TRANSACTION STATUS
🟢 DEAL COMPLETED: Peterson’s acquired Animal Behavior College (September 5, 2025) - Press Release
INDUSTRY
Vocational Education / Career Training (Pet Care and Animal Services)
OVERVIEW
Animal Behavior College (ABC) is a specialized vocational school founded in 1998, offering certification programs across animal care professions such as dog and cat training, pet grooming, veterinary assisting, aquarium maintenance, and zookeeper assisting (petersons.com). Peterson’s is an established education services provider known for test preparation, admissions guidance, and educational publishing (petersons.com). The acquisition aligns ABC’s niche vocational training in high-growth pet-care segments with Peterson’s broader capabilities in digital learning, leveraging enabling technology to scale animal-care education with enhanced platform reach (petersons.com).
PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Animal Behavior College
- Certification programs in dog training, cat training, veterinary assisting, pet grooming, aquarium maintenance, service dog training, zookeeper assisting, and short-term pet education courses
- Hybrid delivery model: online coursework plus hands-on externships
Peterson’s
- Test preparation and admissions guidance
- Educational publishing and career readiness services
- Workforce development and digital education infrastructure
CUSTOMERS
Animal Behavior College
- Aspiring pet-care professionals (trainers, groomers, veterinary assistants, etc.) across the U.S. and Canada
- Students seeking vocational credentials in animal care
Peterson’s
- Students preparing for exams or seeking admissions support (college/military)
- Institutions and individuals pursuing educational and career readiness services
M&A MATRIX TABLE
| Same Customers | Different Customers | |
|---|---|---|
| Same Products/Services | Cell 1 - N/A - ABC and Peterson’s do not offer identical products | Cell 2 - N/A - No overlap in identical offerings; Peterson’s does not offer pet-care certifications |
| Complementary/Adjacent Products/Services | Cell 3 - Peterson’s education delivery platforms and career readiness complement ABC’s vocational programs | Cell 4 - Peterson’s existing student base (test prep/admissions) is different from ABC’s vocational students |
| Different Products/Services | Cell 5 - N/A - No redundant, completely different offerings with same customers | Cell 6 - N/A - Both companies serve distinct customer segments with different services |
Cell 3 - Peterson’s platforms and resources are complementary to ABC’s vocational training programs, enabling digital scale and enhanced content delivery.
SYNERGIES
- Peterson’s digital learning infrastructure and experience can modernize ABC’s platform and augment delivery capabilities (animalbehaviorcollege.com).
- ABC's high-demand vocational certifications in pet care represent a new vertical growth area for Peterson’s education offerings (petersons.com).
- Combined brand and marketing reach may drive enrollment growth for ABC, while enhancing Peterson’s portfolio with hands-on career training programs.
RISKS
- Integration risk: Ensuring the hands‑on vocational model of ABC maintains quality while adopting Peterson’s platforms (animalbehaviorcollege.com).
- Brand dilution: ABC’s established reputation could be affected if overly absorbed into Peterson’s branding or digital-first focus.
- Cultural fit: Merging a specialized vocational school with a broader test prep/publishing company may present organizational alignment challenges.
STRATEGIC THOUGHTS
- This acquisition positions Peterson’s to diversify beyond traditional academic pathways into growing vocational markets like pet-care training.
- Leveraging Peterson’s tech and marketing capabilities could accelerate ABC’s expansion and accessibility, including pet parent-focused programs (animalbehaviorcollege.com).
- Maintaining ABC’s specialized curriculum quality while scaling digitally will be key to preserving value and differentiating in the competitive pet-care education sector.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
- Deal announced September 5, 2025 (crunchbase.com).
- Deal size and financial terms not publicly disclosed. Financial details not available