"There are now more households with dogs (43 million) than children." The American Pet Products Association's 2013-2014 National Pet Owners Survey reveals: 68% of U.S. households own a pet, equaling to 82.5 million households. 56.7 million households own a dog. Largest number of households in the pet category, with the next closest being over 11 million less. 83.5 million is the total number of dogs owned in the U.S. Total U.S. pet industry expenditures have continued to grow since 1994 and are expected to reach $55.53 billion in 2013. 47% of owners consider their pets full-fledged family members. Basic dog boarding/kenneling annual expenses are $327, on average $4.54 billion is expected to be spent on pet grooming/boarding this year, up $380 million from last year The pet care industry continues to grow due to Americans' love for their dogs, and always demanding top care for their loved one. Pet franchising, specifically, is strengthening and developing as more consumers are choosing to have a pet in their household. Consumers choose to spend more on their furry best friends and the trend is only continuing to mature. Why Dogs are Great to Go In Business With Dogs help reduce stress. Petting and walking a dog helps to offer instant relaxation, and lowers your blood pressure. During a stressful situation, dog owners are less likely to react in a negative way than those who do not own a pet. Dogs relieve depression. Giving pet owners companionship and decreasing loneliness provides more meaning for life for those going through a tough time. Dogs add joy to the whole family. Providing ownership and care giving responsibilities to the children, and on-going exercise and healing for adults. Who couldn't be happy coming home to a dog wagging their tail? Franchising Benefits We find that being your own boss, while being backed by the FlipFlop Dogs management team, makes focusing on your job as a franchisee easier than ever. We provide you with the guidance that is necessary, but allow you the freedom to be creative in many ways. Similar to running your own company, but with less risk and little time spent on launching the brand . We don't expect you to know everything about running your own business, which is why you will always have our support and ongoing training to help you along the way. The FlipFlop Dogs opportunity is not for everyone. If you believe you have the skills and drive, we'd love to speak with you more about becoming a FlipFlop Dogs franchisee.