Camp Bow Wow Celebrates Ten-Year Anniversary

A Decade of Successful Business for Nation's Largest Pet Services Company

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Dec 14, 2010, 12:44 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Camp Bow Wow, the nation's largest pet services company, celebrates its ten-year anniversary this week, marking a decade in existence as one of the largest woman-owned franchise companies and a $50 million dollar leader in the $50 billion-dollar pet industry.

Camp Bow Wow was founded in 2000, began franchising in 2003 and has since demonstrated a positive growth rate yearly, maintaining 20% growth year-over-year even during the recession. The company has an outstanding track record with a minimal SBA loan failure rate of 4.17%, in comparison to the national franchise failure rate of 13.9%. In total, Camp Bow Wow has sold more than 200 franchises in 39 states, plus one in Canada, with over 41% of its franchises being women-owned. Most recently, the company was included in Entrepreneur's "Franchise 500" for 2011, as number 394.

The Camp Bow Wow franchise model has changed the way that pet owners care for their animals while working or traveling. Long gone are the days of leaving pets in a kennel or with a hired pet sitter. With an all day play environment at the Camps, live Camper Cams, Certified Camp Counselors and Home Buddies Caregivers that are highly trained and an incredible safety track record – pet owners can now leave pets in the care of the number one service provider in North America and know they'll be safe, happy and loved.

"After meeting the corporate team, I knew I had to be part of the Camp Bow Wow Family," said Tami Sarra, owner of Camp Bow Wow, Home Buddies and Bow Wow Behavior Buddies franchises in South Windsor, CT. "The foundation is a tremendous business model and the people are passionate about improving the lives of animals and their families. Owning and operating a Camp Bow Wow has given me a place to both thrive personally and professionally."

"What has been nice about being part of Camp Bow Wow is having the leadership and direction on how to get my Camp open," said Tony Caruso, owner of Camp Bow Wow in St. Clair Shores, MI. "I appreciate the philanthropic side of the business and the Foundation that Heidi created. I am very excited about the direction that the franchise is moving and the positive changes that are always taking place."

"I really love the relationships I have formed with other franchisees as part of Camp Bow Wow," said Neil Bleau owner of Camp Bow Wow in Durham, NC. "They are always willing to help me and I know that if I ever have a question, I can call to see how they dealt with an issue...I love seeing happy pets coming and going. Every day at Camp Bow Wow is very fulfilling!"

Through its successes, Camp Bow Wow has been able to introduce additional pet service additions to it's brand in the past few years, including its in-home pet care franchise, Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow, a dog training program, Bow Wow Behavior Buddies and the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to ameliorating the lives of animals across the country. Most recently, Camp Bow Wow issued a $50,000 grant for remodeling and integrating dog play groups to a Pennsylvania animal shelter in dire need of assistance, through its On Our Way Home Project. In addition, Camp Bow Wow franchisees have adopted out over 5,000 pets since the foundation was launched in 2007.

"We are thrilled about the success of Camp Bow Wow and are very excited about what the future holds for the brand," said Heidi Ganahl, CEO and founder of Camp Bow Wow. "As we mark the milestone of 10 years in business, I am proud to say that our philosophy has remained and will continue to remain the same as we move into 2011: It's all about the pets."

For additional information about Camp Bow Wow, please visit: www.campbowwowusa.com, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

For additional information about the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, or to donate to the On Our Way Home Project, please visit: www.bowwowbuddies.com.