Ashburn-Founded Woofie’s Expanding To Western Loudoun

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — About 20 years after the founding of pet care franchise Woofie’s in Ashburn, a new franchise is opening to serve other areas of Loudoun County.

Franchise owner and Northern Virginia native Jennifer Sposito is opening Woofie’s of Western Loudoun with a grand opening at the Loudoun Pet Expo on Sept. 8 and ribbon cutting with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 27.

The business provides in-home pet sitting and dog walking services, as well as pet grooming services in its mobile van. Communities served include Bluemont, Hamilton, Paeonian Springs, Philomont, Purcellville, Lincoln, Round Hill and Waterford as well as areas of Clarke County.

Woofie’s was founded in Ashburn by Amy Addington and Leslie Barron in 2004 and started franchising in 2018. Today, Woofie’s is under the Authority Brands umbrella of home service franchises. The founding franchise serves Ashburn and Leesburg, and another franchise serves Sterling in addition to the Reston-Herndon area.

Sposito, who has been a Woofie’s client for her pets, brings experience as a corporate marketer and event planner and will introduce her business with a number of local events. Sposito has also volunteered with local shelters and rescues for over 20 years and plans to work with them in fundraising events and offer them baths and grooming to promote adoptions.

“I have been a Woofie’s client for more than 11 years for both pet sitting and mobile grooming, and still continue to use them for my pets’ care,” Sposito said. “I wanted to bring that same high-level of pet care service to Western Loudoun and Clarke Counties. Our clients never have to worry about whether their pets will be taken care of while they are away from home.”

The grand opening will happen during the Loudoun Pet Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 8 at Franklin Park in Purcellville. Woofie’s of Western Loudoun will accept monetary donations for Friends of Homeless Animals in Aldie in exchange for Wash ‘n Go baths and nail trims while supplies and time permit. Clients who pre-book their next mobile pet spa service during the event will get 20 percent discounts. Woofie’s will also host a raffle prize drawing for a $100 gift certificate for pet sitting or grooming services. The rain date for the event is Sept. 15.

The ribbon cutting with the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce will be held in front of the Woofie’s mobile pet spa van at 19301 Winmeade Drive, Suite 210, Lansdowne, VA.

Along with the Loudoun Pet Expo grand opening and Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting, other events will be planned during the summer and fall. Some of the confirmed events are Bubbles & Brews at Bear Chase Brewery in Bluemont on Aug. 10, Dog Days at Breaux Vineyards in Hillsboro on Aug. 24, and Paws & Brews at Harvest Gap Brewery in Purcellville on Sept. 21.

Woofie’s is currently hiring professional pet groomers, bathers and pet sitters. Sposito said pet sitters go through screening, background checks and training to help pet owners feel assured their pets will be well cared for.

Pet owners receive complementary in-home consultations to help match them with a pet sitter, the franchise has a team of pet sitters and back-office staff to keep up communications open with pet owners. When a pet sitter or dog walker is interacting with pets, the Woofie’s app allows clients to track when staff will arrive and depart, as well as track dog walks through GPS. Woofie’s also provides a pet diary with updates and photos during pet sitting and overnight stays. Pet owners may communicate with pet sitters through the app. If a health concern comes up, Woofie’s uses 24/7 vet telehealth services.

The other service is the mobile pet grooming van that can travel to clients’ homes to reduce pet anxiety of traveling to a groomer. The van has a cage-free grooming experience and one-on-one time with each dog without exposure to other pets. The mobile grooming experience does not require water or electricity from the homeowner. Professional groomers and bathers will be on hand to conduct an assessment and answer pet owners’ questions.

More information about the new Woofie’s serving western Loudoun County and surrounding areas is available online.