The pet industry is a large and rapidly growing segment of the U.S. economy. Consumer spending on pet products and services is projected to exceed $30 billion this year and is growing at a healthy rate.

That's not surprising. Fully half of all U.S. households have a dog or cat -- a total of 115 million pets -- and more than 90% view their pets as family members.

Despite this growth, the boarding, grooming and training segments of the market remain underdeveloped. Less than one-quarter of all pet owners use boarding services - primarily because of dissatisfaction with what's available. Most of the nation's 11,000 boarding kennels are older facilities in inconvenient locations with limited services. The grooming industry is equally fragmented and underdeveloped.

Pet owners spend only about $4 billion annually on boarding and grooming services, out of a potential financial universe of $34 billion. That leaves open a huge opportunity for a company ready to address pet owner needs.

Enter Best Friends Pet Care with a new approach to service and care.