What Is the Most Profitable Pet Business in the UK?
The UK pet industry is growing every year and was valued at £13 billion in 2024. According to a study done by PDSA, there were 11.1 million pet dogs and 10.5 million pet cats in the UK in 2025. With so many pet parents seeking products and services for their pets, you may be wondering: what is the most profitable pet business?
Is the Pet Industry a Good Investment?
Starting a pet business in the UK is a solid investment. With such a rapidly growing market, there’s significant profit potential. According to Statista, UK spending on pets increased by 4 billion from 2021 - 2024.
What Is the Most Profitable Pet Business?
Veterinary Services
Pet owners spent approximately £6.7 billion on veterinary services in the UK in 2024, with the average price of a veterinary appointment costing around £50 - £70. If you’re a pet owner then veterinary care is definitely a non-negotiable essential for your pet and these highly trained animal doctors can charge a premium for their services.
Some luxury, high-end vets such as Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey offer services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, neurology and dentistry, with services ranging in price from £350 - £9000.
In the UK vets can expect to earn around £35,000 a year for new graduates and up to £150,000 a year for specialist roles or vet business owners.
Pet Food Business
The UK pet food market is the third largest in the world and was worth £4.1 billion in 2024. Purchasing pet food is an absolute must when owning a pet and consumers are becoming more selective about the foods they choose for their furry friends. Recent trends have seen a greater emphasis on pet wellbeing with natural foods containing fewer additives leading the way in the market. Pet food subscription services have also become more popular.
Some of the most sought-after healthy pet food brands include:
The earnings from a pet food business vary hugely depending on the size of the company but small independent shops may earn anywhere from £45,000 a year to £60,000 a year.
Dog Walking Services
Pet parents that work long hours will often hire the services of a dog walker, in affluent areas with lots of professionals, this can be a very profitable business. In places like London, dog walkers can charge upwards of £25 an hour, making a daily walk very lucrative.
Pet Grooming Business
Pet grooming services for dogs and cats have become a lot more popular in recent years with many pet parents keen to have their pet looking well-groomed. According to the British School of Grooming owners of pet grooming businesses may earn up to £50,000 a year!
Pet Sitting Business
Concerned pet owners will often pay pet sitters to look after their pet whilst they are travelling or on holiday. This is especially true for owners who have elderly, anxious or reactive pets that don’t do well when they are taken out of their home environment. Keeping their pets in the home reduces stress and gives their owners peace of mind.
Pet sitting is ideal to start off as a part-time business and can be fit around existing work and family commitments. Full-time pet sitters in the UK can earn up to £30,000 a year depending on experience.
Dog Training Services
Many pet owners take their dog to dog training sessions including groups and individual training sessions. Dog trainers help owners to train their dogs and address common behavioural issues that can occur. Dog trainers in the UK can earn anywhere from £30,000 - £50,000 a year.
Cattery Business
Catteries or cat boarding businesses are frequently used by pet owners who are going on holiday. Many pet parents opt for this professional service for peace of mind and to look after cats with more complex needs. Luxury catteries can charge up to £90 a day for looking after cats with cattery owners earning anywhere from £30,000 - £100,000 a year.
Pet Clothing and Accessories
The pet clothing and accessories market is big business with personalised and handmade accessories becoming very popular. Many people have followed the trend and set up businesses from home selling anything from pet coats, to harnesses and footwear.
Etsy has become a very popular platform for those selling personalised or handmade pet accessories with businesses like Cornishk9LTD achieving 15.8k sales on Etsy alone!
Pet Supplement Business
As pet industry trends make the move towards a focus on health and wellbeing, pet supplements are in demand. Supplements offer additional nutrition for pets to help with a wide range of issues including digestive support, joint and bone health, boosting the immune system, skin issues and dental care.
Some of the most popular UK pet supplement brands include:
If you’re looking to make money then this type of business has a healthy profit margin of around 50%, making it a very lucrative enterprise.
Pet Influencer
So, what is the most profitable pet business? Becoming a pet influencer! While most pet influencers earn modest amounts, some popular pet influencers with large followings are earning between £100,000 - £339,000 per year from posts and brand deals!
Some well-known Instagram pet influencers include:
How Does a Pet Business Fit in With Your Lifestyle and Values?
What is the most profitable pet business? Ultimately the most lucrative pet business for you needs to be something that aligns with your values and fits around your lifestyle. It’s important to be passionate about the type of business you are starting because there will be hard times when you need the motivation to keep going.
With the rapid growth of the pet industry in recent years and no signs of it slowing down, there’s never been a better time to start a pet business. There are still big opportunities to make money and capitalise on this growing market from pet food businesses to dog walkers and pet influencers, there’s something to suit everyone.
