Pet Industry News
The deals, launches, and strategic moves behind the brands and operators shaping the industry.
Woof Extends HonestChew Into Consumables With Real-Beef-Coated SKU
Woof launched HonestChew Meaty, a real-beef-coated plant-core chew, marking its push from enrichment toys into the consumables category.
Petwealth Launches Functional Health Testing Platform with Kennel Connection and Pawp Partnerships
Petwealth, a Miami-based diagnostics platform, emerged from stealth with $1.7M in funding and exclusive partnerships with Kennel Connection and Pawp. The startup offers at-home PCR testing screening 100+ health markers for dogs and cats, positioning itself in the growing functional pet health market.
Chewy Is Buying Modern Animal — and Betting That Owning the Vet Is the Moat
Chewy has agreed to acquire Modern Animal, the tech-forward veterinary platform with 29 clinics and over 100,000 member families, adding $125 million in run-rate revenue and scaling Chewy Vet Care to 47 locations. The deal connects Chewy's commerce engine with Modern Animal's proprietary clinical tech and membership model, creating a closed-loop healthcare ecosystem that pressures every major veterinary consolidator.
Chase Sapphire Now Treats Pet Spending Like Travel and Dining
Chase Sapphire Reserve added pet stores and veterinary services as a Pay Yourself Back category for Q2 2026, while offering 100% cashback on Pawp's telehealth subscription. The move puts pet spending alongside grocery and dining in Chase's premium rewards ecosystem, signaling that financial services companies are treating pet care as a permanent cardholder retention tool.
Serenity Vet Lets Relief Vets Build Their Own Networks, Cutting Marketplace Fees
Serenity Vet expanded its network feature to relief veterinarians, letting them invite clinics they already work with and manage scheduling and invoicing without marketplace fees. The move challenges transactional staffing platforms with a relationship-driven model.
Nulo's Olympic Bet Is Paying Off Where It Matters: Independent Retail
Nulo posted 8.1% sales growth over the latest 52-week period, the highest among the top 15 pet specialty brands. The Apax Partners-backed company paired its Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic campaign with a retail activation program across 2,500+ independent stores.
Pet M&A Just Doubled. 18 Deals in Q1 2026 Signal the Thaw Operators Have Been Waiting For.
Pet M&A volume more than doubled in early 2026, with 18 transactions versus 8 in the same period last year. Vet & health companies account for half of all deals, strategic buyer activity tripled, and PE exits are expected to accelerate. The Products segment remains frozen amid tariff uncertainty.