Starting an animal care or training business – why is it a good idea?
There’s no doubt that there’s been a huge increase in dog ownership in the UK. With demand outstripping supply, the price of puppies soared over lockdown as breeders looked to cash in from the craze. In fact, a study from pet website Pets4Homes, which was featured in an article by the BBC, shows that the average price for a Cocker Spaniel rose from just under £800 to around £2,100 during the lockdown.
Further evidence that the UK went animal crazy in 2020 is shown in what people were searching for on Google. On a scale of 0 to 100, where a value of 100 is the most popular, the term ‘puppies for sale near me’ peaked at 100 in June – up from just 11 in June the previous year. In a similar fashion, the term ‘kittens for sale’ also peaked at 100 during November’s lockdown.
But what really makes us think 2021 is the year for animal care and training businesses?
The fact is, the UK has been trending towards providing better quality pet care for a number of years. There’s been a surge in premium pet supplies, from customised subscription meal plans to doggy snacks created by Michelin-starred chefs.
Tails.com, a tailored pet food subscription service which featured in our Startups 20 campaign, has seen exponential growth since its beginnings back in 2013, and now provides meals for over 200,000 dogs across the UK and Europe.
On the animal care side of things, BorrowMyDoggy – the platform that connects pets to people who quite literally want to ‘borrow people’s dogs’ – now has over 700,000 members, and has previously secured an impressive £1.5m in funding.
The success of these ventures could come down to the fact that people are becoming more aware of their pet’s physical and mental needs. Animals also deserve a healthy, nutritious diet that doesn’t consist of the pet equivalent of a fast food meal, and dogs and cats shouldn’t have to go a whole day without human contact or stretching their legs every time their owner goes to work.
The other factor we’re taking into account is the fact that people tend to underestimate how much work is involved in owning a pet. A study by the PDSA revealed that a staggering 5.2 million pet owners in the UK didn’t carry out any research before they purchased their four-legged friend. And when it comes to dogs specifically, 36% thought a Google search would give them enough advice.
It therefore stands to reason that a vast amount of the pets that were purchased during the lockdown may require some kind of behavioural intervention. Furthermore, a movement towards ensuring animal owners are more informed prior to purchasing their pet could open up opportunities for animal advisory services.
via https://www.AiUpNow.com/ by Aimee Bradshaw, Khareem Sudlow
