Aussie pets are going organic.
They are smaller, living indoors, eating premium meat and require greater care for their teeth and fur.
Pet pampering is a growth industry and it's boding well for Greencross, which owns 132 vet clinics and the Petbarn retail chain.
Chief executive Jeff David says a new breed of pet owners, also known as pet parents, is helping push sales higher.
"People are buying smaller animals and quite a number of cross breeds where dogs have wool as opposed to fur which means they require more grooming," he said.
"And because the animals are living indoors, people are more mindful of their dental and hygiene requirements.
"They are also getting better nutrition and pets are living longer."
He said owners are spending more on premium pet food, including organic brands.
Annual revenue jumped 75 per cent, swinging the company back into the black with a net profit of $19.1 million in the 12 months to June 30.
Greencross is aggressively expanding its store and vet clinic network as it seeks a bigger share of the $8.7 billion Australian and New Zealand petcare market.
It aims to increase its share from eight per cent to 20 per cent over time.
A merger with Mammoth, the owner of Petbarn and Animates pet stores, in early 2014 significantly boosted the company's size, but also contributed to a $128 million loss for the 2013/14 year.
Greencross opened another 65 new retail outlets in 2014/15 to take its total to 200 stores across Australia and New Zealand.
A further 21 vet clinics were added and its grooming salons and do-it-yourself dog washes also multiplied, to 40 salons and 104 dog wash units.
Greencross plans to open 20 new stores and acquire more vet clinics in the 2015/16 financial year.
It has not provided specific profit guidance for the year ahead, other than saying it expects strong revenue and earnings growth.
So far this year, like-for-like sales are up 6.2 per cent and total revenue up 19 per cent.
Greencross shares rose 86 cents, or 14.38 per cent, to $6.84.
PET PAMPERING A WINDFALL FOR GREENCROSS
* Full year profit of $19.1m up from $127.8m loss
* Revenue up 75 pct to $645m
* Fully franked final dividend up two cents to nine cents
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