The Pet Paradise story began in 2002 when Fred Goldsmith was looking for a place to leave his Bichon Frise, Samantha. So, like any good "pet parent" would do, Fred shopped around for the best place for his pet and found a facility in St. Augustine. In December 2002, Fred led a group of investors that bought the St. Augustine facility mainly to better learn the intricacies of the business. During this time, he developed various reporting and policy procedures which would provide the blueprint for building and managing multiple locations. Now, seven years later and with nearly 225 employees, Pet Paradise has 15 locations throughout the southern region of the country, nine of which are located throughout Florida, three in Houston, and one each in New Orleans, Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta.