There is no single best pet franchise, but there is a best fit
Search "best pet franchise UK" and you'll get a list of logos, each one described as award-winning, fast-growing and life-changing. Useful for nobody.
The honest answer is that the UK pet franchise market isn't one market. It's at least four quite different businesses that happen to share an animal: dog walking and pet sitting, dog home boarding, mobile dog grooming, and pet food and nutrition. They need different skills, different money and different temperaments, and they suit different people.
So instead of a ranking, this is a map. We look at each model, at well-known brands that run it, including Barking Mad, Dial a Dog Wash and Husse, and at who each one genuinely suits.
Two declarations before we start. We run a pet care franchise, so read the section on us knowing that. And We Love Pets has a partnership with Husse, announced in 2024, so treat what we say about them in that light too. Every figure about another brand comes from their own published material or a franchise directory, and is credited in the sources at the end.
Five things that decide which pet franchise is right for you
Before comparing brands, answer these about yourself. They'll narrow the field faster than any league table.
1. Do you want hands-on animal work, or to run something around animals? Walking and grooming put you with the dogs every day. Home boarding and pet food are largely coordination, sales and relationships.
2. How much can you invest, including working capital? Entry costs across the models below run from under £10,000 to well over £30,000 once a vehicle is involved. Add a reserve to live on while income builds.
3. Recurring or one-off income? Weekly walks and monthly food orders repeat. Boarding peaks around school holidays. Grooming sits in between, on a four-to-eight-week cycle.
4. How physical do you want your working day? Walking eight to fifteen miles a day and grooming large dogs in a van are both demanding. Coordinating host families or food deliveries is not.
5. Do you want to stay solo or build a team? Some models are built around one operator; others only reach their potential with staff or a network of hosts.
Write your answers down. Then read on.
The four main UK pet franchise models in 2027
1. Dog walking and pet sitting
What you do: walks, pet visits, puppy and cat care and, depending on the brand, home boarding and day care, all from one local business. You usually start hands-on and can grow a team.
The case for it: low entry cost, no premises, and strongly recurring revenue from clients who book the same midweek slots every week. Around 15.5 million UK dogs live in 41% of households (UK Pet Food, 2026), and hybrid working has created steady Tuesday-to-Thursday demand.
The case against it: it's physical and weather-exposed, midday is non-negotiable, and you compete against a crowded unlicensed end of the market you have to clearly rise above.
This is our model. More on that below.
2. Dog home boarding (e.g. Barking Mad)
What you do: rather than looking after dogs yourself, you recruit and vet local host families, then match owners' dogs with them while the owners are away. Your job is coordination, recruitment, customer service and licensing.
About Barking Mad: founded in 2000 and often described as the original home-from-home alternative to kennels. It's part of the Franchise Brands plc group. Entrepreneur UK's 2026 Franchise 50 lists it with an investment of roughly £10,000–£16,000 and more than 70 franchisees.
The case for it: a well-established, recognisable concept with a long track record. You aren't walking dogs in the rain, and the model suits people who enjoy organising and building relationships.
The case against it: demand is concentrated around holidays, so income is more seasonal than weekly walking. Your product depends on a steady supply of reliable hosts, which means recruitment never stops. And home boarding sits under council animal activity licensing, so compliance is part of the job.
3. Mobile dog grooming (e.g. Dial a Dog Wash)
What you do: you groom dogs yourself, from a fitted-out van parked outside the owner's home. It's a skilled trade, but most franchisors train complete beginners.
About Dial a Dog Wash: a Cornwall-based mobile grooming franchise covering the UK and Ireland. Its franchise website says new territories cost an average of £15,995 plus a white van, and that the package includes an exclusive territory, a fitted mobile parlour, one-to-one grooming training and pet first aid certification. It also states that its parlours earn £875–£1,400 a week on average. As with any franchisor's figure, ask whether that's turnover or profit and how it's substantiated.
The case for it: a tangible, bookable service with repeat visits every few weeks and clients who often book ahead. You learn a genuine skill, and the mobile model avoids salon rent.
The case against it: you need the van on top of the fee, so total entry cost is the highest of the four. Grooming is physically demanding (lifting, standing, handling anxious dogs), and your earnings are capped by the number of dogs one person can groom in a day.
4. Pet food and nutrition (e.g. Husse)
What you do: sell and deliver premium pet food, treats and supplements to local households and businesses, usually from home. It's a sales and relationship business rather than a care business.
About Husse: a Swedish brand dating from 1987, offering a catalogue of around 200 products. Franchise Direct lists a minimum investment of £7,900, with opportunities across England and Scotland. Husse also offers a free nutrition consultation for pet owners.
The case for it: the lowest entry cost of the four, home-based, not weather-dependent and not physically punishing. Pet food is a repeat purchase, so a loyal customer base reorders month after month.
The case against it: you are selling, every week. Income depends on building and keeping a customer list in a market where supermarkets, pet superstores and online subscriptions compete hard on convenience. If you want to spend your days with animals, this isn't that.
As noted above, Husse and We Love Pets work in partnership. The two businesses are complementary rather than competing, which is part of why it's here.
