About Central Bark Charlotte-Matthews
A Cleveland, Ohio native, Jennifer moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2004 after graduating from St. Bonaventure University with a BBA in Marketing. After spending 14 years in the banking industry, Jennifer began to feel the pull toward a more fulfilling and dynamic career—one that didn’t involve spending her days behind a desk.
In 2013, life gave her a new kind of inspiration: a Boxer puppy named Annabelle. Like many pet parents, Jennifer struggled with the guilt of leaving Annabelle home alone all day. After discovering the positive impact doggy daycare had on Annabelle’s happiness—evident in her nub-wagging and “smile” at pickup—Jennifer had an “a-ha” moment. What if she could turn her passion for dogs into a business?
Driven by a desire to do work that brought joy to both pets and people, Jennifer set out on a journey that led her to Central Bark. In August 2020, she proudly opened her own Central Bark location in Charlotte, where she gets to combine her business acumen with her love for dogs—while also bringing her pup to work.
When she’s not at Central Bark, you’ll find Jennifer taking an Orangetheory class, enjoying time with her husband of 10 years, Steve, savoring the occasional glass of wine, or managing her energetic and sassy 1-year-old European Boxer, Mila.
“We welcome you to join our Central Bark family.”
Jennifer, Central Bark Charlotte-Matthews Franchise Owner
Meet The Team
Mallory
Mallory, a Rock Hill, SC native, graduated from Wingate University in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology. Her passion for animal care and commitment to making a meaningful impact in the industry led her to begin her career at Central Bark that same month as an Enrichment Specialist.
Kirstie
A native of Charlotte, our groomer Kirstie is a lifelong animal lover and advocate with over a decade of experience in animal rescue, fostering, and rehoming. Her deep commitment to animal welfare has shaped both her personal life and professional path.
Awards & Achievements
Central Bark® Certified
Enrichment Dog Day Care
Our Family Photo Album
Frequently Asked Questions
Central Bark® is licensed and inspected by the Health Department regularly. We also clean and disinfect nightly, regardless of how many dogs have visited.
Step 1: Login
- Click the “Client Login” option found at the bottom of all pages on our website.
- Enter either your email address or phone number that you signed up with
- Click “continue logging in”
- Then enter your password and click “Sign In”

Step 2: Request Services
You will now see the page below. From this page you can do a number of things along with requesting a reservation from the drop downs including editing your information, editing your pet’s info, adding/removing pets, checking your package credits, purchasing package credits, and adding/editing/changing photos.
- Click the blue “request services” button
- In the popup window, click the “Book Day Care or Sleepover Now!” button

Step 3: Select a Service Type
- Scroll down past the notes (after you have read them) until you get to the “Details” section.
- Click on the drop-down in the “Type” row and choose your reservation type.
- Note: Grooming requests cannot be made through the customer portal. Please call to schedule an appointment.

Step 4: Make Your Reservation Request
- Choose the pet or pets you would like to add to this reservation
- Choose the date you are looking for
- You may edit the drop-off and pick-up time from within our open hours, if you know those approximations
- You can set up “recurring dates” for the same day/days each week for a timeframe
- You can add additional reservations for other days at the same time.

Step 5: Add-on Services and Notes
- You may add any additional services (such as enrichment training, training tutor, special meals (outside of lunch), salon and spa services, etc, to their reservation.
- You may add any notes that you would like us to see in the notes box
- You may run an estimate for the total cost of your reservation request (please note that the charges for “additional services” such as salon and spa, may vary from the default that shows in the estimate)
- Once you have added everything you want, click “Save” in the lower right corner

Your Done!
You should see the page below if everything went through correctly. You will get an email confirmation when your reservation has been accepted and confirmed, if you are added to a waitlist, or if it is denied.

ABSOLUTELY
Positive reward-based techniques help puppies and dogs develop essential life skills and behaviors that will enrich their lives at home and day care. These methods set dogs up to succeed and reward them for performing desired behaviors. Rewards are tailored to the dog’s preferences and can include food treats, time to play with a favorite toy, or verbal praise.
After decades of experience using reward-based training, we know it’s the most humane and effective way of training dogs and addressing unwanted behaviors. It’s the best way to build a loving, trusting bond that enhances your relationship between you and your dog for a lifetime of happiness together.
At Central Bark®, our focus on positive reinforcement has never wavered. We continuously update our skills and policies to stay at the forefront of new advances in behavioral science and positive reinforcement techniques.
Learn more about our training classes.
Visit our Dog Blog for more helpful tips
Central Bark® Whole Dog Care
Our whole dog care approach offers a full range of fun and personalized products and services. To promote your dog’s physical, mental, and emotional health and happiness throughout their entire life.