Buying a pet services franchise in Australia: grooming, dog walking and pet care

• Across every category on the Register, the median setup estimates were $146,984 (low, 937 profiles) and $400,000 (high, 923 profiles), so pet services sits near the bottom of the range.
• Animal welfare rules differ by state: NSW requires pet grooming and bathing businesses to comply with Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 8, and Victoria requires boarding, dog training and some other animal businesses to register with their council each year.
• None of the 13 pet services profiles that answered say franchisees have rights to goodwill they generate.
• Check that your insurance covers animals in your care as well as injury to people, and read the policy wording before you rely on it.
• Income depends on repeat bookings in a local area, so ask exactly how the franchisor generates leads and allocates them.

• Mobile grooming: you work from a fitted-out van with water, power, a bath and a table, and go to customers' homes. The van build, running costs and maintenance are the big costs.
• Salon grooming: you lease a shop, fit it out and bring customers to you. Rent, fit-out and staff are the big costs, but you may fit more grooms into a day without travel.
• Dog walking: setup costs are low, but income is limited by how many dogs you can safely walk at once and how many walks fit into a day.
• Pet sitting and home visits: you care for pets in their own homes, so trust, key handling and security procedures matter.
• Boarding and day care: kennels and day care centres need suitable premises and, in Victoria, registration with the council as a boarding establishment.
• Dog training: dog training establishments are also among the businesses that must register with their council in Victoria.

Animal welfare and animal business rules are set by states and councils, so they differ by location. These examples show how much they vary.

• NSW: you must comply with Animal Welfare Code of Practice No 8 if you operate a pet grooming or bathing establishment. It covers dogs and cats from the time you accept them until you return them, including housing, hygiene and transport.
• Victoria: domestic animal businesses must register with their council under the Domestic Animals Act 1994. They include boarding establishments, breeding and rearing businesses, dog training establishments, pet shops, and shelters and pounds, and registration expires on 10 April each year.
• Other states and territories set their own rules, so search ABLIS for your business type and location before you commit.
• Check your council's local laws on dogs in public places, such as leash rules, off-leash areas and any limit on how many dogs one person may walk.
• If you employ staff, confirm which award applies with the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool. The Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award covers private veterinary practices and animal welfare charities, not every pet business.

• Vehicle: a van or car suited to animals and equipment, with fuel, servicing, registration and insurance. The ATO treats a van designed to carry one tonne or more as a vehicle that isn't a car, so the car depreciation limit doesn't apply.
• Grooming equipment: tables, bathing units, dryers, clippers and blades, which wear out and need replacing.
• Consumables: shampoos, towels, cleaning and disinfecting products, and waste disposal.
• Insurance: public liability, cover for animals in your care, vehicle insurance and, if you employ staff, workers compensation.
• Ongoing fees: royalties or flat fees, marketing levies, booking software and any fee per lead.
• Training: any grooming or animal handling training the franchisor requires, and refresher courses.
• Your own time: grooming and walking are physical work, so price your hours realistically and budget for time off.

Pet services are local, repeat-booking businesses. Ask the franchisor exactly how customers will find you.

• Central booking: the franchisor's website or app takes bookings and passes them on. Ask what it costs you and how bookings are shared if territories overlap.
• Territory: ask whether your area is exclusive, how many households it contains and how it was measured.
• Repeat bookings: regular grooming and walking clients are the core of the business, so ask current franchisees what share of their work is repeat.
• Reviews and profiles: ask who controls online reviews, social media pages and business listings if you leave.
• Local marketing: ask what the marketing levy pays for and what you must spend yourself.
• Seasonality: ask whether demand changes through the year, for example around holidays when owners travel.

FranchiseScope analysed 16 pet services franchisors' profiles on the Franchise Disclosure Register, captured on 19 August 2026. The sample is small and self-reported, so use it as a guide only.

• Setup costs: of 14 profiles that disclosed a low estimate, the median was $22,000; of 13 that disclosed a high estimate, the median was $53,000.
• System size: the median profile reported 6 franchisees (15 profiles), so many systems are small.
• Restraint of trade: 12 of 14 profiles include a restraint of trade or similar clause.
• Goodwill: none of the 13 profiles that answered say franchisees have rights to goodwill they generate.
• Supply restrictions: 10 of 14 profiles restrict where franchisees buy goods or services.
• One-sided changes: 2 of 14 profiles say the franchisor can vary the agreement on its own.
• Arbitration: 10 of 13 profiles say the agreement provides for arbitration of disputes.

• No written animal handling, safety and incident procedures in the operations manual.
• A franchisor that can't explain which animal welfare codes or registrations apply in your state.
• Insurance requirements that don't mention animals in your care.
• A territory with no household or customer data behind it.
• Earnings examples that assume a full diary from the first week, with no ramp-up period.
• A restraint of trade that would stop you working with animals in your area after you leave, with no clear limit.
• Former franchisees who are hard to reach or who left within their first year.

• Decide which model you want: mobile grooming, salon, walking and sitting, or boarding and day care.
• Check the animal welfare codes and registrations for your state and council using ABLIS.
• Get insurance quotes that cover animals in your care as well as injury to people.
• Ask current franchisees about repeat bookings, cancellations and their income in their first year.
• Price your vehicle, equipment and consumables independently.
• Read the restraint, territory and transfer clauses in the agreement.
• Compare the Register profile with the disclosure document.
• Get independent legal and accounting advice before you sign.