Dogs Escape from New York City

by Rod Burkert on February 17, 2010

Dogs are bustin’ out of New York City! The only escape of its kind, Northward Hound offers NYC pups the chance to experience the seasonal splendor of New Hampshire.  With 11 trips running from March through November, these “dogs-only” weekend excursions have it all …from lake swimming in Goffstown to mountain hiking in Warner to beachside strolls in Portsmouth. Why there’s even a trip to an area farm where Fido can go nose to nose with barnyard animals and sample homemade yogurt from a local ice cream parlor.

Northward Hound is the brainchild of Jennifer Jill and Leeland Allen, both originally from New Hampshire. Strangers when they met by chance in a NYC dog run, the two bonded over their love of dogs. They then each started their own successful pet care business in New York- specializing in dog walking, pet sitting, boarding, and light training. They parlayed this experience into Northward Hound, which was established in 2008.

Northward Hound is located in the town of Hopkinton, which is in the south central region of the state. The family’s historic cape has been transformed into a doggie haven filled with all the lush amenities of home, including a comfortable climate-controlled environment, private sleeping quarters, continuous fresh water, visual, audio and live in-room entertainment, multiple daily walks in addition to the numerous activities, and 24-hour care and supervision. Nestled amongst 20 acres of rolling horse pasture and woodlands, pups have plenty of space to run and play safely and securely. There is a limit of six lucky dogs per weekend, and parents are encouraged to call any time for an update of their fur kid’s adventure.

You may be wondering about cost for all of this country coziness?  Three-day weekends are $300, and four-day weekends are $400 – dogs must bring their own food. An excursion includes door-to-door service for pick-up and drop-off as well as a bath. 10% of profits go to NYC and NH animal shelters. Northward Hound is a member of Pet Sitters International and is fully bonded and insured.

If all of this weren’t enough to keep Jennifer and Leeland busy, Northward Hound will be coming out with a doggie-wear product line in May. Goodies will include beautiful leather collars, dog coats and blankets, and home made treats to name just a few. I’m told there will be an eclectic mix of merchandise for the discerning dog and her human companions.

  • Christine
    Can't wait for that doggie-wear product line to come out! I trust that it will be stylish as well as top-of-the-line in quality, as I have known Leeland Allen, one of the brains behind Northward Hound, to take her dog-caring work very seriously, as well as with tons of love.
  • traceymaher
    I am happy to say that I have seen Leeland in action with the very lucky dogs she takes care of in the park and off-leash and can honestly vouch that any dog that's in her care is a very, very, very lucky pooch! Weekends in NH with other K9's sounds like the Shangri-la of dog vacations! I know my beloved Trot would think he had died and gone to dog heaven. Such a great idea- keep up the good work ladies :-)
  • Thank you all for your great comments and feedback. GoPetFriendly hopes to visit Northward Hound in 2010 and report back on another blog post.
  • What an awesome idea! I used to travel regularly to NY on business, and was amazed at number of city dogs there. What a treat this would be for them!
  • What a great concept! I love hearng about innovative businesses such as these. Gonna post this on my Facebook fan page too, although I probably shouldn't, and keep this idea to myself. =P

    Btw, the scenery in the pics looks like it could rival that in Victoria, well, maybe in the winter. ;)
  • Thanks Jim! We have added your doggybytes FB page as a Northward Hound "favorite"! Love what you're doing too!


    Thanks to everyone for posting such positive, lovely comments. Everyone's support is greatly appreciated!!

  • Thanks Leeland & ditto! =)
  • katenicky
    highly recommend this company! nicky, our yellow lab, has been on three trips and she had a blast! came home tired and happy. extra bonus -- they take your dog to the groomers before they bring her back so she's nice and clean!

