Come spring 2020, Skipper will have a dynamic new presence in South End.
The dog walking startup, which began in 2016 under the name "Waggle," will open a private indoor/outdoor dog park, pet care facility and bar in a 24,000-square-foot space.
All of Skiptown's offerings, which include a splash pad, kenneling and even the bar, will be powered via Skipper's mobile app. Want to order a beer without waiting in line? Or schedule a grooming appointment? Users can do all that on their phone.
“Dogs are members of the family," said Skipper founder and CEO Meggie Williams said in a statement. "In many ways, the pet care industry hasn’t kept pace with the demands of the modern pet parenting lifestyle. It’s time we change that.”
"In many ways, the pet care industry hasn’t kept pace with the demands of the modern pet parenting lifestyle."
Skiptown's development includes insight from both Skipper and Denver-based architecture firm Animal Arts — which focuses on establishing pet care spaces like this one.
“We’ve vetted and selected the highest caliber team for this project because we want to do this right,” Williams added. “We want to lay the groundwork to nationally revolutionize how people care for, and socialize with, their pets, and we want to start at home in Charlotte.”
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The idea for Skiptown was inspired in part due to enthusiastic response to Skipper's development and operation of on-site pet care facilities in local apartment complexes. Savoy in Uptown and Inspire and South Park's services are already up and running, with Skipper working on an additional four sites.
“We saw a need to support apartment residents with pets and apartment developers who are trying to cater to a quickly growing dog-focused community," Williams said. "Through our cutting edge technology and expertly trained team, we focus on providing best-in-class care for busy people who love their pets.”
Skipper has raised $900,000 in funding over two rounds, from investors like Techstars and Firebrand Ventures.
