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.
Proteine Resources launches VELI at Interzoo, a wet pet food built around a dual-action gut-health formula
Proteine Resources launched VELI at Interzoo 2026, a wet pet food line built around a dual-action gut-health mechanism: prebiotic fiber from insect-derived chitin paired with heat-stable postbiotics that survive the sterilization process most live probiotics don't. The launch targets a documented category gap, since digestive issues drive 20–30% of vet visits and digestive sensitivity is the leading therapeutic pet diet category in the EU.
MHP turns Slovenian poultry into a €43M pet food bet
MHP SE inaugurated Croatia's first wet pet food plant this week — a €43M facility in Zlatar Bistrica — and used the opening to launch a new owned brand called Proof. The real story is vertical integration: a poultry conglomerate routing captive Slovenian raw material into branded pet food, on the same playbook Cargill and Marfrig are running.
A pet-built CGM enters Canada and tests Abbott's off-label moat
ALR Technologies launched the GluCurve Pet CGM in Canada this week — the first continuous glucose monitor purpose-built for cats and dogs. The clinical question on accuracy is already settled by off-label Freestyle Libre use. The operator question is whether vets switch — and it comes down to workflow, price, and distribution.
The First FDA-Approved Pregabalin for Dogs Is Also a Test of the Conditional Pathway
Pegasus Laboratories' Liavium-CA1 received FDA conditional approval on May 18 for canine Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia, becoming the first FDA-approved pregabalin in veterinary medicine. The approval matters less for the indication than for what it signals about the conditional pathway as the default launch route for specialty animal pharma.
Cytopoint Just Got Its First Real Competitor in Eight Years
Elanco began the phased U.S. launch of Befrena on May 18, the first real competitor to Zoetis's Cytopoint in the $1.3 billion canine dermatology market in eight years. With a longer dosing interval and a dual-product stack alongside Zenrelia, Elanco's specialty execution finally has a print to defend, while Zoetis's defensive playbook is now live.
A Top-Three Global Pet Care Player Just Bought Its Way Into Brazil
Unicharm announced on May 15 that it will acquire 100% of Brazilian premium pet food maker Nutrire, marking its full-scale entry into the world's third-largest pet care market. The deal is the first move under Unicharm's 2026-2030 mid-term plan and the operational start of a multi-year LatAm pet consolidation cycle that strategic buyers have been previewing for two years.