Gainesville Scenthound owners receive IFA award

For a year and a half, Joseph Pizzurro and his wife, Kathryn have owned and operated two Scenthound franchise locations in Gainesville.

The couple has since served almost 3,000 dogs locally through the company’s monthly membership club and their basic hygiene and routine care services offered to cater to the dogs’ skin, coat, ears, nails, and teeth.

This year, the couple is officially recognized internationally as the 2023 Franchisee of the Year among many other franchisees around the world who have exemplified excellence in franchising and being a service to others, according to the International Franchise Association’s website.

“We are incredibly honored by the recognition of the IFA for a lot of reasons,” Joseph said. “When you think about the criteria that the IFA looks at, the success of what we have done with Scenthound is really a reflection of our team, the passion, the love that they bring to dogs every single day. It helps care for them and it just made us feel incredibly proud that their work was being recognized by the IFA.”

Joseph also said the organization’s requirement for community involvement made him realize over time how much their mission is aligned.

“When you look at their community involvement [requirement], We’ve been very proud of our partnership with the Humane Society of North Central Florida,” Joseph said. “And, trying to find forever homes for rescue dogs and with our focus on health and wellness, it has been a very strong partnership [through our Clean Start program] that has helped us reach dogs in our community that otherwise would not have received care.”

Joseph said the third reason they are appreciative of the award is because it comes from the work that was put in with the franchise’s network.

“We have been nothing but pleased to be part of this network with Scenthound’s franchisees,” Joseph said. “[There are] so many people with strong personal and professional backgrounds and being able to partner and work with them as we continue to grow this network around the country has been an honor for us and it has really been benefitting the work that we have done in here in North Central Florida.”

The Pizzurros said the idea to even start up a franchise business came about after the rise of the pandemic and many years of working in the corporate world.

“Joseph spent thirty years in the corporate world, and I also had several years in corporate as well [ten years to be exact]and then we started our family,” Kathryn said. “But, the pandemic brought us a lot of things, some were gifts, and some were not, but the gift of time was really what we took advantage of.”

Kathryn said the idea of starting a business with her husband was always a frequent topic of conversation for them at first and said the pandemic gave them that time where they could research it and learn more about entrepreneurship.

“And, [when we did], we were pleasantly surprised of all the opportunities that franchising offered,” Kathryn said. “When we looked at the market and saw what was available, we fell in love instantly with Scenthound. We saw that Scenthound’s mission was focusing on the health and wellness of dogs and the importance that dogs play in families and we thought it would be a perfect fit for Gainesville and its community.”

Kathryn said those dog parents who are interested in their services can visit Scenthound.com or go to either location at 2835 SW 91 St. or 4203 NW 16^TH Blvd. in Gainesville to learn more in detail about what services are available for their pet.

Scenthound also can be found in other areas such as Jacksonville, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, and many other surrounding cities for those looking for a full-service pet groomer.