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.
IDEXX Q1 Beats and Raises as Diagnostics Decouple from Vet Visits
Q1 revenue at IDEXX grew 14% reported and 11% organic, and the company raised full-year guidance even as same-store clinical visits at customer practices fell about 1%. Tests per visit are rising faster than the visit count.
Zoetis Q1 Goes Flat as US Companion Animal Slips 11%
Zoetis reported $2.3 billion in Q1 2026 revenue, up 3% reported but flat on an organic basis, with US companion animal sales down 11%. Elanco's Credelio Quattro and Zenrelia are gaining real share, Librela is softening, and the companion animal therapeutics market is now openly contested.
Rover's Summer Survey: Hotels Get Cheaper, Pet Care Stays Premium
Rover's new summer travel survey of 1,000 U.S. pet parents shows 92% will travel but are trading down hotels, flights, and trip length while keeping pet care premium. For hotel chains, airlines, and the pet boarding marketplace, the recession-resistant pattern in pet care spend is the operator signal worth tracking three weeks before Memorial Day weekend.
AVMA Sourcebook: Cat Population Up 31% Over Decade, Nearly Triple Dog Growth
AVMA's 2026 Sourcebook released May 4 shows the U.S. cat population grew 30.9% over the past decade to 76.3 million, while dogs grew 13.7% to 87.3 million. Cats grew nearly three times faster than dogs, with implications for litter, cat food, and veterinary diagnostics.
BARK Adds Logistics CEO to Board, Signaling Margin-Recovery Pivot
BARK appointed asset-light logistics CEO James Gagne to its Board of Directors on May 4. Adding a logistics-only director, rather than a CPG veteran or DTC marketer, signals that BARK believes its 2026 binding constraint is the cost-to-serve equation, not topline growth.
Freshpet Lands a New Brand Platform 48 Hours Before Q1 Earnings as Fresh Rivals Hit Retail
Freshpet launched "Better Food for Your Better Half," a long-term brand platform anchored by the Kitchen Conversations campaign, two days before its Q1 2026 earnings call. The timing, the platform framing, and the choice to stick with longtime agency Terri & Sandy together signal a defensive brand-equity bet against fresh pet food's new retail entrants.