Pet Services in the US, 5th Edition Report
Pet services face dog population and economic headwinds, but affluent consumers, technology, insurance, and Gen Z support growth opportunities.
Free Sample Report
Request a free sample of this report and our team will email it to you.
Report Overview
Despite the overall easing of inflation, non-medical pet services prices remain elevated, and the high cost has exacerbated the strain on pet owners, with negative-to-flat dog population trends compounding the challenge. But opportunities remain for strategic players, including offering value propositions across the board, keeping a keen focus on Gen Zers and affluent households; cementing customer loyalty with subscription, membership, and rewards programs; leaning into app-based technologies facilitating scheduling and payment; franchising; and pet insurance.
Key Themes Covered in this Report:
- The market may get a boost from Gen Z aging into adulthood. Gen Zers were the key growth demographic for pet grooming between 2021 and 2026, adding over 800,000 to the customer base.
- Among non-medical pet services customers, grooming lines up with annual veterinary check-ups among the overall “most important services for the health and wellness of your pets”.
- Franchisors have inked dozens of franchise agreements in the past year, signaling a high degree of optimism among individual entrepreneurs and institutional investors.
- “Back-room” technologies are facilitating non-medical pet services processes for clients and operators alike.
- Pet Insurance continues to enjoy double-digit annual gains.
- Although still a minor part of the overall market, cats have gained in customer share in the pet insurance category.
- Pet health and wellness and the “pets as family” mindset remain market linchpins.
- Omnichannel and omnimarket strategies continue to redefine the business.
Affordability Reshapes the Pet Services Market
Economic pressures are changing how Americans use and pay for pet grooming, boarding, daycare, pet sitting, dog walking, training, and other non-medical pet services. Packaged Facts survey data show that even established customers are becoming more selective about professional pet care, creating a greater need for service providers to demonstrate value while offering flexible options that help keep pet care within household budgets.
Affordability represents a particularly significant opportunity. In Packaged Facts’ January 2026 Survey of Pet Owners, 67% of pet owners said they would use non-medical pet services more often if they were more affordable. Alternative payment methods may also help bridge the gap: 27% of pet owners reported using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to pay for pet services during the previous 12 months.
DIY Pet Care Creates New Business Models
Cost-conscious consumers are not necessarily abandoning pet care when they reduce professional services. Instead, many are shifting some tasks into the home. Among pet grooming customers who had cut back during the previous three years, 51% had groomed their pets themselves. This creates opportunities for hybrid approaches that combine professional expertise with DIY pet care, including self-service dog washes and take-home grooming products.
Gen Z Offers a Path to Future Growth
Gen Z will be critical to the long-term outlook for the US pet services industry. As this generation moves further into adulthood, its pet care habits will influence demand for services as well as expectations surrounding price, convenience, technology, and payment.
Report Scope
Pet Services in the US, 5th Edition provides a detailed and data-rich analysis of the non-medical pet services sector for dogs and cats in the US. The discussion spans sales and growth from an overall perspective as well as by category, with deep dives into the core hands-on categories – grooming, boarding/daycare, pet sitting/walking, and training – as well as the overperforming category of pet insurance. Examined are the impact of economic concerns on pet owner spending and outlook, usage rates and patterns for pet care services, the competitive landscape, pet population trends, and customer demographics.
- Breakouts of historical sales for 2020 through 2025, and projections for 2025 vs. 2030 for pet services overall and by category.
- Omnimarket competitive positions of key players including chain retailers, franchisers, market innovators, and pet insurance providers.
- Usage rates for pet care services overall, by service type, and by dog/cat ownership classifications
- Customer demographics for pet care services overall and by service type
Gen Z is becoming an increasingly important customer base for pet service providers as more members of the generation age into adulthood and pet ownership. Between 2021 and 2026, Gen Z accounted for the key demographic growth in pet grooming, while grooming itself ranks alongside annual veterinary check-ups among customersu2019 most important services for pet health and wellness.
Pet insurance stands out as a major growth opportunity, continuing to post double-digit annual gains and attracting a growing share of cat owners. Opportunities also extend to grooming, boarding/daycare, pet sitting/walking, and training as franchising, omnichannel and omnimarket strategies, and new technologies reshape how pet services are marketed, purchased, and delivered.
The pet services market faces headwinds from economic uncertainty, affordability concerns, and a shrinking dog population, particularly because dogs account for nearly 90% of non-medical pet services sales. At the same time, growth opportunities are emerging from Gen Z pet owners, expanding franchise activity, new service technologies, and continued consumer emphasis on pet health and wellness.
