FMK Stories
Things the directory told us
We maintain a directory of every pet-care facility in the United States, which means we can answer questions about the industry that usually get answered with a guess. These are the shorter pieces: one finding each, all of it counted rather than estimated. The longer, more methodical versions live in FMK Research.
The shortage is worst in the fast-growing West and the South
Where Every Vet Has the Most Dogs
The vet shortage is usually measured per person. We measured it per dog: each state's estimated dog population divided by its veterinary practices. The gap between the most and least stretched states is wide.
Daycares open at dawn; groomers keep shop hours
Drop-Off Before Work?
What time does doggy daycare open, and can you pick up after a late commute? Read from thousands of published opening hours, with kennels and groomers for comparison.
Some states have no named exotic vet at all
The Exotic Vet Map
Own a parrot, a bearded dragon or a rabbit? Practices that name themselves as exotic or avian vets are rare, concentrated in a few states and missing entirely from others. We counted every one.
Low-cost clinics follow the stray-animal map
Where the Low-Cost Vet Clinics Are
Spay/neuter clinics and affordable vet practices, counted by name in every state. They cluster where the stray problem is worst, which leaves some regions with very few.
House calls are rare, and unevenly spread
The Vet Who Comes to You
House-call and mobile vets, counted in every state: where they work, what they can and can't do at your kitchen table, and the practices that only help pets die peacefully at home.
It's the playgroup, not the webcam
What Kennel Amenities Actually Cost
Webcams, private suites, an on-site vet, group play: we compared the advertised nightly rates of kennels that offer each one against kennels that list amenities but not that one. The feature that moves the price is not the one on the brochure.
Boarding price tracks city size; grooming doesn't
The Small-Town Kennel Discount
Why is dog boarding so expensive? Mostly because of where you live. Advertised nightly rates climb steadily with city size — and grooming prices barely move.
The van carries a real premium
What Mobile Dog Grooming Really Costs
Every guide says a grooming van costs 'somewhat more' than a salon. We compared the advertised starting prices of mobile and salon groomers to put a number on it — and mapped where the vans are.
A day costs about two-thirds of a night
Daycare vs Boarding: A Day Against a Night
At facilities that publish both prices, how does a day of doggy daycare compare with a night of boarding? The answer is remarkably consistent — and it tells you when an overnight is the better deal.
Hand-stripping is the rarest skill on the menu
What's on the Dog Grooming Menu
What does a full groom include, and how many salons will hand-strip a terrier, brush teeth or do a de-shedding treatment? Counted from thousands of groomers' own service lists.
The tub costs a fraction of the groom
DIY Dog Wash vs the Groomer
What does washing your own dog at a self-serve tub save over a groomer? It depends which tub: the national chain price and the independent price are two different markets.
A premium name costs nothing and buys nothing
The Luxury Kennel Myth
Kennels that call themselves luxury, resort or suites charge almost exactly what everyone else charges — and advertise barely more. We measured the advertised nightly rates to find out what the word buys.
One name in twenty contains a paw
Paws, Barks & Waggin' Tails
How 131,000 American pet businesses got their names: the motifs, the puns, and the states that lean hardest on each one.
Florida takes half the top ten
America's Most Dog-Serviced Cities
Which US city actually has the most pet care per resident? Not the ones the 'most dog-friendly cities' lists name — we counted the facilities.
Most groomers are closed when you're free
Open on Sunday?
Boarding kennels mostly work weekends. Groomers mostly don't. A weekend-availability reality check from thousands of published opening hours.
The word kennel is a discount
Nobody Calls It a Kennel Anymore
Except in the Plains and the Upper Midwest, where the sign still says kennel. In the Sun Belt it's a resort — and the humble word turns out to be the one that moves the price.
Emergency coverage varies more than tenfold by state
The Emergency Vet Map
Only a sliver of America's veterinary practices are dedicated emergency or urgent-care hospitals, and how many of them your state has per resident varies more than tenfold. We counted every one by name.
Kennels board cats far more often than they say so
Where Are the Cats?
Pet-care businesses name themselves for dogs by a wide margin. But a third of kennels and groomers that list their services take cats — they just don't put it on the sign.