Hey there, my name is Schmoo. They let me write this section
since I more or less created these magnificent playgrounds for
me and my friends. Before getting sucked into our WAG world,
be aware that the WAG is contagious. If you don’t subscribe to
our 'carpe diem' infused slogan, “Why wag a little when you
can WAG-A-LOT,” you might want to look elsewhere!
Once upon a time, a lovely man by the name of Craig Koch (that’s my Dad! … last name pronounced “cook” — careful, those Germans can be a little funny about getting that right) rescued me from a not so good place — let’s not go there. Shortly thereafter, my Dad lost his mind and starting leaving me at home all day while he was out selling toilets of all things. I understand that a man’s gotta put dinner in my bowl, but hey, life is short and my bladder is only so big. We had a talk and this Wake Forest graduate actually responded. Suddenly he wanted to create a place where dogs could come together and play in a safe, clean and fun environment. He exclaimed, “From this day forward my Schmoo’s tail will WAG-A-LOT!” A company, but more importantly … a way of life was born!
After a brief stint as a dog walking service in early 1999, the first WAG-A-LOT was unleashed on November 15, 1999 in the Metro Atlanta township of Avondale Estates, Georgia. Lucy Smith, a black lab, and Emmy Bush, a white Shepard, were our first two customers. WAG-A-LOT quickly earned a solid reputation as a quality day care and boarding facility known for its spacious overnight dog dens, bright clean day care areas and Atlanta’s very first WAG Cam!
We out grew our original location and moved to a custom designed, state of the art, 13,000 square foot facility in Decatur in April of 2003. We helped transition our old space into what is now the Lifeline Animal Project Dog House by donating over $50,000 of our original equipment and improvements to this non-profit organization. The new Decatur location took into account all we had learned about the relatively new concept of dog day care and upscale boarding and resulted in what we believe to be the best facility in the country – perhaps world – but I don’t travel much … someone’s gotta hold down the fort.
WAG-A-LOT is always in a state of continuous improvement. If they will listen to a dog named Schmoo they will certainly take any and all customer and Wag Specialists suggestions seriously. So be sure to bark up! Your ideas might be a part of our next store or remodeling project. We'd love for you to share them by emailing us at suggestions@wagalot.com.
Well, years of puppy steps led us to finally listen to my friends across town in Atlanta who were howling for a WAG-A-LOT of their own. So, my Dad opened WAG-A-LOT Downtown in 2006. A brilliant, beautiful and super fun 18,000 square foot location that continually wins awards from magazines, TV Stations, newspapers … you name it. Just check out the Press page!
In 2014, we celebrated our 15th Anniversary! We have cared for well over 1 million dogs! This success has led my Dad to emBARK on a consulting venture that helps like-minded entrepreneurs follow their passion for dog care and to live the dream of doing something they love for a living! So, look out world, this Schmoo’s got wings. One day soon, my fellow canines from sea to shining sea will realize their birthright … the right to WAG-A-LOT!