The four models side by side
| Walking & sitting (We Love Pets) | Home boarding (e.g. Barking Mad) | Mobile grooming (e.g. Dial a Dog Wash) | Pet food (e.g. Husse) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Published entry cost | £12,995 + VAT | c. £10,000–£16,000 | Avg £15,995 + van | From £7,900 |
| Vehicle | Suitable car or van | Not central | Fitted van required | For deliveries |
| Your day | Hands-on with dogs, then managing | Coordinating hosts and bookings | Hands-on grooming | Selling and delivering |
| Income pattern | Weekly, recurring | Holiday peaks | Every 4–8 weeks per dog | Monthly reorders |
| Physical demand | High | Low | High | Low–moderate |
| Weather exposure | High | Low | Low | Low |
| Licensing | Boarding/day care licence if offered | Animal activity licence | None specific | None specific |
| Route to scale | Hire walkers | Recruit more hosts | Extra vans and groomers | Grow customer base, distributors |
Entry costs are as published by each brand or a franchise directory at the time of writing, are not like-for-like, and exclude working capital. Always get current figures in writing from the franchisor.
Which pet franchise suits you?
Choose walking and sitting if you want to be outdoors and active, you like the idea of a weekly routine with the same dogs and owners, and you'd like the option of building a team later.
Choose home boarding if you'd rather organise than handle dogs all day, you're good at recruiting and reassuring people, and you're comfortable with income that peaks around school holidays.
Choose mobile grooming if you want to learn a hands-on craft, you're happy working alone in a van for most of the day, and you can fund a vehicle on top of the franchise fee.
Choose pet food if you enjoy selling and building relationships, want a lower-cost, home-based start, and don't need daily contact with animals to feel fulfilled.
If you fit more than one, that's normal. The tie-breaker is usually question 4 from earlier: what do you want a wet Wednesday in February to feel like?
Where We Love Pets fits
We sit in the first category, with a wider service range than most: dog walking, home boarding, day care, pet sitting, puppy and cat care, and dog visits, all under one local brand. That breadth matters, because the same household that books three walks a week also needs boarding in August and cat visits at Christmas.
The facts, from our own FAQs:
- Franchise fee: £12,995 + VAT, including an exclusive territory assessed on local dog population and household data
- Training: business and pet care training, including the Level 2 Canine Care Award and pet first aid certification
- Ongoing fee: a 12% management service fee on turnover, funding coaching, a Success Manager, systems and 24/7 employment, safety and veterinary support
- Network: over 100 franchisees running 180+ branches
We're not the right choice for everyone. If you don't want to be outdoors in January, or you'd rather sell than care, one of the other three models will probably suit you better, and we'd rather you knew that now.
For the full cost picture, read What Does a Pet Care Franchise Actually Cost?. For income, see How Long Before a Pet Care Franchise Replaces Your Salary?.
So, what's the best pet franchise for 2027?
The one whose working day you'd still enjoy in year three.
All four models can work. Each has well-established brands behind it, and each has people who thrive in it and people who'd be miserable. The best franchise for you is the one where the daily reality, not the brochure, matches how you want to spend your time, at a cost you can fund with a proper reserve behind it.
Whichever model you lean towards, take our 12 questions to ask any franchisor to every discovery call, and read our guide to choosing the right pet care franchise.
→ Download the Franchise Information Pack for our full investment breakdown, earnings detail, training and current territory availability.
→ Or book a discovery session to ask your questions to a person.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pet franchise in the UK?
There isn't one best brand for everyone. Dog walking and sitting, home boarding, mobile grooming and pet food are all established franchise models. The right one depends on whether you want hands-on animal work, how much you can invest and how physical you want your day to be.
What is the cheapest pet franchise to start?
Pet food franchises tend to have the lowest published entry costs, with Husse listed from £7,900. Walking, sitting and home boarding franchises typically sit around £10,000–£16,000, and mobile grooming costs more once you add a fitted van.
Do I need experience to buy a pet franchise?
Usually not. Most pet franchisors train beginners, including in grooming. What matters more is reliability, people skills and being comfortable running a business.
Is a dog grooming franchise better than a dog walking franchise?
Neither is better; they're different jobs. Grooming is a skilled trade done mostly alone in a van, with a vehicle cost on top. Walking is outdoor, recurring weekly work that can grow into a team.
Can I fund a pet franchise with a loan?
Often, yes. Government-backed Start Up Loans offer up to £25,000 per person at a fixed 7.5%, subject to eligibility and approval. Our Start Up Loan guide explains how it works.
→ Download the Franchise Information Pack to compare us properly against anything else on your shortlist.
Sources
- UK dog and pet population: UK Pet Food, UK Pet Population 2026
- Barking Mad investment, founding date, network size and ownership: Entrepreneur UK, Franchise 50 (June 2026)
- Dial a Dog Wash investment, package and weekly earnings figures: Dial a Dog Wash franchise website, Investment Costings page (accessed October 2026)
- Husse minimum investment, history, product range and partnership with We Love Pets: Franchise Direct UK, Husse UK listing
- We Love Pets fee, management service fee, training and network: We Love Pets Franchise FAQs
- Start Up Loan terms: British Business Bank
Figures for other brands are taken from their published material or franchise directories and were correct at the time of writing. They may have changed, so check directly with each franchisor. We Love Pets earnings figures are not a guarantee of individual results.
