Michael Mayer moved to Austin in 2004 and two years later he became the first Hip Hounds employee. After ten years of working at the dog daycare and boarding business, Mayer harnessed help from friends and family to purchase the business from Melissa Todd. He became the sole owner of the Round Rock-based business in 2016 with the goal of building a better financial future for him and his family.

“I didn't do this on my own,” Mayer said. “I had a bunch of help. I had a bunch of people who were willing to take a chance on me.”

What they offer

Hip Hounds provides overnight boarding, daycare and full-service grooming with no breed restrictions. During the day, dogs are placed in groups for hours of play with indoor and climate controlled areas, an outdoor section, canine playground equipment and pools. Pet owners can also tune into a live feed to watch their dogs play during the day.

Another detail


New clients receive one free night of boarding and two free days of daycare to make sure that all dogs are fully comfortable in the facility.

“I can't guarantee you that your dog will like it, but if they don't, I'll tell you and I'm not going to take your money,” Mayer said.

Respecting the craft

Mayer said while taking care of dogs is part of the business, he is especially proud of how Hip Hounds is able to treat people fairly as an independent operator with no corporate policies to abide by.


“I love the dogs [and] the dogs are great, but I have people that have been coming here for 19 years that I know,” Mayer said. “I see people's kids grow up. That's the cool part. It's a customer service job. The dog care part is very simple.”

Also of note

Mayer has no plans of opening a second Hip Hounds, and instead is focused on building relationships at the sole location.

“The reason my kid is going to go to college is because you trusted me and brought your dog here and I don't take that lightly,” Mayer said. “I'm super grateful that people trust us and bring their dogs here... [And] I'm grateful for the people that work for me.”