Care & education · business kit

Pet Care: Dog Walking, Sitting & Grooming

Pet care is one of the fastest-growing local businesses in the US and UK. Owners start with dog walking and pet sitting for almost nothing, win loyal weekly clients through trust, and grow into teams of walkers, home boarding, day care or a mobile grooming van.

Starting cost$300-$3kwalking & sitting; grooming vans cost far more
US pet spending$147Bin 2023 (APPA)
Repeat cycleWeeklywalks, visits, day care
Scale pathWalkers + grooming
The business, explained

How a pet care business really works.

What this business is

You look after people's pets while they work or travel. The business is really about trust and reliability: the same friendly carer, on time, with a photo update after every visit. Once a pet parent trusts you, they book every week for years and tell every dog owner they know.

  • Dog walking: solo, small-group and adventure walks on weekdays.
  • Pet sitting: drop-in visits for cats and small pets, and overnight stays.
  • Puppy visits: lunchtime toilet breaks, feeding and training practice.
  • Home boarding and day care: dogs stay or play at your licensed home or premises.
  • Grooming: salon, home-based or a mobile van that comes to the door.
  • Extras: pet taxi, senior pet visits, nail trims, de-shedding.

Who pays you and why

Busy professionals and hybrid workers who feel guilty leaving a dog alone all day, families going on holiday who don't want kennels, new puppy owners, older owners who can't manage long walks, and owners of long-coated breeds that need grooming every 6 to 8 weeks. They pay for peace of mind, not just a walk.

How the money works

Most revenue comes from regular weekly clients: a dog walked five days a week is 20+ walks a month from one household. Holiday sitting and boarding add big bursts in summer and at Christmas, and grooming adds high-value appointments every 6 to 8 weeks.

  • Weekly walks and monthly walk plans (recurring revenue).
  • Drop-in visits and overnight sitting (holiday peaks).
  • Home boarding and day care, per night or per day.
  • Grooming, priced by breed, size and coat condition.
  • Add-ons: longer walks, paw rinse, nail trims, pet taxi.

What it costs to start

Dog walking and pet sitting can start for a few hundred dollars or pounds: insurance, a booking app, leads, a first-aid kit and a lockbox for keys. Grooming costs more (tools and training), and a mobile grooming van is a much bigger investment, so most owners start with walking and sitting and add grooming later.

Legal and practical

Get pet care insurance that includes care, custody and control (cover for pets in your care) and key cover. In the US, some cities need a dog walker permit or limit how many dogs one walker can take. In England, home boarding, dog day care and some other animal businesses need a licence from the local council under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, and some councils cap how many dogs one walker can take in parks.

Honest pros and cons

  • Pro: very low start-up cost; you can start this week.
  • Pro: recurring weekly clients and loyal referrals.
  • Pro: huge, growing market in both the US and UK.
  • Con: you work in all weathers, and holidays are your busiest time.
  • Con: you hold people's keys and pets, so trust and insurance are everything.
  • Con: walking alone caps your income; growth means hiring walkers.

Example math (illustration, not a promise)

Twelve dogs walked every weekday in small groups at $22 is about $5,700 a month. Add holiday sitting and a few grooms a week and a solo owner can reach full-time income; a team of walkers takes it further.

No money? Start anyway

How to fund a pet care business with little or no money.

Start mobile or at the client's place, buy kit for your first 3 services only (used is fine), and take deposits so customers pay for materials before you do.

1. Start lean with what you already have

Use your phone, laptop, car and basic tools. Offer one service or product first and buy only what your first few customers need.

2. Pre-sell and take deposits

Let customers fund your start: founding-member offers, pre-orders and deposits pay for kit and stock before you spend your own money. Always set a real start date and offer refunds if you can't deliver.

3. Keep your job and start on the side

Evenings and weekends first. Your salary pays the bills while the business proves itself, so you never have to borrow to live.

4. Government-backed start-up loans

Small loans with support, made for new businesses.

  • US: SBA microloans: up to $50,000 through local nonprofit lenders, often with free business coaching.
  • UK: Start Up Loans (British Business Bank): £500 to £25,000 per person at a fixed 6% a year over 1 to 5 years, with free mentoring.

www.sba.gov www.startuploans.co.uk

5. Free advice and mentoring

Free help with business plans, loan applications and pricing.

  • US: SCORE mentors and your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) are free.
  • UK: Your local Growth Hub is free, and The King's Trust supports 18 to 30 year olds starting a business.

www.score.org www.kingstrust.org.uk

6. Grants and competitions

Grants for starting a for-profit business are rare and competitive, but local and sector grants and start-up competitions do exist. Real grants never ask you to pay a fee.

