Are you still waiting for the perfect time to increase your daycare or boarding prices?

Do you sometimes wonder why certain pet businesses seem to grow year after year, while others struggle to make any meaningful progress?

And what if the difference between an average pet business and an extraordinarily profitable one has very little to do with luck, and EVERYTHING to do with the decisions its owner is prepared to make?

In this week’s episode of the Pet Boarding & Daycare Podcast, Dom Hodgson takes listeners behind the scenes of the 2026 Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where hundreds of ambitious pet business owners gathered to learn, network and discover new ways to grow their businesses. 

You’ll hear directly from attendees of Dom’s presentations, including his brand-new Dog Daycare Mastermind Experience, his Top Dollar Dog Daycare session and his Future Bank presentation on the seven assets that can make a pet business more valuable. One of the biggest recurring themes? PRICING! 

Along the way, Dom shares his own highlights from Hershey, including the incredible networking opportunities, the value of stepping outside your facility and why attending industry events can be one of the most profitable investments you make. 

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why Raising Your Prices Could Transform Your Business – How changing what you charge can dramatically improve profitability without adding more dogs, more staff or more work.
• How One Pet Resort Owner Doubled His Monthly Revenue – Why Garret Cameron’s decision to implement new services, charge for existing offerings and act on lessons from Hershey produced remarkable results.
• Why Successful Pet Business Owners Make Their Own Luck – How investing in education, making difficult decisions and surrounding yourself with ambitious people creates better opportunities for growth.
• How to Stop Leaving Money on the Table – Why charging appropriately for enrichment, additional services and premium experiences can create more revenue while improving the customer experience.
• What Pet Business Owners Are Planning for 2027 – Hear how owners are tackling staffing problems, improving induction processes, developing their teams and creating more valuable businesses.

A huge thank you to Canine Lab Testing for sponsoring this week’s episode.

Most dogs carrying parasites show no obvious symptoms, which means an undetected problem can spread through a busy daycare or boarding facility before anyone realises there’s an issue.

Canine Lab Testing provides a quick, affordable and reliable way to collect samples on-site and receive results the next day. Their partnership with the National Veterinary Diagnostic Lab helps facilities protect the dogs in their care, reassure clients and potentially turn faecal testing into an additional revenue stream.

Find out more at caninelabtesting.com

Want to Make 2027 Your Most Profitable Year Yet?

If the stories from Hershey have inspired you to take action, the Dog Daycare Success Academy (DDSA) could be your next step.

Inside DDSA, Dom works with ambitious dog daycare and pet resort owners to build more profitable, more valuable businesses through monthly asset-building training, weekly Mission Control Q&A calls and quarterly in-person immersion events.

Find out more at petbusinessmarketing.com/successacademy

And if you’d like to experience the energy of a Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo for yourself, the next Expo West takes place June 21–24, 2027, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk in Texas.

Visit petboardingexpowest.com for more information.

Episode Highlights

[01:26] – Dom introduces the biggest takeaway from his Top Dollar Dog Daycare presentation: why so many owners have finally decided it’s time to raise their prices.
[04:09] – Friday the 13th, business superstition and why Dom believes successful pet business owners create their own luck.
[07:00] – Why getting away from your facility and attending events can grow your knowledge, confidence, connections and bank balance.
[10:40] – Meet Garrett Cameron, whose unexpected journey into the pet care industry led to a thriving boarding, daycare and grooming business.
[12:22] – Garrett reveals how implementing ideas from the previous Hershey Expo helped him double his monthly revenue year over year.
[14:31] – Ryan and Nikki from Fetch Dog Daycare discuss raising prices, improving client induction and rethinking their business model.
[17:28] – Dom reflects on the Expo trade show, networking opportunities and the value of learning directly from experienced industry suppliers.
[21:39] – A look behind Dom’s three Hershey presentations: the Mastermind Experience, Top Dollar Dog Daycare and Future Bank.
[27:09] – The Skydance Pet Lodge team explains why increased revenue isn’t just about owner profits, but better wages, facilities and customer experiences.
[33:05] – Tracy Manny shares her biggest lessons from years of attending Hershey, including customer service, staffing challenges and why she keeps returning.