Dog walking and sitting, as odd as it may sound, is one of the most rewarding side hustles around, with a lady from Rongai turning heads a few years ago when she revealed that she was raking in Ksh120,000 per month in the business.
The situation gets more interesting in the US, where a dog walker in San Fransisco, California, brings in an average of Ksh3,500,000 each year, that’s an average of Ksh291,666 a month.
Back home, the hustle has been made simpler by apps such as (Pet Holiday) which connect dog owners to potential sitters.
The task needs adequate space if one is looking to maximise the economies of scale and rake in as much as possible by having several dogs at a time.
Once the owners approve your space as ideal for their dogs, your responsibilities will include feeding, cleaning and walking the dogs while the owners are away.
Needless to say, you need to have a love for the furry creatures for this hustle to work.
Some of the services you can offer include:
(1)Dog training services – obedience and aggressive training, potty training, guard dog training (Average Price: Ksh30,000)
(2)Dog breeding services – breed puppies and sellig them after training (Average Price: Ksh10,000 – Ksh50,000)
(3)Dog boarding services – when dog owners want to travel they can leave their dogs with you (Average Price: Ksh500 per dog, per day)
How Much To Invest
If short of starting capital, one can start off purely as a freelance dog sitter and work towards the more lucrative dog training and breeding business.
You can however consider widening your opportunities by venturing into:
Kennels – Ksh10,000 (average)
Puppies – Ksh 20,000 (Pure breed)
Dog food – Ksh10,000
City Council Dog License – Ksh1,000 (Rate applicable in Nairobi City Only)
Miscellaneous – Ksh20,000
Ideal Budget – Ksh100,000 to Ksh140,000.
Source: Kenyans