Contact Information: CONTACTS: FETCH! Pet Care: Merilee Kern President Kern Communications 858-577-0206 Bark Busters USA: Carol Piasczny APR SJI, Ltd - PR & Communications (303) 947-2647
FETCH! Pet Care and Bark Busters Sign Landmark Joint Marketing Agreement
First-of-Its-Kind Pet Industry Partnership Unites Two Leading Names in Premium In-Home Pet Services to Better Assure the Health, Happiness and Overall Well-Being of the U.S. Dog Population
| Source: FETCH! Pet Care
BERKELEY, CA and ENGLEWOOD, CO--(Marketwire - December 4, 2007) - Two leaders in pet services,
FETCH! Pet Care (www.fetchpetcare.com), America's largest and most
sophisticated pet care franchise offering professional pet sitting and dog
walking services, and Bark Busters Home Dog Training (www.BarkBusters.com),
the world's largest and most trusted dog training company, today announced
they have entered into a first-of-its-kind joint marketing agreement within
the pet industry, uniting the two largest home-based pet services providers
in the country. The alliance leverages the expertise and national reach of
both pet services organizations to promote their industry leading, in-home
services and champion responsible pet ownership.
Under the Agreement, each company will promote the other's offerings to
their respective customer bases. The companies plan to bundle packages
that combine both the exercise and behavioral needs of dogs through regular
in-home pet sitting and dog walking services accompanied by dog training
services. To introduce the partnership, both companies are now promoting a
special holiday offering, with participating locations, of $50 off Bark
Busters gold training package and $20-$40 off FETCH! Pet Care regular
services for new clients through January 31, 2008.
"This alliance brings together two companies that share a common vision: to
enhance the relationship owners have with their pets and to provide the
industry-leading services consumers want right in the comfort, safety and
convenience of their homes," says Liam Crowe, CEO of Bark Busters USA. "Our
services are very complementary. A well-trained, exercised and cared for
dog is healthier, happier and more manageable for its owner. By combining
our services, pets can be even better companions."
FETCH! Pet Care provides pet owners with peace of mind while they are away
from their pets. The company offers a wide range of services that cater to
pet owners' specific needs and budget, including private leashed and group
off-leash dog outings, overnight sitting and daily cat and small pet visits
in the client's home, boarding and daycare in the sitter's home, pet
taxiing, Go FETCH! four-legged fitness, yard pet waste removal, and
miscellaneous home care.
Helping families enjoy their pets is at the core of Bark Busters training
approach. Developed in Australia, Bark Busters natural techniques leverage
the same communications methods -- body language and voice control -- that
dogs follow as part of their instinctual pack mentality. Bark Busters
dog-friendly training takes place in the home and is effective with any
behavior issue with any dog, any age -- including puppies. The Bark Busters
dog training techniques, designed to enhance the human-canine bond, have
been used to train more dogs than any other training method in the world.
"Surveys show that at-home pet services are preferable to pet owners for
the convenience, safety and overall well-being of their pets, and that
owners are increasingly spending more on their pets," notes Paul Mann,
founder and CEO of FETCH! Pet Care. "Consumer demand for premium at-home
pet service is at an all-time high, and this partnership responds to that
demand in a highly compelling fashion that's unlike anything else in
today's marketplace."
Demand indeed. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturing
Association (APPMA), approximately 63% of U.S. households, or 71 million
homes, now own at least one pet, up from 64 million just five years ago.
The result? Americans now spend a whopping $41 billion on pets -- "more
than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world"
according to reports -- with annual spending expected to hit $52 billion in
the next two years, according to consumer research company Packaged Facts.
Consumers and interested business affiliates can reach FETCH! Pet Care
through its Web site at www.FetchPetCare.com or via toll-free telephone at
1-866-FETCH-ME, where they simply enter their 5-digit zip code to be
quickly connected to the FETCH! Pet Care office nearest them.
Consumers and interested business affiliates can reach Bark Busters through
its Web site at www.BarkBusters.com or toll-free at 1-877-500-BARK (2275).
About Bark Busters
Bark Busters, the world's largest and most trusted dog training company,
started in Australia in 1989 and came to the United States in 2000. Since
inception, nearly 400,000 dogs have been trained worldwide using its
dog-friendly, natural methods. With 240+ franchised offices in 41 states
and more than 400 offices in 10 countries, Bark Busters is continuing its
mission to build a global network of dog behavioral therapists to enhance
responsible dog ownership and reduce the possibility of maltreatment,
abandonment and euthanasia of companion dogs. Bark Busters is the only
international dog training company that offers a written lifetime
guarantee. Therapists will provide future sessions free of charge if
problem behaviors recur, or if any new problems develop. For more
information, call 1-877-500-BARK (2275) or visit www.BarkBusters.com, where
dog owners can complete a Dog Behavioral Quiz to rate their dogs' behavior.
About FETCH! Pet Care, Inc.
Founded in 2002 and with over 1,400 service areas across the United States,
FETCH! Pet Care is the pet sitting industry market leader -- the new face
of pet care in the 21st century. The company offers a humane alternative
to kennel boarding by providing loving, in-home overnight and/or daily care
to any kind of pet in the most professional and reliable manner possible.
FETCH! Pet Care's carefully selected, screened and trained pet sitters and
dog walkers, who are all pet owners themselves, have serviced over 10,000
clients this past year alone. The company has been featured in Small
Business Opportunities magazine's top 20 "Boom Businesses" to get into in
2007, named among Pet Product News International's "25 to Watch in 2007"
and included in Entrepreneur magazine's coveted Franchise 500 list in
January 2007 and in its "7 Hot Businesses That Can Make You Rich" feature
in September 2007. For franchise information or to find a location near
you, visit the company's Web site at www.FetchPetCare.com or call the
corporate office at 1-866-FETCH-ME.