Local Dog-Walking Service Founder Shares His Journey, Giveaway Worth More Than $68K

GLEN COVE, NY — Dan Reitman, owner of Dan's Pet Care, has a deep-seated love for pups — and also believes in giving back to the community, including a giveaway totaling more than $68,000 in pet care services.

Reitman, a 38-year-old from Glen Cove, said he was born and raised in Port Washington. He now lives with his wife, Alex D'Elia, and their dog, Ruby, near Dan's Pet Care's home base.

Dan's Pet Care has three locations across Long Island, including Glen Cove, Manhasset, and Huntington.

He started Dan's Pet Care back in 2009 after working at Manhasset Animal Hospital as a veterinary assistant. On the side, he was dog walking for a few of the clients and realized he wanted to build a pet care company that families could truly depend on.

"From the beginning, the goal wasn’t to be the cheapest option or the most convenient 'gig-style' solution," he began. "It was to deliver peace of mind."

The company grew on Long Island because pet parents valued consistency, responsibility, and trust– all of which he said his team has worked hard at.

"For us, this isn't just 'pet care,'" he said. "These pets are family."

In regard to the community giveaway, he said the promotion was launched on Instagram, with an array of offerings, including more than $68,000 in pet care services. The grand prize is a full year of doggy daycare. Each eligible entrant wins something, with hundreds of prizes available to local pet parents, he said.

"We did this giveaway because we wanted to give back to the community that has supported us for years in a way that felt real and meaningful — not symbolic," Reitman said. "A lot of giveaways are like 'a post and hope,' where one person wins, and everyone else gets nothing. We wanted to do the opposite. We wanted it to feel like a true community celebration, not a long-shot raffle."

For the month of January, any dog adopted from one of their approved local rescue partners received a free month of daycare, as long as they passed a temperament test and met their normal daycare requirements, he said.

"We added this because the first month after adoption is one of the hardest," he said. "It’s a complete life change for the dog: new environment, new routine, new people, new expectations. That’s often where dogs either settle in — or struggle. Our goal is to give those newly adopted dogs structure, routine, and positive socialization during that critical transition, and to support the families who are doing something really meaningful by adopting."

He said it's important that they support their community and new pet parents.

"We want this to be bigger than a one-time promotion — we want it to turn into something that genuinely helps adoption success long-term," Reitman said. "Long Island is home, and this giveaway is really about giving back to the same community that helped build us."

The giveaway is rooted in something deeper than free services.

"Our company exists because pet parents need real support, and because dogs deserve structured, safe, consistent care," he said. "The rescue piece is especially important to us because adoption changes lives — both for the dog and the family."

Dan's Pet Care also recognizes Candy Udell and Rescue Paws for supporting their initiative and for their incredible work, he said.

If a rescue wants to join Dan's Pet Care, they can sign up online. The rescues Dan's Pet Care is currently working with are as follows:

• NYC Second Chance Rescue
• ARF Hamptons
• Ollie’s Angels
• Rescue Paws
• Cove Animal Rescue
• Jake’s Rescue Ranch
• Almost Home Animal Rescue & Adoption, Inc.
• Pioneers for Animal Welfare Society, Inc.

"This isn’t just about our company," he began. "It’s about the community coming together to help dogs get into safe, loving homes."