Live the dog lover’s dream and be your own boss, running a multi award-winning pet care franchise with Barking Mad
A lifestyle with flexibility, a growing full-time income and the rewards of making a really positive difference to the lives of pet lovers and their four-legged best friends – what’s not to like?
Why not escape the ordinary, leave the 9-5 office grind behind and become your own boss with Barking Mad? Sharing our pet care sector knowhow, systems and brand name has enabled our large network to start or grow their own successful businesses via the franchise route. Our franchise partners love what they do and reap the benefits of a successful, flexible, family-friendly career.
We offer bespoke pet holidays, provided through a franchise network of dedicated, local professionals. Franchisees recruit a community of carefully chosen, pet-loving host families who care for pets whilst their owners are away.
Why Barking Mad?
Over 20 years’ experience – we are proud to be an award-winning, leading franchise in our sector.
Best Pet Care Franchise – as awarded by The Elite Franchise Top 100 for the LAST 5 YEARS in a row!
A highly flexible business opportunity – allowing you to run it around other personal commitments.
Great earnings potential, as well as achieving the work/life balance you really want.
A market leading launch package – including marketing activity, licensing support and insurance.
The UK’s most-trusted pet care provider – as verified by our substantial number of Trustpilot reviews – over 8,500 and counting!
Fantastic support available to our franchise network including:
Animal welfare licensing support
Social media, sales and marketing support
Operational, accounting and IT support
Dog behaviour training, canine first aid certification and other practical coaching
Join Our Pack
Would you jump at the chance to ditch your current routine and enjoy spending every day in the company of adorable dogs and fellow dog lovers? John and Elaine Warburton, winners of the British Franchise Association Lifestyle Award, describe buying a Barking Mad franchise as,
“the best decision we have ever made”
Self-confessed, ex ‘wage slave commuter’ John explains:
“As animal lovers, the concept of home-from-home dog boarding held huge appeal. The Barking Mad franchise system’s tried, tested and proven operating procedures were a major factor in our decision, along with the training, support and potential for growth to an impressive six figure turnover.”
Dog ownership in the UK has surged over the past few years, with an estimated 34% of the UK population now owning a dog, which equates to over 13m dogs*! Therefore, Barking Mad is expanding across the UK and needs motivated business owners to meet demand. Could this be you?
Comprehensive Business and Customer Support
Starting out on your own can be really tough and new entrants to the market need to stay ahead of the competition. According to a recent report in ‘The Times’, 20% of sole traders fail within a year and 60% fail within five years. Launching a franchise with a prominent brand name, with the added support of a dedicated HQ team, means that your new venture has the best possible start.
Barking Mad’s team of experts are specialists in all areas of the business, so you don’t have to be! From sales and accounts advice, to social media and online marketing support, help is on hand. Franchisees are guided every step of the way with one-to-one business planning and expert training guides.
As part of Franchise Brands plc since 2016, our franchisees also benefit from the knowledge of a group of market-leading franchise businesses who share the same support services, with huge commitment to investment and innovation.
Loyal Repeat Business and Referrals in a Massive Growth Industry
When you buy a Barking Mad franchise, you will benefit from our brand’s loyal repeat business and referrals in a massive growth industry. Our customers love our service, as demonstrated by our independent 5* Trustpilot reviews.
Tapping into potential in the pet market requires knowledge of a complex sector, but with a Barking Mad franchise, our proven and successful business model will give you all the tools you need to achieve your entrepreneurial, pet care dreams.
Top Dog Brand Leader
A strong brand and extensive expert resources mean we have a tried and tested recipe for your success. Barking Mad has a strong brand presence both online and offline, as well as being featured by the national media including the BBC, ITN, Daily Mail, Metro, Evening Standard and many more.
If you’re a pet lover, with ambition and a dedication to first class customer service, then Barking Mad could be perfect for you. Our franchise owners create profitable and successful businesses with the support and expertise of our leading national brand. They enjoy an enviable work-life balance whilst indulging their passion for pets.
