Own a pet care franchise in Kent
Turn a love of animals into a business of your own with Petpals, the UK’s longest established, award-winning multi-service pet care franchise. Exclusive Kent territories available now.
Enquire about Kent
Request your free franchise brochure and a no-obligation discovery call.
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Your local opportunity
A pet care franchise built for Kent’s pet owners
If you have ever thought about running your own business in Kent and you genuinely love animals, a Petpals pet care franchise is one of the most accessible ways to do it. There are no crippling property costs and no investment in stock: you build your business around a proven, supported model and the size of the commitment you are willing to put in.
Petpals is the UK’s longest established multi-service pet care franchise, market leader since 2001 and a founding member of the Pet Care Franchise Association. As a Kent franchisee you would offer a full range of services, from dog walking and doggie day care to cat and small pet home visits, home boarding, puppy and elderly dog care, and a pet taxi service, including trips to the groomers and the vet.
Because so much of the work is repeat business, from regular dog walks to recurring holiday boarding, franchisees grow on long-term client relationships rather than one-off sales. That is the foundation of a stable, scalable pet care business opportunity in Kent.
Why Kent is a strong location for a pet care business
Kent combines two things that drive demand for professional pet care: a large commuting population and a strong culture of pet ownership. Towns along the London commuter belt, such as Sevenoaks, Dartford and Tunbridge Wells, are full of professionals who leave early and return late, exactly the households that need reliable dog walking, day care and pet sitting during the working week.
Further into the county, Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury and the coastal towns bring families, retirees and second-home owners, all of whom travel and need trusted care for their pets while they are away. As the Garden of England, Kent also offers the kind of green space and countryside walks that make dog walking and home boarding a genuine pleasure to deliver rather than a chore.
Sevenoaks is one of our priority Kent areas, so if you are based in or around that part of the county we would be especially keen to talk. Availability across the rest of Kent changes over time, and the fastest way to find out whether your patch is open is to enquire.
Why Petpals
A proven model, not a leap in the dark
You are buying a system that has been refined over more than two decades, not experimenting alone. Here is what that means for a new franchisee in Kent.
Low-risk, fully supported
No debilitating property costs and no investment in stock. You get full training in the Petpals systems, code of ethics and values, plus pre-launch and ongoing support for the life of your franchise.
Multiple income streams
Dog walking, cat and small pet home visits, home boarding, doggie day care, puppy and elderly dog care, and pet taxi. Franchisees build on repeat bookings and long-term client relationships.
A management franchise
Start hands-on as an owner-operator or build a team from the outset. Our territory size and guaranteed household numbers give you room to scale a profitable business.
Real growth potential
Our top franchises are averaging a turnover in excess of £200,000 a year. Results are illustrative and depend on your effort, your market and how you build your team.
Ethical franchising
As full members of the bfa and founding members of the PCFA, we are committed to ethical franchising practice, which protects both our franchisees and their clients.
A national network
You are in business for yourself, but not by yourself. Alongside your head office team you gain the advice and camaraderie of a nationwide network of experienced Petpals franchisees.
The franchise package
What your Kent franchise includes
- Your franchise licence fee and exclusive Kent territory
- Comprehensive head office and on-site training: business, operational and technical
- Business coaching and on-site launch support
- Pre-launch and post-launch PR and marketing campaign
- First year’s business insurance
- Full set-up and first year’s QuickBooks Online accounting subscription
- Franchisee British Franchise Association (bfa) membership
- Your own area within the Petpals website
- Pet care equipment, uniform, ID badge, accessories and stationery for your team
An exclusive territory is reserved with a refundable deposit of £2,500 +VAT (refundable up to your operations planning day, minus any direct costs). There are no monthly franchise fees for your first three months of trading.
Your journey
From enquiry to launching in Kent
Application
Read the brochure, then complete our application form to progress your enquiry.
Discovery call
An informal online chat with a senior team member so we can get to know each other.
Discovery day
Spend a day with a Petpals franchisee near you and experience a typical day in the business.
Director’s meeting
We decide together whether we are right for each other. A refundable deposit of £2,500 +VAT reserves your Kent territory.
Operations planning day
An intensive day at our Andover head office to frame your training and marketing plan.
Training and launch
Sign your franchise agreement, complete full training at head office, then three days of on-site launch support, followed by quarterly reviews in year one and annually thereafter.
Franchisee stories
Real franchisees, real Petpals businesses
These are established franchisees from across the Petpals network, including Great British Franchisee Award winners. Their locations and results are their own; what they share is a model you can follow in Kent.
Matt and Louise, Petpals Romsey franchisees
David Gray
David has run his Petpals franchise for over 15 years, following the operating model closely. He treats the business as a long-term investment rather than a job.
Peter Lea
A Great British Franchisee Award winner in 2023, Peter combines a love of animals and the outdoors with the satisfaction of being his own boss.
Clare Stafford
Clare points to the strength of the model and the network as the reason franchisees can move forward with confidence.
Questions
Kent franchise: your questions answered
The Petpals franchise fee is from £12,500 +VAT, which includes your licence, exclusive Kent territory, full training, launch support, a marketing campaign, first year’s insurance and QuickBooks Online. An exclusive territory is reserved with a refundable £2,500 +VAT deposit, and there are no monthly franchise fees for your first three months of trading.
Territories are available across Kent, from the London commuter belt around Sevenoaks, Dartford and Tunbridge Wells to Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury and the coastal towns. Availability changes, so the quickest way to check whether your part of Kent is open is to enquire and we will confirm.
No. Our franchisees come from all walks of life and a wide range of careers. What matters is a genuine passion for animals and a commitment to the business. We provide comprehensive training in pet care, business, accounting and marketing, plus ongoing support.
Pet ownership is high across the UK: 57% of households own at least one pet, including 13.5 million dogs and 12.5 million cats (UK Pet Food, Pet Population Report 2024). Kent’s mix of London commuters, busy professionals and families creates steady demand for dog walking, home boarding and pet sitting when owners are at work or away.
Yes. You can start hands-on as an owner-operator or build a team from the outset as a management franchise. Many owners work on the business at a strategic level as they grow their team, which is why we designed the model to scale.
Ready to run your own pet care business in Kent?
Request the franchise brochure and book a no-obligation discovery call. We will talk through the opportunity, current Kent territory availability and how the business works.