  • US: Check your state and city economic development office. Grants.gov is mostly for non-profits and research.
  • UK: Check your local council and Growth Hub for current schemes.

7. Crowdfunding

Rewards crowdfunding (Kickstarter-style pre-orders) suits products. Equity crowdfunding suits businesses that can grow big.

  • US: Rewards: Kickstarter, Indiegogo. Equity: regulated crowdfunding portals such as Wefunder and Republic.
  • UK: Rewards: Kickstarter, Crowdfunder UK. Equity: platforms such as Crowdcube.

8. Friends and family

Put every amount in writing: loan or share, repayment plan, and what happens if it doesn't work. Only take money people can afford to lose.

9. Equipment finance, leasing and buying used

Spread the cost of kit, vans or machines, or buy second-hand. Compare the total amount repayable, not just the monthly payment.

10. Angel investors and partners

Only for businesses that can grow big. Investors take a share of your business in return.

  • UK: UK investors may get tax relief through SEIS and EIS if your company qualifies.

www.gov.uk

Borrowing is a risk. Only borrow for things that clearly earn money back, never to cover living costs, and read the full terms. Avoid high-interest credit cards and payday loans for start-up costs. This is general information, not financial advice. The kit includes a funding video module and ready-to-use funding templates (pre-sale offers, loan summaries, grant answers, crowdfunding copy).

6-month example

What 6 months could look like if you show up every day.

An example built from this kit's own pet care prices, with the business set up properly and the daily plan followed. Pick a scenario or change any number to match your plans.

Your unfair advantage

How to stand out and grow faster.

Most people copy what everyone else does. These are the moves that make customers choose you.

Same walker, every timePet parents value trust above everything. Promise one familiar face per client.
Photo and GPS updatesA photo, a note and the route after every visit turns a walk into peace of mind.
Free meet-and-greetMeet every pet at home first. It builds trust and filters out bad fits.
Niche downPuppies, senior dogs, reactive dogs, cats or doodle grooming. Specialists charge more.
Monthly walk plansSell a reserved weekday slot on a monthly plan instead of single walks.
Holiday booking seasonOpen summer and Christmas bookings early with deposits, and plan staff cover.
Adventure walksTrail and beach adventures for high-energy dogs are premium, content-rich and shareable.
Vet and pet shop partnershipsVets, pet shops, trainers and rescues see new owners every week.
Key and safety systemsCoded keys, vet consent forms and first-aid training. Show them off; they sell.
Grooming as the upgradeWalking clients become grooming clients. One trust relationship, two services.
Success stories

The people who made it, and what they say to do.

Rover · Co-founder & CEO

Aaron Easterly and co-founders

Built one of the largest online marketplaces for pet sitting and dog walking.
Rover was founded in Seattle in 2011 to connect pet owners with sitters and walkers, grew across the US, UK and Europe, and went public before being taken private again in 2024. Its growth shows how big everyday pet care demand is.
  • Trust features (reviews, updates, guarantees) are the product.
  • Everyday services add up to a huge market.
Source 1
On The Job feature · Owner

NYC professional dog walker

Profiled earning around $100K a year walking dogs in New York City.
A video feature follows a New York dog walker through the day and shows how regular clients, routes and pricing add up to a six-figure income in a busy city.
  • Dense routes and regular clients are the money.
  • Reliability builds a waiting list.
Source 1
Dog day care owner · Founder

Shaina Denny

Interviewed about a dog day care business making around $87K a month.
In an interview, Denny explains how her dog day care grew, how pricing and memberships work and what running a larger pet care business involves.
  • Memberships make revenue predictable.
  • Systems and staff let you grow past yourself.
Source 1
Dog grooming business owner · Owner

Kellie

Went from employed groomer to running her own grooming business.
In a Simon Squibb interview, Kellie shares how she moved from working for someone else to building her own dog grooming business, and what she learned along the way.
  • Your skill is your starting capital.
  • Start small, build loyal clients, then grow.
Source 1
A-Z video course

85 lessons. 11 modules. Zero fluff.

Hand-picked class-style lessons from people who run a pet care business, in the order you need them. The first lessons of every module are free to watch right here.

1Start here: the business model18 lessons
How to Start Your Own Dog Walking Business in 2025: A Step-by-Step Guide! Members How to Build Your Dream Pet Business! | Business Plan for Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters Members How to Start a Pet Sitting Side Hustle in 2024 (Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide for Beginners) Members How To Start A Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Business in 2026 (Part 1 - The Simple Steps) Members How to Start a Mobile Pet Grooming Business ($180K/Year) Members How I Started My Mobile Grooming Business in 11 Steps + Bonus Q&A Members How To Start A Mobile Dog Grooming Business Members How to Create a Business Plan for a Mobile Grooming Business Members Pet Grooming Business on a Budget | Start Now! | Pet Grooming Career Members How To Start a Mobile Pet Grooming Business (2026) Members How to Start a Dog Grooming Business | Plus a Free Start-Up Guide Members How to Start a Pet Boarding Business ($907K a Year) Members Start A Dog Day Care and Pet Boarding Business Members Start a dog boarding business from home Members How to Write a Business Plan For Dog Boarding, Daycare, & Grooming Business Members How to Start a Dog Daycare Business | A Simple Method for Starting and Opening a Dog Daycare at Home Members
2Legal, tools & setup8 lessons
What Type Of Insurance Does A Rover and DogVacay Pet Sitter Need? Members Insurance For Pet Sitters - Everything You Need to Know! Members Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Contracts - The Complete Guide! Members What Is Pet Sitting Insurance? [Coverage & Cost] Members Pet Business Insurance Explained: The Coverage You Need And The Coverage You're Missing Members How to start a dog boarding business from home part three: Start-up essentials Members
3Pricing, profit & money9 lessons
How to Price Pet Sitting & Dog Walking - Ep. 26 Members How Much to Charge for Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in 2023! Members How Much Money Can You Make As a Dog Walker? Members How Much Money Do I Make Dog Walking? (Q&A) Members How Much Can You Make As a Pet Sitter / Dog Walker in 2025? The Truth w/ Examples! Members How to start a dog boarding business from home part four: Services and prices Members How to Start a Dog Boarding Business: Creating Financial Projections Members
4Funding: start with little or no money15 lessons
How to Get a Business Loan for a New Business [No Revenue, Bad Credit, No Collateral] Members How to Get Startup Funding for a Small Business | No Business Revenue Members How to get a Business Loan in the UK? How much Business Loan can I get? Members SBA Loans Explained: How to Fund Your Small Business Members How To Get Money To Start A Business UK Members How To Easily Get Funding For Your Small Business (Even with Bad Credit) Members How to Get Funding for Your Small Business (Not Banks) Members How to start a new business with crowdfunding Members How to Start a Business with No Money Members How to Bootstrap a Business Members How to Bootstrap: Starting and Building Your Startup with Little Capital Members The Ultimate Guide to Crowdfunding Your Business (Kickstarter, Indiegogo) Members Self-Made Success: Bootstrapping Your Business Beyond the Early Stage Members
5Getting clients (as many as you can handle)10 lessons
How to Get Dog Walking Clients Members Dog Grooming Business Boom: My Proven 100+ Client Method Members How to Get Clients! | My Top Marketing Tips for Pet Businesses! Members 5 Essential Tips to Optimize Your Rover Sitter Profile & Get More Bookings Members How To Get Your First Client on the Rover Pet Sitting App Members How to Succeed on Rover: Pet Sitting & Dog Walking Tips for Retirement & Growing Your Business Members How to Make Consistent Sales With Your Dog Walking Business Members How To Make Money Doing Pet Sitting And Dog Walking On Rover Members
6Client experience & retention1 lessons
7Operations, content & systems1 lessons
8Team, scaling & franchising6 lessons
Team Structure for Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Businesses! | How I Can Manage My Business Remotely Members 5 Things to Know Before Hiring for Your Pet Sitting Business Members Hiring Strategy for Pet Sitting Businesses Members Should You Hire for Your Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Business? Members
9Inside real businesses5 lessons
A Day In The Life Of A Dog Walker - Dog Walking Business Members Inside the $735 / Week Dog Walking Hustle Members A Day In The Life Of A '6 Figure' Dog Walking Business Members
10Mistakes to avoid4 lessons
Most Common Pet Business Marketing Mistakes w/ Pawsitive Results Marketing! Members Start a Dog Kennel Business - How Much We Are Making! & Ups and Downs Members
11Success stories & interviews8 lessons
How this beginner dog groomer grew her business fast! Members How They Started A Successful Dog Grooming Business! Members From Employee to Owner: How Kellie Built a Dog Grooming Business Against All Odds | Simon Squibb Members Behind the Scene Interview with a Professional Dog Groomer Members How Did I Start My Business?? | House Call Dog Grooming Members How This Dog Daycare Business Makes $87K/Month Members
Unlock all 85 lessons with progress tracking, plus the roadmap that tells you which lesson to watch at each step.See plans
Step-by-step roadmap

Where to start, and what comes next.

