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A survey of 457 pet care operators across nine countries found boarding accounted for 42.1% of reported revenue, more than any other service. The results also point to the role of repeat customers and add-on purchases, while newer businesses were less likely than established ones to report owner income.
Pet boarding generated 42.1% of revenue among operators surveyed for a global pet care industry benchmark, making it the largest reported service category. The survey, conducted by The Dog Gurus, IBPSA and PocketSuite, polled 457 operators in nine countries and also found that repeat business and add-on services are common features of operators’ revenue mix.
Daycare contributed 21.7% of revenue, followed by training at 19.3% and grooming at 10.1%, according to the Pet Boarding Industry Benchmarking Survey. The figures describe the revenue mix reported by participants; they do not establish that the same proportions apply across the whole global pet care market.
The respondent pool was concentrated in the United States, which accounted for 93% of participants. Canada made up 4%, Australia 2% and the United Kingdom 1%. Respondents from Algeria, China, Mexico, Sweden and New Zealand each represented less than 1%. The survey ran from March 2 to April 7; the source report does not specify the year in the material provided.
Boarding also had the highest reported capacity use: six in 10 respondents said it averaged at least 50% of capacity across the year. The equivalent share was five in 10 for daycare, 36% for grooming and 33% for training. During peak periods, 27% said they were typically fully booked two to three weeks ahead, while 13% said they were booked at least three months in advance.
Repeat Bookings Support Operator Revenue
The findings suggest that boarding is a major source of sales for the surveyed businesses, while a customer base that returns regularly can help stabilize income. More than half of respondents said repeat customers contributed at least 75% of monthly revenue. That makes retention a substantial reported part of business performance, rather than new-customer acquisition alone.
Add-on sales were also widespread: 71% of operators said at least one in 10 customers bought services beyond a base booking. The survey does not identify which add-ons were most profitable, but the results indicate that many operators receive some revenue beyond the core service. For owners considering staffing, capacity or service offerings, the reported differences among boarding, daycare, grooming and training provide a benchmark—not a guarantee of returns.
Owner income varied with business age. Overall, 86% reported receiving personal income from their business during the past year. That share was 91% among businesses operating for more than 10 years, 87% for those operating three to 10 years, and 54% for those open fewer than three years. The gap may help readers understand the financial pressure newer operators reported, but the survey does not establish that time in business alone caused the difference.
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Survey Respondents Skewed Toward Established Firms
The respondent businesses were largely established and operated at a single site. Forty-one percent had been in business for more than 15 years, and another 32% had operated for six to 15 years. The remaining 27% had been established for one to five years. A large majority, 81%, ran one location; 8% reported operating at least two locations. The report does not detail the location count for the remaining respondents.
Property ownership and business performance also varied across the sample. Fifty-seven percent owned their facility, while 35% rented or leased. On year-over-year results, 60% reported outcomes ranging from no change to growth of more than 21%; 17% reported declines ranging from 3% to more than 21%. These broad ranges do not give a single average growth rate, and the source does not specify the comparison period beyond year over year.
Operators used several methods to attract customers: 59% paid for marketing, 33% paid for digital advertising, 31% used referral programs and 20% offered introductory or first-time-customer discounts. Labor-related spending varied widely. Twenty percent reported spending less than $75,000 during the last fiscal year, 35% spent $75,000 to $369,999, and another 35% reported spending $370,000 to $2.99 million. The source groups contractors and consultants into labor costs.
Limits of the Reported Benchmark
The survey findings are self-reported by 457 operators, and the participant pool was heavily weighted toward the United States. The source material does not provide a sampling method, margin of error, or enough detail to determine how closely respondents represent operators in each country or the global industry overall. The revenue shares should be read as results for this sample, not as a census of all pet care businesses.
The report also does not state the survey year in the supplied account. It provides broad categories for financial performance and spending but does not give individual business revenue, profit margins, or a breakdown of costs by service. Although owner income was more common among older businesses, the survey does not show whether tenure, location, pricing, costs or other factors explain that difference. Nor does it establish whether the patterns have changed since responses were collected.
More Data Needed to Track Trends
The survey organizations’ findings offer a snapshot of participating operators, but the source report does not announce a follow-up survey or provide a timetable for additional results. No next release or policy change is identified in the material available. Readers looking to compare these figures over time will need later survey results that specify the collection year and use comparable questions and participant coverage.
For now, the clearest takeaway is limited to the surveyed group: boarding had the largest revenue share, and repeat customers and add-on purchases were common. Whether those patterns hold across a broader, more geographically balanced sample remains open.
Key Questions
What share of surveyed operators’ revenue came from boarding?
42.1% of reported revenue came from boarding, the largest share among the services listed in the survey.
Who conducted the survey?
The Pet Boarding Industry Benchmarking Survey was conducted by The Dog Gurus, the International Boarding & Pet Services Association, and PocketSuite.
How many operators took part?
The survey polled 457 pet care operators across nine countries. Participants were mainly based in the United States.
What did the survey find about repeat customers?
More than half of respondents said at least 75% of their monthly revenue came from repeat customers.
Do the results represent the entire global pet care industry?
That is not established by the available report. The sample included operators in nine countries but was 93% U.S.-based, and the source material does not provide a sampling method or margin of error.
Source: globalpetindustry.com
