Pet Care Services
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 22,000 pet care services firms in the US provide pet boarding, grooming, sitting, and training, but exclude veterinary services. Firms may specialize in a particular area, such as pet waste removal or dog walking, or offer a range of services. The industry consists primarily of franchises and independent operators. Some large veterinary services chains and pet supply retailers also offer pet care services.
Competition From Alternative Providers
Pet care service providers face competition from a variety of sources, including veterinarians, pet supply retailers, and providers closer to home.
Pet Industry Projected To Grow
Improved economic conditions and the ongoing “humanization” of pets are expected to drive growth in the pet industry, which includes pet care services.
Industry size & Structure
The average pet care services provider operates out of a single location, employs fewer than 10 workers, and generates $455,000 annually.
- The pet care services industry consists of 22,000 firms that employ 183,000 workers and generate $10 billion annually.
- The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 companies account for less than 9% of industry revenue.
- Some large veterinary services chains and pet supply retailers offer pet care services.
- The industry consists primarily of franchises and independent operators.
- Camp Bow Wow (owned by Mars), Fetch! Pet Care, and All American Pet Resorts are large pet care services franchises. Large pet retailer PetSmart also offers pet grooming, training, day care, and boarding.
Industry Forecast
Pet Care Services Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Apr 15, 2025 - Slower Growth Forecast
- The US pet care industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 2.73% between 2025 and 2029, according to a forecast from Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc. The expected growth rate is slower than the overall economy‘s anticipated growth. Pet care services are part of the “other services” sector, which is driven by consumer spending, along with expenditure by businesses. Consumer sentiment is likely to improve in the forecast period, which bodes well for the various services industries, including pet care services. Factors that may limit consumer spending are higher tariffs on consumer goods, which may be painful for households. On a positive note, lower inflation supports a moderate increase of real disposable income by about 2% in 2025 and 1.9% in 2026. Real income could suffer to an extent if average prices rise due to tariff implementation.
- Pet care providers may be affected by falling consumer confidence, with levels declining 7.2 points to 92.9 in March 2025 month over month, according to the Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board. Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist of Global Indicators at The Conference Board, noted that the segment driving March’s decline was consumers over 55 years old, and the decline spanned all income groups with the exception being households earning over $125,000. Per Guichard, “Consumer confidence declined for a fourth consecutive month in March, falling below the relatively narrow range that had prevailed since 2022.” Purchasing plans for homes and new cars declined while big-ticket purchases rose on a six-month moving average basis, which may reflect plans to purchase certain items before impending tariffs lead to price increases.
- Despite some high profile companies and government entities issuing Return to Office (RTO) mandates, a recent survey shows that only 12% of executives with hybrid or fully remote workers plan on issuing RTO policies in the upcoming year; RTO mandates and rising workplace occupancy are indicators of demand for pet care services. Companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Amazon, and AT&T, as well as the federal government, have recently announced RTO policies. According to the study from Stanford and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Survey of Business Uncertainty, the executives who do plan a RTO in 2025 do not expect to do a full return to onsite work but will instead require employees work only one to four days a week in office. Researchers say the expected shifts to onsite work in 2025 will only reduce the share of paid workdays that are work-from-home from 21.2% to 20.8%.
- An analysis from Bloomberg Intelligence shows that Gen Z and Millennials tend to form more pet households than other generations and view their pet companions as family, resulting in higher demand for premium products and services. The “2025 Pet Economy Report” revealed that as younger generations delay other milestones such as having children, they are investing in their pet families and often have multiple pets. The report indicates that the global pet care industry will expand more than 45% to exceed $500 billion by 2030, with a continued focus on “better-for-you” products and services. According to Bloomberg’s Diana Rosero-Pena, “Additionally, the humanization of pets has allowed for other premium products to thrive. We see this trend inciting the growth for premium foods, healthcare to extend their lives, and premium discretionary such as clothing.” The US is forecast to remain the biggest pet food market followed by Europe.
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