Today’s Bite-Size Business Tips
⛱️ Summer pet care – why pet parents aren’t prepared
😎 Where to focus your marketing in May
☀️ Summer pet safety: ideas for edu-taining content
🗞️ 3 tools to get your pet biz summer-ready
Hey pet pros,
Tricia here, wishing you a happy National Pet Month! As you get ready for another hot dog summer (and the scheduling, marketing, and safety challenges that come with it), we hope you’re sharing your first warm-weather pet care moments of the year. Or, at the very least, enjoying a few early summer grooming fails.
Ready to prep for the summer scramble? Let’s dive into some stats around pet care seasonality that could make a splash for your business this year.
The 1-2-3s of Pet Biz Growth: Stats-Driven Strategies
🐶 1 Head-Tilting Statistic 🐶
51% of pet pros say summer is their busiest season.
49% of pet parents feel like they use pet care most in the winter. So who’s right?
Using Google Trends search metrics as a baseline, summer is the busiest season for most types of pet care, followed by winter around the holidays.
(Poop scooping is a notable exception, with a winter-into-spring busy season. Melting snow tends to reveal the little presents pups have been leaving behind all winter. To all the scoopers too busy to read this newsletter, we’re rooting for you!)
Pet Care Seasonality Stats by Search Popularity: May 2023 – May 2025
Pet parents expect to hire pet care around the winter holidays, but many are surprised by just how much they need you for their summer plans. So, how can you get on underprepared pet parents’ radar and make sure your business is ready? Let’s dig in.
Psst! Want to let the data drive your growth this year? See what 1,000+ pet parents and pros say about their industry trends and growing a pet biz in our ebook.
👀 2 Industry Insights 👀
1
May marketing prepares clients to book pet care for trips in June, July, and August. So, which types of marketing deserve your attention?
65% of pet parents say they find you through online searches. Marketing agency Promodo’s Pet Industry Benchmarks Report reveals that these are the top 3 ways clients find pet caregivers’ content online:
- 50% Direct visits
That means people who already know your business exists and where to find you. Ask your biggest fans to share a link or recommend you now as their friends start booking their getaways.
- 27% Organic search
These are searches by potential clients who run across your website, blog, or social post on a search engine. You’ll need an engaging, informative, and professional web presence to get their business.
- 14% Paid search
These pay-per-click ads show up above the search results on a web page, giving you a better chance to catch a client’s eye. Try running a seasonal ad focusing on a common pet parent struggle during the summer (like finding a pet/house sitter you can trust while on vacay).
2
In summer, more than ever, professional care and pet care education save lives.
Even as you’re run off your paws with requests, remember that what you do matters. Summer is your chance to have the most impact on pets’ quality of life.
Here are a few key summer pet safety topics that would make a great edu-taining blog, reel, or social post:
- Shelters and rescues see their highest intake and lowest adoption rates in summer. Kitten season plays a big role, but shelters also routinely see a 30-50% spike in lost pets due to runaways escaping loud, scary fireworks. Try giving 4th of July safety tips (or advertising your boarding, daycare, or pet sitting as a pet-friendly alternative during holiday celebrations).
- Flea and tick season. Check this Tick Season in Your State resource from the AKC to give local clients specific tips. Groomers, try a “Is That a Tick?” video or some flea bath advice. Dog walkers, show off what tick products go in your backpack when you’re hiking with pets.
- Hot weather pet care. Even advice like “if the pavement is too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your dog” is less common sense than you might think. A heat stroke prevention TikTok like this one from pet influencer Britt + Wince could save a pet’s life.
3 Growth Ideas
Need some help getting ready for busy season? Use these resources to prep for a safe, profitable, and prepared summer:
- New to pet care or growing your business? The ultimate tool for thinking through your needs is a pet business plan. This easy pet business plan template makes planning for profitability no sweat this summer.
- Make the most of the summer pet care boom with marketing. If you could use an example (or 10), our Advertising for Dog Walkers blog walks you through tips to create successful ads from real dog walker social media marketing, flyers, loyalty cards, and more.
- Get intentional about referrals. Increase word of mouth going into summer by setting up a pet care referral program. It’s a lot easier than it sounds, and our new blog has tips, tricks, and templates for every step.
Until next time, happy tails!
