A pet grooming and boarding shop bathes, trims and cares for dogs and cats, and keeps pets overnight while their owners travel. Most start in a small shop with one grooming table, a bathing area and a few kennels. The money is made on repeat grooms every four to six weeks, full kennels during the holidays, and careful handling that keeps owners coming back.

This guide walks through what it takes to start a pet grooming and boarding shop in the Philippines: the capital, the monthly costs, the permits and the first 90 days. The peso figures are sample estimates for a grooming shop with 6 kennels in Cebu as of October 2026; get your own quotes before you decide.

How much capital you need

The sample comes to about ₱486,550 including one month of fixed costs kept as a cash buffer. It splits into grooming equipment (₱109,000), boarding (₱53,000), space and setup (₱161,000), permits and deposits (₱66,000), opening stock (₱20,000), launch (₱5,000) and working capital (₱72,550). Other ways to start: home-based or mobile grooming at ₱80,000–₱200,000 and grooming, boarding and pet supplies at ₱1.2 million–₱2 million.

Monthly costs and break-even

Fixed costs in the sample are ₱72,550 a month; the biggest are groomer (₱18,200), rent (₱18,000) and bather and kennel attendant (₱15,600). Each service sold earns about ₱380 after its own costs, so the break-even is 6.4 services a day, and the startup capital takes about 9 months to come back at full sales.

Permits and registration

Register the business name with DTI (or SEC or CDA), then get the barangay business clearance, the Mayor's permit through the city or municipal BPLO, and BIR registration; register with SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG once you hire. A pet grooming and boarding shop also needs: animal welfare registration (ask BAI), sanitary permit and city veterinary office clearance (ask first). Requirements and fees differ by city, so ask each office for its checklist first. DTI Negosyo Centers help for free.

Where to set up

  • In or near subdivisions with many pet-owning households
  • Near a veterinary clinic or a pet supply store
  • On a street where owners can park and carry pets in
  • Away from food stalls, so smells and noise do not cause complaints

Mistakes to avoid

  • A pet is injured during grooming. Trained groomers, no pet left alone on the table, and an incident log with the owner told the same day.
  • Disease spreads among boarded pets. Vaccination records required, sick pets refused or kept apart, and kennels disinfected every day.
  • A pet escapes. Double doors or gates, leashes on outside the kennels, and kennel locks checked every night.
  • Complaints about noise and smell. Good drainage and ventilation, daily cleaning, and quiet hours for boarders.

Plan it with the starter kit

The Pet Grooming & Boarding · Negosyo Starter Kit has every worksheet behind this guide in a 26-page PDF, plus an Excel calculator: type in your own quotes and it works out your capital, break-even, profit and payback month. It costs ₱349 and downloads right after payment.