Petpals (UK) Limited

What Petpals (UK) Limited does

Petpals (UK) Limited is a private pet care franchise company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Andover, England. The company operates as a franchisor with 150+ territories across England, Scotland, and Wales, and offers 14 distinct pet care services including dog home boarding, cat sitting, pet sitting, dog walking, house sitting, small animal home boarding, puppy care visits, elderly dog care, exotics, pet taxi, pet microchipping, medication administration, wedding dog chaperone, and equine & small holdings care. Petpals positions itself as the UK's longest established multi-service pet care franchise and serves UK pet owners (60% of households) through a network of independent franchisees. The company also serves a B2B franchisee segment — individuals purchasing territories to operate pet care businesses under the Petpals brand.

The franchise is built on proprietary operational infrastructure including the Pawprint for Business Success methodology (a standard operating framework for franchisees), the Novabright OFQUAL certified training platform, an exclusive territory allocation system based on postcodes, and a national marketing support programme including Google Ads launches, SEO, and PR. New franchisees pay £12,500+VAT, which includes first year's business insurance, a QuickBooks license, branded uniforms and launch kit, full training, and exclusive territory rights. Established franchisees access ongoing support, an annual conference, and a franchise forum. Average franchisee turnover progresses from £40,000 in Year 1 to £76,000 in Year 3, with top performers reaching approximately £250,000 per annum.

Revenue mechanics for the parent comprise one-time franchise fees, franchise resale commissions (£29,995-£45,000+ per transfer), and ongoing royalty/support arrangements with the 150+ active franchisees. The company is a founding member of the Pet Care Franchise Association (PCFA) and holds memberships with the British Franchise Association (BFA), Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), and EWIF. Petpals has received earned media coverage across BBC, Channel 4, ITV, The Guardian, The Independent, Daily Mail, and BBC Radio, and has been recognised with multiple Great British Franchisee Awards (2022, 2023) and the WorkBuzz Franchisee Satisfaction Survey 5-Star rating (2025). The company has not raised external venture capital or private equity funding and remains privately held under Managing Director Kevin Thackrah.

Name

Petpals (UK) Limited

Legal name

Petpals (UK) Limited

Website

https://petpals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Petpals (UK) Limited is a UK-based pet care franchise founded in 2001, operating 150+ territories across England, Scotland, and Wales offering 14+ pet care services including dog boarding, cat sitting, dog walking, and pet taxi through independent franchisees serving UK pet owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet Care Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Services (Grooming, Training, Daycare) (CRALAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pet Errands & Pet Care Coordination (HSACAIAJ), Exotic & Small Pet In-Home Sitting (Birds, Reptiles, Rabbits, etc.) (HSANAEAG)

Keywords

• Pet care services
• Pet franchise network
• Dog walking services
• Pet boarding services
• Pet sitting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Andover

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of £12,500 (+VAT) for new franchisees, which includes first year's business insurance, QuickBooks license, launch kit with branded uniforms, pet accessories, stationary, and initial training.
2. Franchise Resales: Sale of established franchises at various price points (£29,995-£45,000+), representing transfer of existing business operations to new franchisees.
3. Franchise Royalties: Ongoing franchise support fees and royalty arrangements with franchisees operating under the Petpals brand, though specific percentage or structure not disclosed.
4. Service Revenue (Franchisee Level): Individual franchisees generate revenue from pet care services including dog walking, boarding, sitting, taxi services. Average turnover £40,000 Year 1, £57,000 Year 2, £76,000 Year 3; top performers £250,000+.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Petpals (UK) Limited operates the UK's longest established multi-service pet care franchise network, founded in 2001. Through 150+ franchise territories across England, Scotland, and Wales, the company delivers a broad range of in-home pet care services including dog boarding, cat sitting, pet sitting, dog walking, house sitting, small animal boarding, puppy care, elderly dog care, exotics, pet taxi, microchipping, medication administration, wedding dog chaperone, and equine/small holdings care. The company also sells franchise packages to entrepreneurs who want to operate their own local Petpals business.

