Nation's Largest Pet Care Franchise Explodes in $43 Billion Segment
July 27, 2009 // Franchising.com // Berkeley , CA – Pet owners have made it clear this year that there's one thing they will not give up in a down economy – home care for their four-legged friends.
FETCH! Pet Care, a national pet sitting and dog walking franchise, is seeing booming sales for their more than 200 franchisees across the country. Since June 2007, 82 percent of franchise owners have experienced year-over-year revenue growth, with the average increase at 156 percent.
With revenue up 176 percent overall for FETCH! Pet Care this past year and the company opening an average of 7-10 new franchise locations a month, the California-based company has solidified its leadership position in at-home pet care.
"Pet sitting has clearly not taken a hit during the recession," said FETCH! Founder and CEO Paul Mann. "Now, more than ever, people need our services and are willing to pay a pet sitter to take care of their animals. Entrepreneurs starting a FETCH! franchise this year have not only found a job that fulfills their passions, but one that also pays off."
FETCH! Pet Care, with a fitting tagline of "We've Got Your Tail Covered," continues to break down the No. 1 barrier to pet ownership: lack of proper care for pets while their owners work or travel. The franchise provides professionally trained, bonded and insured pet sitters to care for any kind of pet, from dogs and cats, to hamsters, birds, fish, iguanas and more. Caregivers can be hired for ongoing daily services, as well as on weekends, during busy holidays or on short notice.
By the end of 2009, FETCH! Pet Care is expecting to open dozens more franchise locations throughout New York City , Denver , Chicago , Portland and other cities across the country.
Last year, Americans spent $43 billion on their pets – more than what they spent on movies, video games and listening to recorded music combined, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mann notes more than two-thirds of U.S. households own pets and the industry is expected to grow to $52 billion next year.
After experiencing frustration in finding professional, reliable care for his own pets, Mann walked away from a lucrative career in the technology industry, determined to fill an obvious hole in the market. Since its founding in 2002, FETCH! Pet Care has blossomed into a multi-million dollar franchise that continues to excel each year in this rapidly growing industry.
In addition to its basic services, FETCH! Pet Care also offers daily pet visits, private dog walks, group off-leash dog outings, in-home overnight sitting, private boarding, day and evening care, pet fitness services, pet taxi services, home care, yard pet waste cleanup, and administration of medication for pets.
FETCH! Pet Care performs criminal background checks for all of its caregivers, uses a sophisticated telephone dispatch system and advanced software that tracks assignments and delivers real-time electronic client order confirmations and automated sitter assignment reminders. The business can be run from home and requires an initial franchise fee of $16,000.
Through a series of partnerships with corporations and associations, such as PETCO, AAA and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, more than 115 million people can now receive discounts on FETCH! Pet Care services. In addition, by adding FETCH! Pet Care service discounts to their employee benefits packages, many companies are enjoying "pet-friendly" status in the marketplace.
"We like to say that if pets could talk, we know what they would say," says Mann. "They want and deserve the best love and attention every day in their own comfortable setting. That's at the core of our business. That's what FETCH! Pet Care will always be about."
About FETCH! Pet Care
Founded in 2002 and with over 1,800 service areas across the United States , FETCH! Pet Care is the pet sitting industry market leader - the new face of pet care in the 21st century. The company offers a humane alternative to kennel boarding by providing loving, in-home overnight and/or daily care to any kind of pet in the most professional and reliable manner possible. FETCH! Pet Care thoroughly selects, screens, trains, and insures all of the pet sitters and dog walkers within its network. Entrepreneur magazine named the company among its coveted "Franchise 500" in both 2007 and 2008, and in January 2008 ranked the company as the nation's 24th Top New Franchise. In September, 2008 FETCH! Pet Care was awarded the rank of the 963rd fastest growing private company in the U.S. on the Inc. 5000 list.
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