Join a business community who love pets as much as you do. Territories are strictly exclusive and available on a first come first served basis, so why not get in touch today? We’d love to chat to you about taking the first steps to becoming a dog care entrepreneur. Request an information pack today to find out more.
The franchise is £9,995+VAT, but with our various pricing options that we offer, you can get started from just £4,995 + VAT of your own funds. Barking Mad also has a great relationship with high street banks and there is also the option of a government start up loans scheme, subject to acceptance.
Northumberland based Barking Mad franchisees, Barbara Frater and Caroline Bradshaw have been selected as finalists of the prestigious 2024 BFA HSBC UK British Franchise Awards for the ‘Community Focus’ category.Barbara and Caroline, set up their Barking Mad business in 2019, after swapping their busy and pressurised careers as teachers, for running their hugely popular home-from-home dog boarding franchise.Feeling like they had got out of education all they were going to get, and achieving all t...
Barking Mad, the UK’s most-trusted dog sitting service, has reduced its franchise fee to help better service the increase in customer demand experienced during the summer months.On average, Barking Mad receives a 110% increase in website users over the peak holiday season versus winter months. But with some areas of the UK not covered by a franchise, many potential customers are left disappointed.To cater for demand this year, Barking Mad is cutting its minimum personal investment price in half,...
A man who went walkies from local government to give dogs holidays worth writing home about, has won a major industry award. Alun Davies, owner of Barking Mad Cotswolds, is the winner of a Great British Franchisee Award, one of the highest honours in the franchising world.Dogs in the Cotswolds would almost certainly have nominated Alun for the award themselves if they could have done, according to a widely-held belief among his customers.His two-legged fans include Rachel Stewart, Managing Direc...
Barking Mad, the UK’s most trusted dog sitting service has partnered with several other leading pet-care franchisors to put the welfare of pets at the forefront of the £3.1 billion industry (Statista, 2021). Collectively, the franchisors have formed the Pet Care Franchise Association (PCFA). The main objective of the group is to improve animal welfare standards in the pet-care industry across the UK.Together with other leading pet care franchisors, including Petpals, Pet Stay and We Love Pets, B...
Barking Mad Dog Care has been ranked as the top pet sector franchise in the 2023 Elite Franchise Top 100, as well as ranking as number 48 overall in the UK. Barking Mad has been recognised as one of the top 100 franchisors and ranked the top pet care franchise for five years in a row.The Elite Franchise Top 100 celebrates the best and brightest franchises that Britain has to offer, with an expert judging panel ranking franchisors on everything from franchise support to business growth and their...
A Barking Mad franchisee is celebrating after expanding her territory, to match even more doting dog owners with helpful hosts.Louise Jones bought the territory of Market Harborough in April 2022, launching Barking Mad in the area for the very first time. Since then, she has established a stronghold of pet hosts who are on hand throughout the year to support owners looking for a home from home for their pets while they go on holiday.Now, she’s expanding into neighbouring Loughborough, an existin...
Donna Cotton joined Barking Mad after 27 years in the corporate world, working for a large health and beauty brand as a buyer. Here, she shares her best pieces of advice for running a business and making franchising work for you.What advice would you give to your teenage self?I wasn’t academic at school, but I didn’t let that stop me from believing I could be successful – I just had to find the right path. When I was 16, I applied for a variety of jobs in the local area and received some offers,...
‘We swapped the classroom for the Northumberland coastline, and we wouldn’t look back.’
Barbara Frater and wife, Caroline Bradshaw, have owned Barking Mad Northumberland since late 2019 having previously had high pressure careers in education. Seeking a better work-life balance and the ability to reap their own rewards, they took on the dog sitting franchise and haven’t looked back since.
‘We decided we’d had enough of working all hours for someone else, and that it was time to reflect on what...
“Happy dogs, happy customers, happy hosts.”
That’s the trio of ingredients for a successful business, according to Barking Mad franchisees Amanda and Alan Hartley. They’ve enjoyed 10 years at the head of their network in Leeds, with – they say – the hard work associated with running a business made easier thanks to the flexibility and freedom the role allows.
Having originally launched their franchise looking for an alternative to their previous day jobs – which were pressurised and impacted...
