After termination of the All Dogs Unleashed agreement, what is the geographic scope of the non-compete restriction?
All_Dogs_Unleashed Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
s, its territories or commonwealths, or any other country, province, state or geographic area in which Franchisor or its Affiliates have used, sought registration of or registered the Marks or similar marks or operate or license others to operate a business under the Marks or similar marks. It will apply for two years after I cease to be an Owner (or two years after termination or expiration of the Franchise Agreement, whichever occurs first) to any location that is, or is intended to be, located (i) in the Service Area, or within 25 miles of the perimeter of the Service Area; or (ii) within the service area, or within 25 miles of the perimeter of the service area, of any other ALL DOGS UNLEASHED business in existence or under development at the time I cease being an Owner (or termination or expiration of the Franchise Agreement, whichever occurs first). This restriction will be tolled during any period of my noncompliance.
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- I agree that each of the foregoing covenants shall be construed as independent of any other covenant or provision of this Guaranty.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 49–158)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 All Dogs Unleashed Franchise Disclosure Document, the geographic scope of the non-compete restriction after ceasing to be an owner applies for two years. This restriction applies to any location that is, or is intended to be, located (i) in the Service Area, or within 25 miles of the perimeter of the Service Area; or (ii) within the service area, or within 25 miles of the perimeter of the service area, of any other All Dogs Unleashed business in existence or under development at the time of termination.
This means that after a franchisee's agreement with All Dogs Unleashed ends, they cannot operate a competing dog training, grooming, or boarding business within their former service area or within 25 miles of its perimeter. This restriction also extends to the service areas of other existing or developing All Dogs Unleashed businesses, plus a 25-mile buffer around each.
The non-compete restriction is tolled during any period of noncompliance, meaning that if a franchisee violates the non-compete agreement, the two-year clock pauses for the duration of the violation. This ensures that All Dogs Unleashed can fully enforce the non-compete agreement and protect its business interests and franchise system.
The FDD also states that if any portion of the non-compete agreement is deemed unreasonable or unenforceable by a court, the franchisee agrees to be bound by a lesser covenant that imposes the maximum duty permitted by law. This provision aims to ensure that some form of non-compete restriction remains in effect, even if the original terms are found to be overly broad.