10 Types of Pet Services Every Pet Owner Should Know About
A trusted walk, a happy tail: professional pet care starts with the basics.
If you've ever stood in your living room at 7 a.m., torn between rushing to work and getting your dog the walk he desperately needs. You get what it’s like. Pet parenting is a full-time job, and most of us are already working one of those.
The good news? You don't have to choose between being a great employee and a great pet parent. Today's pet care industry has grown into something much bigger than the neighbourhood kid who used to feed your goldfish while you were on vacation or ask favours from a friend to take care of your cats and dogs while you’re on vacation.
Whether you've got a high-energy Labrador, a senior cat who needs a little extra TLC, or a bearded dragon that needs a specialist who actually knows what "specialist" means in reptile terms, there's a professional pet service built for exactly that job.
In fact, Americans are leaning on these services more than ever. More than 71% of U.S. households now own a pet; that's roughly 95 million homes, and pet parents spent an estimated $158 billion on their pets in 2025 alone, a number expected to climb even higher this year. A meaningful chunk of that spending goes toward professional pet services like grooming, boarding, sitting, and walking, because more owners are treating their pets exactly like what they are: family.
So if you're new to the world of paid pet care, or you've just been Googling "types of pet services" at 1 a.m. trying to figure out what you actually need, we've got you. Below are the 10 types of pet services every pet owner should know about, what each one actually involves, and how to tell which ones are worth it for your household.
1. Dog Walking Services
Let's start with the most in-demand of them all. Dog walking services are exactly what they sound like: a professional walker comes to your home, usually while you're at work or otherwise unavailable, and takes your dog out for exercise, a bathroom break, and a little mental stimulation. Some walkers handle one dog at a time; others manage small group walks where your pup gets some canine social time too.
What makes this service so valuable isn't just the exercise. In-home dog walking keeps your dog's routine consistent, which matters more than most people realise, since dogs are creatures of habit, and a predictable walking schedule reduces anxiety, destructive behaviour, and those "guilty" accidents you come home to after a 10-hour day. As one dog behaviour expert put it, in-home pet care like a dog walker is often far more comfortable for a pet than being shipped off somewhere else entirely, because they get their exercise and stimulation without ever leaving their familiar environment.
The dog-walking industry itself is growing fast. It's projected to expand at an annualised rate of nearly 8% between 2025 and 2029, which tells you just how many households are deciding this is worth paying for. You can also have a look at our guide on how to choose a dog walker.
Best for: Working professionals, high-energy breeds, dogs recovering from anxiety or behavioural issues, and anyone whose 9-to-5 doesn't leave room for a midday walk.
Also read: How Often Should You Walk Your Dog?
2. Pet Sitting Services
Pet sitting services cover a surprisingly wide range: everything from a quick 20-minute drop-in visit to feed your cat and scoop the litter box to full overnight stays where a sitter essentially moves in and takes over pet duties completely. The right fit depends entirely on how long you'll be gone and how much hands-on care your pet needs.
A sitter's job might be as simple as topping off food and water bowls or as involved as managing medication schedules for a senior pet with a chronic condition. This flexibility is exactly why pet sitting has become one of the most requested pet care services for owners who travel. You're not uprooting your pet from their home; you're just bringing the care to them.
Best for: Cats and other low-mobility pets who do better staying put, pets on medication, and owners who travel frequently but don't want their pet adjusting to a new environment every time.
3. Pet Boarding Services
If pet sitting is "bringing the care to my house", pet boarding services are the opposite: your pet goes to stay at the caregiver's home or a dedicated boarding facility while you're away. Think of it as a short vacation for your pet, complete with a new environment, new routines, and often, other animals to socialise with.
Boarding tends to work especially well for social dogs who genuinely enjoy being around people and other pets, and it gives you the peace of mind of round-the-clock supervision rather than periodic visits. It's also, statistically, one of the pricier line items in the pet budget: dog boarding costs Americans an average of roughly $228 a year, and that number climbs fast for owners who travel often or need boarding around the busy holiday season.
