What began as a search for a puppy during the pandemic grew into a Manchester-based startup with ambitions to transform how pets travel across the country.
DogHop, founded by Joseph and Lauren Getts, provides pet transportation services ranging from cross-country ground transport to flight companion services for smaller pets. The idea emerged in 2020 while Joseph was working long hours for UPS and the couple was searching for a breeder to bring home a second dog.
“We needed the service ourselves,” says Joseph. “We started looking for pet transport companies and realized the websites were awful. Nothing about them instilled trust that the process was going to go smoothly, never mind that your pet was going to arrive safely.”
After bringing home their Belgian Tervuren puppy, Marty, the couple continued researching the industry. They filed for an LLC in early 2021 and spent more than a year developing the business before officially launching DogHop in April 2022.
For Joseph, entrepreneurship represented the opportunity to combine several passions. During his years at UPS, he discovered he genuinely enjoyed driving and building relationships with customers along his route.
“I’ve always felt that customer service is crucial and at the heart of success,” he says. “Driving all day and thinking through this business, it seemed like a dream job. We knew we could do the customer service part better.”
Today, DogHop serves a diverse clientele that includes families relocating across the country, seasonal homeowners transporting pets between residences, breeders, rescues and animal shelters. The company has transported many pets from dogs and cats to rabbits, rats, fish and even toads.
Growth, however, has brought challenges. Scaling a highly personalized service while maintaining safety and customer trust has required careful planning.
“It’s a tough thing to scale, and that’s been the challenge,” Joseph says. “I needed to get miles under my belt to learn the business before I felt comfortable bringing other people on and developing operating procedures that protect our brand integrity.”
Technology has become central to that effort. DogHop developed an instant quote system that provides pricing, itineraries and contact information, while clients can follow their pets’ journeys through real-time tracking, texts and social media updates.
The company also uses electric vehicles for many trips, citing both safety features and the natural breaks charging stops provide for pets and drivers.
Looking ahead, DogHop’s founders see the transportation service as just the beginning. “I had no idea this is how big the vision would become,” Joseph says. “This is something we needed, so someone else probably needs it.”
