Doggy daycare in Scottish Borders goes on the market

The founders of one of Scotland’s largest doggy daycares, located just outside Hawick in the Scottish Borders, have put the business up for sale.

The couple Jon and Mhairi MacLeod-Dunford,  founded Hilltop Doggy Day Care in 2023, inspired by their own love of dogs, and have since grown the business into a well-established service, now capable of welcoming almost 10,000 dogs each year.

A popular  business across the Scottish Borders, Hilltop has achieved revenue growth of more than 33% in the last 12 months, offering dogs and puppies a unique blend of exercise, enrichment and play across its purpose-built eight-acre countryside site.

Day-to-day operations are managed by a longstanding team of four experienced staff, supported by a fleet of “doggy buses” which collect and transport dogs from key towns including Hawick, Galashiels, Melrose and Selkirk.

The sale comes at a pivotal moment for the area, with Hilltop located directly opposite the new £450million Centre Parcs development, expected to attract around 250,000 visitors annually when it opens in 2029.

The founders believe this presents a significant opportunity for future growth, including developing new services tailored to holidaymakers travelling with dogs.

Hilltop’s facilities include a purpose-built, newly refurbished doggy activity barn and five secure, dog-proof fields. These feature a sensory garden with bark and sand pits, as well as a dedicated dog parkour area designed to entertain dogs of all ages and abilities.

Operating entirely off-grid, the site also includes a further four acres of land, offering substantial scope for expansion and additional facilities.

Founder, Jon MacLeod-Dunford, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Hilltop. Our ambition has always been to create somewhere that dogs genuinely love coming to – a Disneyland for dogs.

“Serving hundreds of owners across the Borders has been a real privilege.

“We’re  now excited to hand over the lead to someone who shares that passion and can take the business into its next phase, realising the full potential of the site.”

The founders  are inviting expressions of interest from dog lovers, entrepreneurs, pet industry operators and investors looking to take the business forward.