    these folks really love dogs and do everything they can to make yours happy!
  • milothebeast
    Sent my golden retriever beast, Milo, on a vacation with them and it was amazing. Not only did he come home very clean, he came home very tired. Lots of swimming makes Milo very happy. Great write up!!
  • induljence
    This is THE best excursion company and these ladies are THE best pet caretakers in the city. They love what they do and it shows! Not only do the dogs get 5-star treatment, but their owners can be assured their best mates are safe and having the time of their lives. Who doesn't like: going to the farm to rub noses with cows, frolicking in lakes and streams, hiking on trails, bonding with other fun-loving dogs, eating ice cream and getting love and attention from everyone in the town? The dogs come back bathed and exhausted from having so much fun! Look no further - northward bound with Northward Hound is where your dog wants to be.
  • I like your tag line ... northward bound with Northward Hound! Better copyright that before Leeland and Jennifer get a hold of it :)
  • induljence
    thanks for the tip, Rod! ...i'm fairly sure these gals would give credit where it was due or at least compensate in doggy treats! :)
  • Dog lover
    This is the greatest idea yet! Better than a kennel, and a wonderful way to relax and know your pooch is in great hands while having fun. Fantastic and innovative! You girls are an inspiration.
  • Heather
    This is such a great idea! I can't wait to send my dogs up to NH this summer!
  • Let GoPetFriendly know if you do. We'd be happy to do a follow-up post about someone who tried Northward Hound after reading about it here on our blog.
  • Ellen Blumenthal
    Leeland, I love this. Your website is great. I wish I had a dog, or that cats liked going on vacation.
    I'll tell everyone I know who has a dog.
  • pam
    This is such a GREAT idea! I wish I had come up with it or that I lived in NYC!
    Both girls just absolutely LOVE each and every doggie that they have on the trips or take care of.
    I have even witnessed the "LIVE" entertainment! Jennifer and Leeland both have theatre backgrounds and they sing and dance with the doggies! What a FANTASTIC time!
  • Sandro
    Looks fun ladies!
  • paul
    Those look like pretty happy dogs! Great idea
  • bourbonzeigler
    NOHO not only loves our dog {Dozer} as their own, but makes it very apparent that we are all family. Dozer loves Jennifer Jill & Leeland, they take care of him when he doesn't vacation with NOHO. When he does he comes back so happy and clean. The pictures don't do it justice. We got a personalized picture of him having fun in the waves and wilderness. I can't express how happy we are to have found NOHO, not only for walking and the day to day care but for all the extra that they achieve in actually loving what they do!
  • Wow! What a great endorsement from someone who has used Northward Hound. I had a lot of great photos to choose from - the dogs were having fun in all of them!
  • Rob
    I know the owners Leeland and Jennifer and they are completely dedicated to their clients' dogs...they have as much fun in the country as the dogs do!
  • This is great to hear. It takes special people like Leeland and Jennifer for pet owners to entrust their dogs to. After all, this isn't a 1 hour afternoon we're talking about - it's a 3 or 4 day weekend.
  • Sara
    This is such a fantastic way to help city doggies feel like country doggies! Fantastic!
  • What amazed/surprised me about the photos was that the dogs weren't all of the hulking breeds (like Shepherds, Labs, Retrievers, etc.). There were a lot of smaller dogs that definitely made it look like size was not an issue when it comes to having fun.
  • Chris Taylor
    This is a great idea especially for those who live in the city! From the pics on their website it looks like they go all over 'The North' with the pups.
  • Wayne
    Sent my dog on one of their trips last year...she had a blast!! Highly recommended.
  • Laura
    Awesome! I wish they took people!
  • I understand taking people (the pet owners) may be in the works. We'll wait for Northern Hound to make that announcement. But really, you're right - who wouldn't want to go?!
  • donnasickinger
    Sounds like a great getaway for my dog - the clean air & countryside are a change from the city.
  • GigiHarrigan
    Great idea!!! If i lived in the city I would definitely use their services!!!
  • Michelle
    This is such a wonderful concept! Everyone should send their pets on vacation. I wish we lived in NY so we could!
  • Pets do deserve a vacation, don't they?! The whole purpose of the GoPetFriendly website is to make it easy for people who want to travel with their pets. In a few weeks, we are loading up the dogs and ourselves in an RV so we can see what we've been missing. Hope you'll come back to blog to see what we're up to.
  • michelechollow
    It sounds like camp for dogs. How wonderful. And Pet Sitters International is one of my favorite organizations.
  • Don't let Buster and Ty see this, or they won't want to travel with us anymore!! :-D
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