Product overview

Petpals (UK) Limited is a multi-service pet care company offering 14 distinct service products through a franchise model across over 150 areas in the UK. The core offering consists of pet care services including Dog Home Boarding, Cat Sitting, Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, House Sitting, Small Animal Home Boarding, Puppy Care Visits, Elderly Dog Care, Exotics, Pet Taxi Service, Pet ID Microchips, Pet Medication, Wedding Dog Chaperone Service, and Equine & Small Holdings. All services are delivered by franchisees who are DBS checked, insured, pet first aid trained, and uniformed. The company also offers a franchise package for entrepreneurs wanting to start their own pet care business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dog Home Boarding Home doggy boarding service where dogs stay with carefully selected host families for a 'home from home' experience with regular photo updates, offered by Petpals franchisees to pet owners across the UK.
• Cat Sitting Cat sitting service allowing cats to remain in their own home with scheduled visits for feeding, companionship, playtime and cuddles, delivered by Petpals franchisees.
• Pet Sitting Visits to pet owners' homes to care for cats and small pets including rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, and birds, maintaining their normal routines.
• Dog Walking Dog walking service offering regular or ad hoc walks, typically in groups of up to four dogs, with flexibility for solo walks for timid dogs.
• House Sitting Service where pet carers stay in the owner's home to look after both pets and property, providing security and peace of mind while owners are away.
• Small Animal Home Boarding Home boarding for small pets including hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, ferrets, rats, mice, and chinchillas at the pet carer's home.
• Puppy Care Visits Personalised visits for puppies including short walks, toilet breaks, and companionship during the formative months.
• Elderly Dog Care Specialised care for senior dogs including regular visits, mental stimulation activities, health monitoring, and medication administration.
• Exotics Care Specialised care for exotic pets including reptiles, birds, and other exotic animals with customised care plans for handling, feeding, and habitat maintenance.
• Pet Taxi Service Transportation service for pets to vet appointments and other destinations using pet-friendly vehicles with climate control and secure pet crates.
• Pet ID Microchips Microchipping service for dogs and cats with registration on the PetLog and Kennel Club Database, including lifetime registration and unique collar tags.
• Pet Medication Administration Medication administration service including insulin injections and tablets, provided by pet carers trained in veterinary first aid.
• Wedding Dog Chaperone Service Dedicated dog care service for wedding days, with options for dogs to attend as guests, flower girls, or ring bearers, including grooming and overnight boarding.
• Equine & Small Holdings Care Professional care for stabled and paddocked animals including horses, ponies, donkeys, alpacas, llamas, goats, sheep, cows, and chickens while owners are away.
• Petpals Franchise Package Turnkey franchise opportunity for £12,500 (+VAT) including nationally recognised brand, exclusive territory, full training, first year free (including business insurance and QuickBooks licence), branded uniforms, pet accessories, stationery, and access to the Novabright OFQUAL certified training platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average franchisee turnover of £40,000 in Year 1, £57,000 in Year 2, £76,000 in Year 3
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NovabrightcoreTechnology or IntegrationPetpals provides franchisees access to Novabright, an OFQUAL certified training platform for pet care education. This ensures standardized, quality training for all franchise staff and maintains service consistency across the network.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pets at Home: UK's largest specialist pet retailer and pet care services provider offering grooming, veterinary care (Vets4Pets), and in-store pet services across hundreds of locations. Adjacent competitor offering overlapping pet care capabilities as part of a much wider retail and services portfolio.

Direct peers

• Wag!: US-headquartered on-demand dog walking and pet care platform offering walking, sitting, and boarding via a mobile app. Competes with Petpals on service categories though concentrated in North America rather than the UK.
• Barking Mad: UK franchise network offering home dog boarding, day care, and pet care services across the country. Directly comparable to Petpals as a franchise-to-local-operator model targeting the same UK customer base with overlapping service categories.
• TrustedHousesitters: UK-founded membership platform connecting homeowners with sitters for house and pet sitting. Directly competes with Petpals' house-sitting and pet-sitting services through a subscription-based digital model rather than local franchisees.
• Tailster: UK-based online marketplace connecting pet owners with dog walkers, sitters, and boarders. Competes with Petpals on the same UK service categories (walking, sitting, boarding) but distributed via a digital marketplace rather than a franchise network.
• BorrowMyDoggy: UK platform pairing dog owners with local borrowers for dog walking and occasional care. Competes with Petpals for UK dog walking and pet sitting demand via a peer-to-peer digital model that bypasses franchise fees.
• Rover: Global online marketplace for dog walking, pet sitting, and boarding with significant UK presence. Overlaps with Petpals across all core service categories but operates a technology platform rather than a franchise network.

Regional players

• DogBuddy (by Rover): European dog-sitting marketplace (now part of Rover) operating across Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK. Overlaps with Petpals on dog boarding and walking services but via an online marketplace distributed across continental Europe.
• Gudog: European dog walking marketplace operating primarily across Spain, Germany, and France. Competes with Petpals on dog walking service category but in continental European geographies rather than the UK.
• Holidog: European platform for pet sitting, boarding, and dog walking services operating primarily in France. Offers comparable service categories to Petpals but in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/petpalsuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/petpals-uk-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/petpals_uk
• Xx.com/petpalsuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Petpals (UK) Limited