Community Highlights: Meet Christina Marquez of Zoomies Doggy Daycare & Boarding, Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Marquez.

Hi Christina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In January 2021, Zoomies Doggy Daycare & Boarding, Inc. started as a means to fulfill our increasing financial obligations after purchasing the home it was initially operating in. My partner Chris and I first signed up for Rover, which is a pet sitting application. Shortly after signing up, we received our first customer. After our first customer and first five-star review, we immediately received a second booking for two dogs. We quickly realized the demand for doggy daycare and boarding solutions in the surrounding area, not to mention the satisfaction we received from providing a loving home away from home. We operated the business out of our home for over four years until we finally expanded into our facility in July 2026.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Growing the business in our home was easy, but expanding into a facility was extremely difficult. There really are not any dog daycare and boarding facilities beyond PetSmart in the surrounding areas of Santa Fe Springs. This business was really a new concept, especially when it comes to zoning. We first had to apply for a conditional use permit; with no guarantee it would get approved. The application alone was several thousand dollars and not refundable if it was denied. Once we applied it took a month or so to have our public hearing where we presented before the planning commission. We thought this would be the greatest obstacle. Little did we know, it would take almost another year to get doors open. It took several months for our building plans to get approved, which was very unexpected. Additionally, the city requirements to bring the building up to code for this type of business required us to spend almost double our budget. Opening this business is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Zoomies Doggy Daycare & Boarding Inc. is a business that offers dog daycare, dog boarding, and dog walking solutions for the residence of Santa Fe Springs and surrounding areas. Our services include a safe and fun environment for dogs to play and socialize. Our primary goal is to provide our clients with peace of mind that their dogs are well cared for while they are away on travel or work. This is your run of the mill kennel. We aim to provide a more enriching environment for play and stay with large play areas, all day supervised play time, and spacious suites to ensure that their stay is as much a vacation for them as it is for their “pawrents.” We also pride ourselves in minimal kennel time and do not have breed restrictions. We are located in Santa Fe Springs and identified this area specifically because we are Whittier residents, and have seen an increasing demand for these services given the lack of a daycare and boarding facility of this kind within a 12-mile radius.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I was always a hard worker, ambitious, and a dog lover. I was always interested in building a successful career. Most people don’t know that I’m an attorney and remain an attorney and now dog business owner that I share with my partner Chris. I would not have been able to successfully build our dog business without him as he handles the day-to-day operations and is really the face of Zoomies.

Pricing:

• $75 for boarding
• $45 for full day daycare
• $35 for 1/2 day daycare (up to 5 hours)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zoomiesddc.com
• Instagram: zoomies_doggydaycare