What does it actually take to run a healthy pet boarding or daycare business? For the first time, there’s real data to answer that question. Earlier this year, the International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA), The Dog Gurus, and PocketSuite teamed up with independent research firm ResearchScape to survey more than 450 pet boarding and resort owners for the 2026 Pet Boarding, Daycare and Resort Industry Benchmarking Report. The result was the largest benchmarking study the industry has ever seen, and it sparked so many follow-up questions that it grew into an entire webinar series.
This first session walked through what the survey found, who took part, and the four distinct business profiles hiding inside the data. Here’s what came out of it.
Want the full data behind this series?
This session only scratched the surface of the 2026 Pet Boarding, Daycare, and Resort Industry Benchmarking Report. Take the free Account Health Checkup to see how your business compares on labor, occupancy, retention, and more, and unlock the full white paper as soon as you finish.
Don’t want to miss what’s next? Save your seat for the next session in the Pet Industry Leaderboard Series.
An Experienced, Global, and Varied Industry
The respondents painted a picture of a mature industry. More than half of the businesses surveyed have been operating for over 10 years, and over 40% have been in business for more than 15. At the same time, roughly a quarter of respondents have been open for less than 5 years, a sign that new operators are still entering the space with real optimism.
Most respondents run a single location (83%), while 17% operate multiple locations. Facility size varied widely too. The median facility size came in at 4,000 square feet, with some businesses under 1,400 square feet and others exceeding 20,000. The takeaway: there’s no single blueprint for success. What matters more than square footage is how well that space gets used.
Labor Is the Top Concern, and Most Owners Are Happy With Their Income
When asked to rank what’s keeping them up at night, labor costs came out as the single greatest concern across the board, well ahead of competition or customer acquisition costs. That tracks with what most operators feel day to day.
The encouraging news came on the income side. The vast majority of respondents (86%) received personal income from their business in the last 12 months, and most described themselves as happy or satisfied with that income. Owners with two or more locations reported higher satisfaction than single-location owners, and that satisfaction climbed the longer a business had been operating, with owners past the 10-year mark reporting the lowest rates of dissatisfaction.
Revenue growth was strong too. 60% of respondents grew their revenue over the past year, with boarding, daycare, and training continuing to lead as the top revenue categories, followed by grooming and retail.
Capacity, Marketing, and Repeat Business
A few standout numbers from the operational side of the survey:
- Capacity varies widely by service. Daycare tends to run fuller than boarding, while grooming and training show the widest range, some operators are packed and others have significant open capacity.
- Referrals and loyalty programs are working. Minimal paid marketing was still the most common approach to acquiring new customers, but 31% of respondents rely on referral programs and 13% run loyalty programs, both strong signs of a healthy local brand.
- Repeat business drives the industry. For 35% of respondents, 75 to 89% of monthly revenue comes from repeat customers, a sign that membership programs and recurring bookings are paying off.
- Add-ons are underused. Out of every 10 reservations, most operators see only 1 to 5 bookings include an add-on service, leaving real revenue on the table for many businesses.
Four Business Profiles Hiding in the Data
One of the most interesting parts of the study looked beyond simple revenue numbers to find patterns across operational habits, growth, and satisfaction. Four distinct segments emerged:
- Trailblazers (27%): Seasoned, data-driven operators averaging 10-plus years in business. They fill their facilities, keep their customers, and maximize every booking with strong add-on attach rates. 70% saw revenue growth last year, and 67% are happy with their income.
- Builders (19%): Close to breaking into that top tier, often held back by slightly lower occupancy or less targeted marketing. This group also saw the second-highest rate of revenue decline.
- Strivers (25%): Even during peak seasons, nearly half aren’t fully booked. Lower add-on attach rates and minimal paid marketing are common here, and 27% saw revenue decline.
- Emerging (29%): The most diverse group, often working with smaller facilities under 4,000 square feet. This segment has the lowest occupancy and repeat revenue rates, and only 29% are happy with their personal income.
Wherever your business falls, the point of these profiles isn’t to label you. It’s to help you see which levers, occupancy, add-ons, marketing, or repeat business, are most likely to move your business forward.
What’s Next
This session was just the first bite of the apple. IBPSA, The Dog Gurus, and PocketSuite are turning the full findings into a white paper and a series of deeper webinars that dig into each of the disciplines that separate top-performing resorts from the rest, starting with labor efficiency and continuing through staffing, add-ons, marketing, space planning, and the KPIs that matter most.
