John Dunn is opening an Irvine dog care center with a pedigree.
For one, Dunn is a former operations vice president for San Diego? Petco Animal Supplies Inc.
But he? got an even bigger name in the world of dogs associated with his latest venture: Cesar Millan of cable TV? ?og Whisperer.?
Dunn said he expects Millan, who he calls a friend, to appear at his Irvine center after its opens, though the two don? have a formal pact.
?esar gets to sell more products out of it,?Dunn said.
The two met a few years ago when Petco asked Dunn to look into sponsoring Millan? dog training methods.
Dunn has another notable tie. His sister is Lucy Dunn, chief executive of the Orange County Business Council in Irvine.
His Passionate Pet Inc. is set to open near John Wayne Airport in the fall, catering to pet owners with products and kennel, daycare, grooming and veterinary services.
Dunn said he hopes the center is the first of a chain.
Passionate Pet has leased 25,000 square feet of space. About 8,000 square feet will be used for a store, which is expected to generate about three-quarters of Passionate Pet? business, according to Dunn.
The store won? sell pets but will arrange adoptions, he said.
About $1 million is being spent to start the business, according to Dunn. He said he plans to use a $500,000 Small Business Administration loan. He? putting in $225,000 of his own money, plus a $235,000 secured personal loan and $200,000 from an investor.
?e?e hoping to do $3 million the first year,?he said.
About 40 to 50 workers are set to be hired to run the operation, half of which will be part-timers, he said.
Two of Dunn? largest rivals will be Petco and Phoenix-based Petsmart Inc., as well as local pet service providers.
By setting up near the airport, Dunn is hoping to cater to travelers looking to board their pets.
?e?e in walking distance of 3,200 condos that are pet friendly,?he said.
Dunn, who was born in Orange and went to Mission Viejo High School, owns four French bulldogs. His love of animals was part inspiration for the business, he said.
His other passion is retail, where he got his start working for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. founder Sam Walton as part of a scholarship program.
Dunn? retail career took him across 10 states, leading him to move 14 times. He now lives in Ladera Ranch.
Before joining Petco, Dunn worked for Target Corp. and Office Depot Inc. n
