. 

About The Dog Stop 

Founded in 2009 and franchising since 2013, The Dog Stop is an all-in-one destination for dog care, offering play-focused daycare, year-round overnight boarding, spa-style grooming, individualized training and enrichment, and a natural pet retail store with carefully selected, high-quality products. Owned and operated by dog people, The Dog Stop pairs comprehensive services with highly trained staff knowledgeable in dog behavior, grooming and nutrition, with each experience tailored to support the unique physical, mental and emotional needs of every dog. The Dog Stop currently serves dogs and their owners at 47 locations across 17 states, with more than 50 additional locations coming soon. For more information, visit TheDogStop.com.

Contact: Ashlyn Jensen | Franchise Elevator | [email protected]

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SOURCE The Dog Stop