Pet Industry News
The deals, launches, and strategic moves behind the brands and operators shaping the industry.
Escalade Buys ASL Solutions, Betting on Pet Hard Goods
Escalade, the public sporting goods company behind Goalrilla and STIGA, has acquired ASL Solutions, a founder-owned manufacturer of insulated dog and cat houses. The deal, terms undisclosed, hands Escalade a rotational molding capability it didn't have before and marks its first move into pet hard goods.
Tractor Supply Buys VIP Petcare, Builds a Vertically Integrated Pet Care Platform
Tractor Supply acquired VIP Petcare, the largest U.S. mobile veterinary network, from PetIQ in a deal that brings 2,700 clinic locations and 1M+ pets served annually under retailer ownership. Combined with Allivet pharmacy, Tractor Supply now controls every layer of pet care it sells, reshaping the competitive map for Petco, Chewy, and independent rural vets.
The Next Pet-Tech Vertical-SaaS Bet Is Still Running on Paper
DogBase, a working-dog operations and training platform, secured up to €100,000 in syndicated angel investment after winning the 2026 Latitude59 pitch competition. The funding is below most editorial thresholds, but the working-dog vertical-SaaS thesis is the next obvious step after vet-clinic and daycare SaaS proved professional pet-services verticals will pay for purpose-built software.
Florida Pet Services Association returns to Jacksonville for its 2026 'Bridges' Summit
The Florida Pet Services Association returns to Jacksonville August 13–15 for its 2026 Summit at the Jacksonville Humane Society, themed "Bridges." Early-bird ticket pricing closes May 31. Programming covers education, business and operations, networking, and a hiring intensive, aimed at pet sitters, walkers, trainers, groomers, boarding facilities, daycares, vets, rescues, and pet-industry vendors across Florida and beyond.
The 88% number that explains vet diagnostics
A new MarketsandMarkets report sized the global veterinary point-of-care diagnostics market at $1.19 billion in 2026, projecting $1.72 billion by 2031 at 7.7% CAGR. The operator-relevant data point is buried under the headline: 88% of category revenue is consumables. That ratio explains why instruments get subsidized, why menu expansion compounds, and where the structural risks sit.
IDEXX adds tapeworm to Fecal Dx menu, pressuring clinic microscopy
IDEXX added taeniid tapeworm detection to its Fecal Dx reference-lab menu on May 26. In a veterinary diagnostics category where 88% of revenue comes from consumables, each menu addition deepens the moat against in-house microscopy and competing reference labs. The competitive question is who matches — and how fast.
Pet Anxiety Awareness Month adds DOGTV for its 10th annual June campaign
Pet Anxiety Awareness Month adds a DOGTV distribution partnership for its 10th annual June campaign, the first time the streaming pet-media channel has joined the coalition. The expansion lands two weeks ahead of July 4, the calming category's biggest demand event of the year.