It all began in 1994 with one seadog — Dave Daley. Growing up in Chicago, he knew what a great hot dog tasted like. So when he found himself in San Diego and couldn’t get a decent one, he wrote the first page of what would become the Daley Dogs story.

Over the years, Dave took on countless jobs and gave entrepreneurship everything he had. In 2010, he committed full-time — grinding day after day — but for the next 15 years, the bottom line never made it out of the red. Variable costs, shifting markets, and unpredictable trends all took their toll.

In 2020, he tried again with a pet food venture. Still, the red ink returned. With no clear path forward, Dave packed up and moved to Carbondale, Illinois, to stay with his brother, Daniel "Froggy" Daley.

In April 2021, Froggy was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma. He lost his battle in August 2024. Before he passed, Froggy gave Dave permission to move on — to leave Carbondale if he needed. But for months, Dave didn’t move. He sat quietly, content to wait for the end.

Then, on April 5, 2025, something changed. Instead of watching Gordon Ramsay like usual, Dave put on The Founder. That same day, he turned DaleyDogs.com back on — and Daley Dogs came back to life, this time with a purpose all its own.

From one seadog and a winding, often painful path, Daley Dogs has grown into a leader in Cage-Free Doggy Daycare and Talker Detox services. We’ve come a long way — and the journey is just beginning.