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.
Three Dog Brands hits Walmart 12 months into the Topspin pet-treat buildout
Three Dog Brands placed Bark'n Crunch! Original Chicken Chips into Walmart on May 9, 2026, twelve months after the SKU's debut and 23 months into Topspin Consumer Partners' platform buildout. The mass-channel win is the first concrete velocity read on PE-backed pet-treat consolidation, and it lands into the aisle where Walmart is actively pushing Pure Balance Pro+.
Gallant Posts Pilot Data on IV Stem Cell Therapy for Canine OA, Wins Expanded FDA Conditional Approval Eligibility
Pilot data from Gallant on its IV-delivered stem cell therapy for canine osteoarthritis showed statistically significant improvement, and the company won expanded FDA conditional approval eligibility targeting 2028. Pet pharma just entered its biotech era.
Spectrum Brands Pet Care Sales Up 11% as Aquatics Aisle Returns to Growth
Q2 fiscal 2026 results from Spectrum Brands beat consensus, with Global Pet Care up 11.2% reported and 7.6% organic to $299.3 million. The print confirms the aquatics aisle and grooming-tools categories have bottomed.
Phibro Q3 Sales Up 10% as MFA Acquisition Pays Off; VERRATAIN Sustainability Platform Launches
Q3 fiscal 2026 net sales at Phibro were $383.5M, up 10%, with raised guidance. The company also launched VERRATAIN, a sustainability platform that positions Phibro at a new layer of the pet food and animal protein supply chain.
Central Garden & Pet Posts Record Q2, EPS Up 31%
Record Q2 at Central Garden & Pet: net sales $906M (up 9%), EPS $1.28 (up 31%), gross margin up 30 bps. Pet consumables demand has decoupled from the cooling therapeutics market.
Freshpet Q1 Posts $48.5M Profit and Plans to Triple Tractor Supply Footprint
Q1 net sales at Freshpet grew 13.1% to $297.6 million and the company swung to a $48.5 million profit. The more consequential news was the plan to expand fresh and frozen pet food to roughly 700 Tractor Supply stores by year-end, up from 80.