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.
Elanco Posts 10% Organic Growth and Becomes the #2 Stealing Share
Q1 2026 organic revenue at Elanco grew 10%, the company beat consensus, and management raised full-year guidance. Credelio Quattro and Zenrelia are gaining share in dermatology and parasiticides — companion animal therapeutics is now a contested category.
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.