# Pet Service Franchise Funding for Existing Owners

> Funding for operating pet grooming, dog daycare, boarding and training franchises: grooming tables, kennels, play-yard surfaces and handler payroll.

Source: https://mfebusinessloans.com/franchise-funding/sectors/pet-services/ (Merchant Fund Express, updated 2026-10-21)

## The short answer

Already running a pet grooming, dog daycare, boarding or training franchise and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing pet service owners with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital. We read appointment and package deposits, count royalty and ad fund drafts as normal costs, and give a same-day decision on a complete file.

## How does money move through a pet care franchise?

Pet services are labor businesses with specialized equipment. A grooming salon books appointments a few weeks out and collects at pickup. A daycare sells day passes and monthly packages, so part of its revenue arrives as recurring card charges. Boarding fills up around holidays and summer travel, and the busiest weeks need the most staff. Training programs sell multi-week courses paid up front or in installments.
Equipment is purpose-built: hydraulic or electric grooming tables, tubs, high-velocity dryers, clippers and blades, kennel runs and suites, play-yard turf and rubber flooring, drainage and air handling. Staff are the main cost: groomers (often paid on commission), bathers, kennel attendants, handlers and trainers. Merchant Fund Express sizes funding after royalty, ad fund and rent, using the unit's own deposits. See pet grooming funding for the independent-shop view.

## Pet services money map: what funds each cost line?

Cost line | Timing | What fits |
Grooming tables, tubs, dryers, clipper sets | Replacement or adding a station | Equipment financing; see grooming equipment financing |
Kennels, suites, runs | Expansion or wear | Equipment financing on the quote |
Play-yard turf, rubber flooring, drainage | Wear and sanitation upgrades | Term loan for Tier 1; working capital otherwise |
Groomer, attendant and trainer payroll | Weekly; heaviest in holiday boarding | Franchise payroll funding or a line |
Shampoo, supplies, retail treats | Monthly reorders | Line of credit draws |
Mobile grooming van | Adding a route | Vehicle funding |
Royalty and ad fund drafts | Recurring | Counted before sizing |

## Brand not listed? Every operating pet service franchise can apply

Pet service brand pages are not published yet. Any operating grooming, daycare, boarding or training franchise can apply now. The review reads about 3 months of card deposits and package charges, payroll frequency, the royalty and ad fund drafts and any existing positions. Name the brand on the application so the drafts are read correctly.

## Which costs press hardest on a pet franchise?

Adding grooming capacity. Another table, tub and dryer set means another groomer's book of appointments; the equipment comes first.
Holiday boarding staff. Thanksgiving, December and summer fill every suite, and overnight attendants are paid before the stays are fully collected.
Kennel and flooring wear. Daily cleaning chemicals and constant traffic wear down runs, turf and seals.
Groomer turnover and commission timing. Commission payroll rises with a strong week before the deposits from it settle.
Sanitation and air handling. Ventilation and drainage upgrades are expensive and not optional.

## Worked example: two grooming stations and a holiday boarding season

Suppose a hypothetical combined grooming and boarding franchise deposits $74,000 a month, rising to about $95,000 in December. Royalty and ad fund drafts, rent and an existing van payment take $19,000 a month. The owner wants two more grooming stations ($22,000 quote for tables, tubs and dryers) and needs about $18,000 of extra attendant payroll across the holiday weeks.
Deposits after recurring obligations: $74,000 minus $19,000 = $55,000 before payroll and supplies.
Grooming stations: $22,000 as equipment financing on the quote.
Holiday payroll: an $18,000 line of credit, drawn in two steps above the $10,000 minimum and repaid from December boarding deposits.
The review checks the January month, after boarding slows, with the payment burden calculator.
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.

## How does a review read packages and memberships?

Daycare packages and monthly memberships count as revenue when they settle into the business account, even though the visits come later. Merchant Fund Express reads the monthly total and the trend; a dip after summer travel is normal for boarding. Grooming deposits are read as steady appointment revenue. Royalty and ad fund drafts and any software or booking fees from the franchisor are counted as recurring obligations.
Each location's entity is reviewed on its own account; see multi-unit franchise funding. Existing positions are counted, and a new structure can lower the payment. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.

## What should a pet service owner send?

About 3 months of business bank statements
Quotes for grooming stations, kennels, flooring or a van
Your payroll frequency and holiday staffing plan if payroll is the purpose
A list of current advances, loans or equipment notes
Which entity owns which location
No tax returns for a typical first review; full financials usually only above $250,000. The application takes about 5 minutes with a soft credit pull.

## Keep reading

Franchise funding hub: every product, situation and sector
Franchise equipment financing: tables, kennels and dryers
Franchise payroll funding: attendants and groomers in peak weeks
Line of credit for pet grooming: the generic grooming line guide

## Common questions

### Does Merchant Fund Express fund pet grooming, daycare and boarding franchises?

Yes. Merchant Fund Express funds operating pet service franchises from $25,000 to $5,000,000, sized on deposits after royalty, ad fund and existing obligations.

### Can grooming tables and dryers be financed?

Yes. Equipment financing is reviewed with the vendor quote, the equipment as the purpose and its useful life.

### Do daycare packages paid in advance count as revenue?

Yes, when they settle into the business account.

### Can I fund holiday boarding payroll?

Yes. A line of credit drawn for the busy weeks and repaid from boarding deposits is the usual fit.

### Are sole proprietor groomers eligible?

Yes. Sole proprietors are eligible, ITIN applicants are accepted and Spanish-speaking support is available.

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: https://merchantfundexpress.com/current-application.html?utm_source=mfebusinessloans.com&utm_medium=franchise&utm_campaign=franchise-funding&utm_content=sector-pet-services