Dog Hotels: What Is Our World Coming To?

Dogs. They’re man’s best friend. They’re friends to many, actually. Lifesavers even.
 

 
Wasn’t that a nice story?
(Heck, even if you’re not a dog lover like me, it was still pretty great.)

Stories like the one shown above are wonderful for the pet industry. It’s PR at it’s best. (Not that the pet industry needs it, as you’ll see in a moment.)

Dog Hotels And Other Pet Care Services: Some Statistics

The International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA) provides pretty solid industry statistics on their website:

“Americans spent a reported $55.7 billion on their pets in 2013. Of that, at $4.41 billion, pet care services including grooming, boarding, training, and pet-sitting grew by the largest percentage. We provide the training, education, products, trends, information, and legislative support to help our members succeed in a rapidly growing and competitive industry. IBPSA members include traditional and non-traditional pet care service providers including boarding facilities, veterinarians, groomers, trainers, pet sitters, doggie daycares, pet massage, and holistic care just to name a few.”

That’s right: $4.41 billion was spent on pet care services in 2013.

$4,041,000,000

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a billion as “A very large amount or number.” That’s true, but I need you to visualize just how big a number a billion really is.

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From the folks at MathForum.org:

“If a billion kids made a human tower, they would stand up past the moon.”

Or…

“If you sat down to count from one to one billion, you would be counting for 95 years.”

Dog Hotels: What Is Our World Coming To?

(That’s our dog, Bear. You can follow him @FranchiseDog on Twitter)

FYI: I just picked Bear up from a hotel for dogs-Pet Lodge USA. It’s the 3rd time we’ve used the hotel. It’s a pretty cool place. When you walk in, the front desk looks and feels just like a hotel front desk for humans. I actually like it. It’s not overdone or tacky. And, there are 4 different themed areas. Bear stayed in the Country Cottages area, which is perfect for him since he was a stray living in Kentucky. (We rescued him from sure death.) Anyway…

What is our world coming to?

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Hotels for dogs? And cats? And wabbits? This is crazy. Who in their right mind would pay $30-$75 a night for a hotel room for their beloved pets?

I would. I just did. And, I have the receipt to prove it.

You saw the stats above, right. Billions of dollars are being spent every year by pet owners who want the absolute best for their dogs. And, dog hotels are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to pet services.

Pet Services

In addition to pet hotels, there are several other types of services offered for pets. They include:

• Doggie daycare
• Bathing and grooming services for dogs/cats
• Dog walking
• Dog poop removal (Really?)
• Non-medical therapy-pet massages etc.
• Dog training

(I paid for dog training too, by the way. Cathy rocks!)

Did I forget any other pet services? Let me know!

Should You Explore Owning A Pet Services Franchise?

Heck..I don’t know. I do know that pet people spend mega amounts of money on their pets. And, the pet services industry is going to continue to grow. How can it not ?

If you would like to learn even more about the pet industry, and all of the different pet franchise opportunities that are available these days, check out the Pet Franchise Industry Report from Franchise Direct. It’s chock-full of great information. You never know: You could end up owning the next great dog hotel!

And, once you find a franchise that seems to be a good fit for you, make sure you contact me to arrange a Private Franchise Ownership Consultation…just to make sure you’ve covered all your bases.

When it comes to buying a franchise, two heads are better than one.