30 steps in six phases. Phase one is open below; every step has a checklist, and members get the linked lessons, templates and tools.

1. Decide and plan

Week 1

Know exactly which pet care you are opening, who it serves and what it costs.

Choose your business model

Decide where to start: dog walking (steadiest weekly income), pet sitting and drop-ins (holiday peaks), home boarding or day care (needs a licence in England and space), or grooming (needs training; highest price per visit). Most owners start with walking and sitting.

  • Watch the 'Start here' module
  • Pick one model to start (you can add others later)
  • Write down why this model fits your money, time and skills
Check demand where you live

Open Google Maps and search 'dog walker near me'. List the top 10 competitors, their prices, review counts and what customers complain about in their reviews. Gaps in those complaints are your opening.

  • List 10 competitors with prices and ratings
  • Read their 1-3 star reviews and note repeated complaints
  • Note which services have long waits or no local provider
Pick your signature service and ideal client

Pick a focus: busy professionals' dogs, puppies, senior pets, reactive dogs, cats, or doodle and long-coat grooming. Add an angle like adventure walks or fear-free handling.

  • Choose one signature service to be known for
  • Describe your ideal client in one sentence
  • Pick 3 services for your launch menu
Write a one-page business plan

One page is enough: who you serve, what you sell, your prices, how clients find you, what it costs and your 90-day goal. The Blueprint template walks you through it.

  • Fill in the one-page plan template
  • Set a 90-day revenue goal
  • Decide your weekly working hours
Set your startup budget and break-even

Use the startup calculator to price your kit, licences, insurance and marketing. Typical starting range for this business: $300-$3,000 for walking and sitting (much more for a grooming van). Then work out how many walks a month cover your costs.

  • List every startup cost
  • Calculate monthly fixed costs
  • Work out your break-even number of walks

2. Make it legal and set up

Weeks 2-3

Be legally able to take money, insured, and ready to book clients.

Register the business
Licences and permits
Insurance
Buy your starter kit
Set up booking, payments and deposits
Set up simple bookkeeping

3. Brand and online presence

Weeks 3-4

Look professional and be easy to find and book.

Name, logo and look
Google Business Profile
Instagram, TikTok and Facebook profiles
A simple website or booking page
Price list and service menu

4. Get your first clients

Month 2

Book your first 10-30 paying clients and collect proof.

Your first 10 clients
Launch offer and announcement
Local partnerships
Build a review engine
Start your content plan
Paid ads (optional, once you have proof)

5. Systems and repeat clients

Months 3-6

Turn one-off clients into regulars and make the week run itself.

Client experience and aftercare
Rebooking and memberships
Write your SOPs
Weekly numbers
Raise your prices

6. Scale

Months 6-36

Grow beyond your own hours.

Hire your first helper
Add high-ticket services
Expand: more capacity or locations
Content plan

What to post to grow this business.

Your five content pillars and a weekly rhythm. Members get the full 365-day calendar with the platform and time for every post, plus hooks, captions, scripts, carousels and ads to fill it.

Happy petsWalk clips, zoomies, snoozes and adventures (with owner permission).
TipsPet care tips for owners: heat, fireworks, grooming at home.
TrustInsurance, key systems, first aid, meet the team.
TransformationsGrooming before-and-afters and de-shedding piles.
OffersOpenings in your area, holiday booking dates, monthly plans.
MonWalk clip

Monday pack walk

TueTip

How to keep dogs cool in summer

WedGroom

Doodle before and after

ThuTrust

How we keep your keys safe

FriOffer

2 walk slots open in [area]

SatAdventure

Trail walk highlights

SunStory

Meet this week's new pup

Free tool · Viral Score

Will your post go viral? Check it first.

Add your video, photo or text post for your pet care business. See a score for each platform, what is working, what to fix, and hooks and captions from the kit that make it stronger.

Scores for 9 platforms 25+ checks Your file stays on your device
What's inside

Choose your Pet Care kit.

Everything below is included. Want more than one business? All-Access gives you every kit.

Starter Kit

One business of your choice
$67 one-time

Everything you need to understand the business and launch it, step by step.