Best for: Social, well-adjusted dogs; longer trips where daily supervision matters; and owners who want their pet actively engaged rather than home alone.
Also Read: How to Improve Pets Well Being?
4. Pet Grooming Services
Pet grooming services go well beyond a quick bath. A full professional grooming session typically includes bathing, brushing out mats and tangles, ear cleaning and infection checks, nail trims, and a coat trim or clip tailored to your pet's breed and coat type. Groomers are also often the first to spot early warning signs of skin infections, parasites, or other health issues you might not notice at home.
How often your pet needs this depends heavily on breed and coat: some dogs do fine with professional grooming three to four times a year, while double-coated or long-haired breeds may need a visit every four to eight weeks. Dog owners who choose professional grooming do so an average of five times a year, and it's easy to see why: it's hard to replicate the tools, technique, and trained eye of a professional groomer in your bathtub on a Sunday afternoon.
Mobile grooming has also taken off in recent years, bringing the entire salon experience straight to your driveway, a small convenience that's made a noticeable dent in how often people book this best pet services category.
Best for: Long-haired and double-coated breeds, senior pets who struggle with at-home baths, and any pet parent who'd rather leave the nail trimming to a professional.
5. Pet Training Services
Training isn't just for puppies with bad habits; it's one of the most valuable professional pet services for pets of any age. A certified trainer can help with basic obedience, leash manners, crate training, and more complex behavioural work like separation anxiety or reactivity toward other animals.
This category has seen real growth recently, partly thanks to what's often called the "pandemic pet" wave: millions of households adopted pets between 2020 and 2023, many of them first-time owners, and a good number are now seeking professional help with socialization and separation anxiety as those pets have grown into adulthood.
Best for: Puppies, newly adopted rescues, and any pet showing signs of anxiety, aggression, or behaviour that's becoming difficult to manage on your own.
6. Pet Daycare Services
Pet daycare gives your dog a supervised place to spend the day, playing, socialising, and burning off energy, instead of being home alone while you work. Daycare comes in a few different flavors: traditional centres with structured play groups, in-home daycare with a smaller number of dogs, and specialised options for puppies, seniors, or small breeds who need a gentler environment.
The category has grown into a genuinely sizable market on its own, with the U.S. pet daycare industry projected to reach nearly $2.85 billion by 2030. Before booking, it's worth visiting the facility in person, meeting the staff, and asking about their supervision ratios and safety protocols. A good daycare will welcome the questions.
Best for: High-energy dogs who thrive on social interaction, owners working long or unpredictable hours, and dogs who don't do well with prolonged alone time.
7. In-Home Pet Care and House Sitting
Sometimes the best solution isn't sending your pet somewhere else, it's bringing the caregiver into your home. House sitting combines pet care with home care: a sitter actually stays overnight in your house, looking after your pets in their own environment while also keeping an eye on things like mail, plants, and general home security.
This is a great middle ground between drop-in visits and full boarding, especially for multi-pet households where moving everyone to a new location just isn't practical.
Best for: Multi-pet homes, pets who get stressed by unfamiliar environments, and owners who want both pet and home looked after simultaneously.
8. Veterinary and Medical Pet Care
No list of pet care services is complete without veterinary care. It's the single largest category of pet spending in the country, with Americans putting an estimated $41 billion toward veterinary care and related products in 2025. This covers everything from routine wellness exams and vaccinations to emergency care, dental cleanings, and specialist referrals.
Some pet retailers have started partnering directly with licensed veterinarians so pet owners can access basic medical care in the same place they buy food and supplies, a convenience trend that's picking up steam as owners look for more one-stop options for their pets' needs.
Best for: Every pet, every year. Even healthy pets benefit from annual wellness visits, and preventive care is almost always cheaper than treating a problem after it's escalated.
