Pet Industry News
The deals, launches, and strategic moves behind the brands and operators shaping the industry.
Pets will shape travel plans for 68% of owners, Subaru survey finds
A Subaru-commissioned Talker Research survey of 2,000 pet-owning drivers, released October 13th, 2026, says 68% expect their pet to affect travel plans this year and 73% would drive instead of fly to bring the pet. New in this release, 10% may host, 10% may shorten a trip and 8% may skip gatherings. In our view, the trip-length and planning numbers are the ones sitters and kennels can use.
BioCraft Publishes Cultivated Pet Food's First Public Safety Dossier to Set the Category's Trust Bar
BioCraft released the cultivated pet food category's first complete public safety dossier on July 17, covering the mouse-cell line behind its ingredient, and proposed a disclosure standard for the field. In a market where regulators certify facilities but not ingredients, the first company to open its data sets the trust bar competitors and formulators now have to answer.
Zoetis' Three-Month Arthritis Shot Changes the Math on the Monthly Vet Visit
Zoetis launched Lenivia in Canada and the EU: one injection controls canine osteoarthritis pain for up to three months, triple Librela's interval. The launch refreshes a franchise under safety scrutiny and forces clinics to rethink visit economics built on monthly injections.
FCPT's $268M Closing Turns Vet Clinics Into an Institutional Asset Class
Four Corners Property Trust closed its $268 million purchase of 102 Mission Pet Health veterinary properties, setting an annual acquisition record in seven months. Institutional real estate now prices vet clinics like national restaurant chains, and practice owners should value their buildings accordingly.
VetRec Jumps From the Exam Room to the Front Desk With a Standalone AI Receptionist
VetRec launched a standalone AI receptionist on July 15 that answers vet clinic calls 24/7, books appointments into existing practice management systems, and routes emergencies in real time. With scribes commoditizing, the vet AI fight is shifting to the front desk, and to who owns the clinic's workflow layer.
Tractor Supply Puts 2,400 Stores on Instacart While Its Pet Aisle Slumps
Tractor Supply's full assortment is now on Instacart: 2,400+ stores, delivery as fast as an hour, no markups. It's a defensive play for a retailer whose pet business trailed every other category last quarter, and a land grab for the rural last mile.
Royal Canin Goes Fresh for the First Time and Keeps It Behind the Vet Counter
Royal Canin launched its first fresh, fully cooked therapeutic diet line: three prescription formulas sold only through veterinary channels. Coming two weeks after Hill's refrigerated rollout, it signals the science incumbents now treat fresh as a format they have to own.