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.
A free vet portal brings pet insurance into the cost conversation
Clarus Technology launched a free portal that shows vets a client's pet insurance coverage and financing options at the point of care, and more than 500 U.S. practices have already planned to integrate it. The company is a subsidiary of Independence Pet Holdings, the platform behind Pets Best and Spot, and how the portal presents other carriers' coverage is the detail practices will want to see next.
CareCredit moves vet financing off the terminal and into Vetspire
CareCredit financing will be embedded directly in Vetspire's practice software, where about 85% of clinics already accept the card. The deal lands seven weeks after Vetspire left Thrive Pet Healthcare, which in 2022 made Scratch a formal multi-year financing partner.
Native Pet brings its dog supplement playbook to cats, four years behind a rival
Native Pet launched five daily cat chews on its own site September 30th, 2026, with Petco following nationwide October 19th, 2026. The dual-texture format mirrors one Pet Honesty has sold to cat owners since 2022, so distribution and palatability will decide the line.
Vets beat owner self-research by just six points in a supplement seller's survey
A Lillie&Lee survey of its own community finds 35.3% of pet parents pick supplements on a vet's recommendation and 29.2% decide on their own. The vendor-sponsored data suggests the vet's influence at the point of purchase is thinner than the trust numbers imply.
Skiptown's Texas entry adds five units to a franchise pipeline with none open
Skiptown is entering Texas with a five-unit franchise agreement in greater Austin, first opening targeted for fall 2027. The deal brings its franchise pipeline to at least 12 units, none open, in a market where a well-known dog bar closed this spring.
Mars' ingredient program halves its applicant pool
Big Idea Ventures and Mars Petcare picked EcoBean, Loopworm and Space Ark Biomedical for the third Next Generation Pet Food Program, from 83 applications, down from 165. Mars describes the accelerator as a search for next-generation suppliers, and we found no announced Mars supply deal with any graduate so far.