Get Starter Kit
  • A-Z video course: 85 hand-picked class-style lessons in 11 modules, played right inside your member area
  • Funding module: 15 lessons on starting with little or no money, plus US and UK funding options (microloans, grants, pre-sales, crowdfunding)
  • The business explained: Pet Care business models, how the money works, startup costs, pricing, US & UK legal checklist, honest pros and cons and example numbers
  • Success stories playbook: 4 famous founders and what they say you should do
  • How to stand out: 10 strategies to grow faster than competitors
  • Step-by-step launch roadmap: 30 steps in 6 phases, each with a checklist and linked lessons
  • Manage my business app (Business Hub, member area): enter your business details once, then run everything from one place:
  • Dashboard: today's task, today's post, money against your goal, your 6-month plan, pipeline, follow-ups and your daily streak
  • Client pipeline board: leads, booked, active and past, with follow-up reminders (drag and drop)
  • Prices & profit calculator: your price, cost and time for every service in this kit, profit per sale and per hour, and how many sales reach your goal
  • 6-month plan: an example built from this kit's prices, month by month, with your real sales shown alongside
  • Quotes & invoices: made from your services in seconds, printed or saved as PDF; paid invoices go straight into Money
  • Goals that track themselves, plus money, weekly numbers and backup
  • Viral Score tool, expert report: upload a video or photo, or paste a post, and get a score for 9 platforms, the viral formula (hook, retention, value, shareability, discovery), every mistake one by one with the fix, where to find it in your kit, rewritten hooks and ready-to-post versions for each platform
  • 6-month example calculator: see what the first 6 months could look like for this business with consistent work (an example to plan with, not a promise)
  • Business Manager spreadsheet, Starter edition (Excel / Google Sheets): 90-day daily plan, 30-day content calendar, client tracker, money tracker, weekly numbers, prices & margins and funding options
  • 90-day daily planner: one small task a day with other options to choose from
  • 30-day social media plan: what to post, on which platform, and at what time
  • Starter content pack: 100 hooks, 60 captions, 20 short-video scripts, 10 carousels and 30 hashtag sets
  • Member area access and free updates to this kit
Most chosen

Complete Business Kit

One business of your choice
$167 one-time

The full kit for one business: the entire content library, every template and the 3-year planner.

Get Complete Business Kit
  • Everything in the Starter Kit, plus:
  • The full Growth Library: 36,032+ ready-to-use items for Pet Care
  • 3,982 scroll-stopping hooks
  • 6,000 ready-to-post captions
  • 1,500 short-video ideas with shot lists
  • 100 shot-by-shot flagship video storyboards
  • 2,000 slide-by-slide carousels
  • 1,000 story sequences with stickers
  • 1,500 Facebook and LinkedIn posts
  • 100 hashtag and keyword sets
  • 300 profile bios
  • 1,200 video ad scripts (15s, 30s, UGC)
  • 1,800 ad copy sets for Meta, Google and TikTok
  • 800 ad creative briefs
  • 1,000 Google Business posts
  • 110 FAQ answers
  • 182 review replies
  • 500 SEO article outlines
  • 1,000 website copy blocks
  • 400 partnership pitches
  • 204 event and pop-up plans
  • 1,389 sales, DM and objection scripts
  • 385 DM and outreach messages
  • 1,500 emails and sequences
  • 800 SMS and WhatsApp texts
  • 1,500 offers and promotions
  • 36 seasonal campaign kits
  • 400 SOPs and checklists
  • 45 policies and client forms
  • 23 hiring kit items
  • 50 business lessons
  • 50 content creation lessons
  • 3,500 AI prompts
  • 440 funding templates (pre-sales, loan summaries, grant answers, crowdfunding copy)
  • 3-year daily planner: 1,095 days, one small task a day with options
  • 365-day content calendar: a post for every day with the platform, format and best time to post
  • Business Manager spreadsheet, full edition: 1,095-day plan, 365-day content calendar, money dashboard with monthly chart, client tracker and weekly KPI tracker
  • Video ad scripts and ad copy
  • Sales scripts, DM scripts and objection handling
  • Email and SMS/WhatsApp sequences: welcome, follow-up, rebooking, win-back
  • SOPs, checklists, policies and client forms
  • Hiring kit: job ads, interview questions and a training plan
  • AI prompt library for content, ads, emails and planning
  • Vivid Studio Lite: a video editor with auto captions from your voice (99 spoken languages, including Roman Urdu, Roman English, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, French, US and UK English), a multi-clip timeline (split, trim, reorder, 0.5× to 2× speed), 8 animated caption styles, 3 transitions, 10 looks and basic colour, MP4 export up to 1080p
  • Vivid Studio Lite library: 1,400+ motion templates, all 1,907 Google Fonts, 17 trending text styles, 10 text effects and 6 text animations, 1,914 emoji, 6,220 icons, 160+ backgrounds, every video size (18 aspect ratios plus custom), add any music or audio file and record voiceovers. Installs on iPhone and iPad (from Safari), Android (app download), Windows and Mac, works offline and saves videos to your gallery
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Pet Care kit

Start your pet care business the right way.

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