Also Read: Pet-Friendly Cleaning Services in Atlanta: Clean Up After Your Furry Friends with Amenify
9. Pet Transportation Services
Not every pet owner has a car, and not every trip to the vet, groomer, or airport is easy to coordinate around a work schedule. Pet transportation services solve that by safely shuttling pets between locations, whether it's grooming appointments, vet visits, daycare, or even long-distance moves and flights. Drivers are typically trained in pet handling and use secured crates or restraints to keep animals safe in transit.
Best for: Owners without reliable transportation, pets who need specialised transport (like large breeds or multiple pets at once), and anyone coordinating a pet's move to a new city.
10. Speciality and Multi-Pet Services
Finally, there's a growing category of speciality services built for pets that don't fit the dog-and-cat mould: think birds, reptiles, rabbits, and other small animals, as well as bundled service packages for multi-pet households. These can include species-specific habitat cleaning, specialised feeding schedules, or combined care plans that cover pet care services for dogs and cats living under the same roof.
As pet ownership diversifies, with more households now keeping a mix of species and even reptile and fish owners investing more in specialised enrichment and habitat design, this category is quickly becoming one of the more interesting corners of the pet services industry to watch.
Best for: Households with more than one type of pet, exotic or small-animal owners, and anyone looking for a single provider who can handle a genuinely varied pet family.
How Amenify Makes Finding the Right Pet Service Easier
Happy pets, happy homes: book trusted pet care through Amenify today.
At Amenify, we know that finding reliable, professional pet care shouldn't feel like a second job. That's exactly why we built our platform to bring trusted, vetted pet service providers directly to residents in the communities we serve: no endless searching, no guessing whether a provider actually shows up on time, and no juggling five different apps to book a dog walk, a grooming appointment, and a pet-sitting visit for your upcoming trip.
Through Amenify, residents can book dog walking services and more, from the same easy-to-use app they already use for their home. It's pet care services for dogs and cats made simple, built for real life, real schedules, and real pet parents who just want their furry family members taken care of without the hassle.
Wrapping It Up
At the end of the day, choosing between all these types of pet services isn't about picking the "best" one; it's about figuring out what your specific pet and your specific life actually need. A high-energy dog stuck home alone all day probably needs daycare or a midday walker more than a groomer. A senior cat with a health condition might be better off with a sitter who visits daily rather than a stay at a boarding facility. And almost every pet, no matter the type, benefits from routine vet care and the occasional professional groom.
The great news is that you don't have to figure it all out alone, and you definitely don't have to sacrifice your own schedule to make sure your pet is well cared for. With a little planning and the right help, your pet can get exactly the kind of care they deserve, and you can get back the hours in your day you didn't know you were missing. actually need.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The main types of pet services include dog walking, pet sitting, pet boarding, grooming, training, daycare, house sitting, veterinary care, pet transportation, and specialty care for multi-pet or exotic households. Most pet owners end up using a combination of two or three of these depending on their pet's needs and their own schedule.
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Pet sitting typically means a caregiver comes to your home (or checks in regularly) while your pet stays in a familiar environment, whereas pet boarding means your pet stays overnight at the caregiver's home or a dedicated facility. Sitting tends to suit cats and pets who get stressed by new places; boarding tends to suit social dogs who enjoy company and a change of scenery.
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It depends on your dog's breed and coat type, but many owners book professional grooming every six to eight weeks, while dog owners overall average around five professional grooming visits per year. Long-haired and double-coated breeds usually need it more often than short-haired dogs.
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Yes. Dog walking services help maintain your dog's exercise routine and reduce anxiety-related behaviors that often show up when dogs are left alone too long. For working pet owners, a midday walk can be the difference between a well-adjusted dog and one that's destructive or restless by the time you get home.
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Look for verified reviews, clear background checks or vetting processes, transparent pricing, and a provider who's willing to answer questions about their experience and safety protocols. Platforms like Amenify take the guesswork out of this by only connecting residents with vetted, trusted providers.
