Franchisor Stories
Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: A pet care franchise offering professional dog walking, pet sitting, overnight care and related services through a recurring-revenue, home-based model.
Fetch! Pet Care is one of the largest professional dog walking and pet sitting franchises in the United States. The brand delivers in-home pet care services designed around trust, convenience and consistency, allowing pet owners to rely on vetted caregivers for daily and ongoing needs. Operating without a physical storefront, Fetch! Pet Care is built as a scalable, territory-based business with recurring revenue and strong local demand driven by rising pet ownership.
Fetch! Pet Care was founded in 2002 and built to professionalize the fragmented pet sitting and dog walking industry by creating consistent service standards, background-checked caregivers and reliable customer experiences. The brand later became part of Phoenix Franchise Brands, led by franchising veteran Greg Longe, who has scaled nationally recognized service franchises over a 30-year career. Since its acquisition in 2020, Fetch! Pet Care has accelerated growth while refining its technology, marketing and franchise support systems.
Mission: To provide reliable, loving and professional pet care that gives pet owners peace of mind and pets the highest standard of care.
Vision: To be the most trusted and accessible pet care service in every community it serves through technology, consistency and local ownership.
Fetch! Pet Care offers protected, exclusive territories across the United States, with many markets still available for development. Territory availability varies by region and population density.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a Fetch! Pet Care franchise ranges from $88,567 to $103,667. The 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
| Type of Expenditure | Min | Max |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $62,500 | $62,500 |
| Travel & Living Expenses While Training | $600 | $2,000 |
| Equipment | $500 | $2,000 |
| Advertising/Marketing | $8,500 | $9,000 |
| Supplies | $367 | $1,000 |
| Insurance | $600 | $1,000 |
| Certification Costs | $50 | $500 |
| Other Prepaid Expenses | $450 | $667 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $15,000 | $25,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: Upon signing the franchise agreement, a Fetch! Pet Care franchisee pays an initial franchise fee of $62,500, which grants the right to operate in one target area. A target area is defined by ZIP code and generally includes approximately 50,000 households that meet the brand’s demographic criteria.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2023 FDD, Fetch! Pet Care franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales/week |
| Local Territory Marketing | $3,800/month |
ROI Potential: According to the 2023 FDD, the 69 Fetch! Pet Care franchises operating for the entirety of FY 2022 reported the following gross sales:
| Tercile | Average | Median | High | Low |
| Top 33% (23) | $705,662 | $808,945 | $1,019,378 | $298,614 |
| Middle 33% (23) | $104,091 | $98,065 | $144,581 | $81,444 |
| Bottom 33% (23) | $42,982 | $68,926 | $72,637 | $620 |
| Total (69) | $284,245 | $98,065 | $1,019,378 | $620 |
Before launch, franchisees receive guidance on territory setup, caregiver recruitment, local marketing strategy and operational ASP (approved service provider) onboarding. The brand also supports franchisees through the licensing, insurance and compliance process.
Fetch! Pet Care provides structured initial training covering operations, customer acquisition, caregiver management, scheduling, pricing and brand standards. Training is supported by manuals, live sessions and ongoing education.
Ongoing operational support includes marketing guidance, customer service best practices, business coaching and performance tracking. Franchisees also gain access to peer networks within the system for shared learning and collaboration.
The brand equips franchisees with proprietary tools for scheduling, booking, billing, caregiver communication and customer updates, allowing owners to manage operations efficiently while maintaining service quality.
Fetch! Pet Care does not require prior pet care or industry experience, but does seek owners with strong organizational, customer service and team-management skills.
The franchise is designed to support both owner-operator and semi-absentee models, depending on territory size and growth goals. Owners oversee staffing, scheduling and local marketing while leveraging centralized systems and support.
Fetch! Pet Care does not directly finance franchises, but franchisees may explore SBA loans, traditional lending institutions or other third-party financing options.
“The franchise aspect I like the most is being able to have a community and support system with other franchise owners who may be experiencing similar things. Having a pool of information and feedback is a great resource to see what works and what does not and bouncing ideas off each other. Having updated online systems is great and something that would be difficult to achieve on your own.”
- Robyn Greene, Franchise Owner — Marin and Sonoma, California (Read her story here.)
The pet care industry continues to show strong, long-term growth driven by rising pet ownership and increased spending on professional services. The global pet care market was valued at $259.37 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from $273.42 billion in 2025 to $427.75 billion by 2032, reflecting a 6.6% compound annual growth rate over the forecast period.
Fetch! Pet Care competes with a mix of national platforms and pet care franchises, including Rover, Wag!, Petland, Dogtopia, Pet Wants and Camp Bow Wow, as well as independent local pet sitters. The brand differentiates itself by combining national brand credibility with locally owned, protected territories and professionally vetted caregivers. Unlike on-demand gig platforms, Fetch! Pet Care focuses on consistency, repeat relationships and recurring services, positioning it as a more reliable, long-term solution for pet owners.
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