Pet Franchise

A pet franchise is a locally owned business that cares for animals or serves their owners (dog daycare and boarding, grooming, training, walking and sitting, waste removal or pet supply retail) under an established brand’s systems and support. It tends to suit people who enjoy animals and also want to run the business around them: leading a team, managing a busy schedule and looking after clients who care deeply about their pets. What you invest depends mainly on the model, whether a facility where animals stay in your care, a mobile van or in-home and route-based work, plus territory, staffing and working capital; each franchisor lists its estimated initial investment in Item 7 of its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

What kinds of pet franchises are there?

“Pet franchise” covers several very different businesses. Choose the model first, because it decides the premises, the team, the hours and much of the investment.

• Daycare and boarding. A facility where dogs spend the day or stay overnight, with a build-out (flooring, drainage, ventilation and sound control), a larger team and coverage every weekend and holiday.
• Grooming. A salon or a mobile van, appointment-driven and dependent on skilled groomers, whether that is you or the people you hire.
• Training. In-home visits or group classes, often with little or no premises. Ask each brand who is expected to lead the sessions.
• Walking, sitting and in-home care. A scheduling business with almost no premises. Whether walkers and sitters are employees or independent contractors is a legal question, not a free choice, so get advice from an employment attorney in your state.
• Waste removal and yard services. Recurring routes built around a vehicle and a schedule.
• Retail and supplies. Inventory, foot traffic and competition from online sellers.

The International Franchise Association (IFA) and FRANdata name pet-related services, especially mobile pet services, alongside home cleaning, moving and laundry services as needs-based services within the personal services franchise line (IFA and FRANdata, 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook, p. 32).

What does a pet franchise owner do all day?

Loving animals and running a business that cares for them are two different jobs. In most models the owner’s day is more about people and scheduling than time with animals, so ask each brand how the owner’s role is designed.

• Your team. An hourly team across early mornings, late pickups and holidays in daycare and boarding, skilled groomers to recruit, or visits to dispatch and confirm in route models.
• Your clients. Questions, medication instructions, photo updates and, now and then, a hard conversation after an animal is hurt or falls ill.
• The physical side. Noise, cleaning and waste every day in premises-based care, and demanding work: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that animal caretakers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026).

What the data says about pet franchises and pet care

These figures describe the franchise sector and the wider pet care market, not the results of any one business.

• A franchise line whose growth is led by pet care. IFA and FRANdata project that the personal services franchise line, whose growth the report says is led by pet care, will reach $21.4 billion in U.S. output in 2026, up 1.8% (IFA and FRANdata, 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook, pp. 2, 6 and 32). The line also covers dry cleaning, maid services and moving and storage, so this is not the size of pet franchising alone.
• More locations in that line. The same report projects that personal services franchise locations will grow 2.0% in 2026 to more than 24,000, employing more than 46,000 people across the whole line (IFA and FRANdata, 2026 Franchising Economic Outlook, p. 32).
• Pet care services revenue. U.S. pet care service businesses with employees, excluding veterinary care, took in $10.1 billion in revenue in 2022, up from $6.7 billion in 2019 (U.S. Census Bureau, Service Annual Survey, Table 2, 2026, data for 2022).
• Pets in U.S. homes. About 63.8 million U.S. households, 49.6% of occupied housing units, had at least one pet in 2021; 49.0 million had a dog and 28.2 million had a cat (U.S. Census Bureau and HUD, American Housing Survey, 2022, data for 2021).
• Animal care jobs. Animal care and service workers held about 413,000 jobs in 2025, and the BLS projects employment to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, against 3% for all occupations, with about 69,400 openings a year (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026, data for 2025). The BLS links that demand to people treating their pets as part of the family (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026).
• Independent operators. The BLS reports that 25% of animal caretakers and 39% of animal trainers were self-employed in 2025 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026, data for 2025), so independent groomers, sitters and trainers are part of both the competition and the hiring pool.

How to evaluate a pet franchise

• Start with the model, then the brand. Choose a facility, a mobile service or in-home and route-based work to match the hours you want, the team you will lead and the capital you plan to commit, then compare brands within that model.
• Read Item 7 line by line. Compare each brand’s estimated initial investment, not just the franchise fee, and ask what it assumes about building size, build-out, vehicles and working capital.
• Check local rules before you pick a site. Ask your zoning office how animal care uses are treated and your licensing offices what a kennel, boarding or grooming business needs, then ask the brand how it has handled those approvals elsewhere.
• Ask about staffing and incidents. What staffing ratios does the brand use, how do owners recruit and keep people, and what protocol, insurance and franchisor support apply when an animal in your care is injured or gets sick?
• Understand the territory. Ask how it is defined (radius, drive time or households), whether it is protected, and how much of the work comes from recurring packages or memberships.
• Talk with owners beyond the reference list. Ask how their week really runs and whether the training and support matched what they were told.

Not sure which model fits you? Take the franchise ownership quiz or find a FranNet consultant near you to talk it through at no cost.

Frequently asked questions about pet franchises

How much does it cost to open a pet franchise?

It depends mostly on the model. A daycare or boarding facility needs a suitable building, a build-out and a larger team; mobile grooming is built around a van; walking, sitting, training and waste removal may need little or no premises. Territory, staffing and working capital matter too. Each franchisor lists its estimated initial investment in Item 7 of its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), so compare those ranges model by model and ask what each one assumes.

Do you need a license to open a dog daycare or boarding business?

Plan on needing approvals that vary by state, county and city. Depending on where you are, that can include a business license, a kennel or animal facility license with inspections, and zoning approval for the site; the BLS notes that many states require self-employed animal care workers to have a business license (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2026). Check with your state and local offices before you sign a lease, and ask each franchisor what its facility model has needed in markets like yours.

Do you need a license to groom dogs?

It depends on where you work. Some states and localities license grooming businesses or facilities, and many require a general business license, so check with the licensing offices where you plan to operate. Also ask each franchisor what training or certification it expects of groomers, whether the groomer is you or someone you hire.

How do I start a dog training business?

Decide first how you want to work: in clients’ homes, in group classes or in a facility, and whether you will lead the sessions yourself or hire trainers. Then ask each franchise brand what training method and initial training it provides, what certification it expects of trainers and how its owners find clients, and compare Item 7 in each brand’s FDD.

What is the best pet franchise to own?

The one that fits you. A boarding facility, a mobile grooming van and a waste removal route are all pet franchises, yet they ask very different things of an owner in time, team, physical work and capital. Start with your goals, skills, hours and budget, narrow to the models that match, and then compare brands. A free consultation with a FranNet consultant is a good place to work through that match.

Last reviewed October 2026.