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 Turns Its 80,000-Analyzer Footprint Into a Cardiac Diagnostics Play
IDEXX launched the Catalyst proBNP Test, the first point-of-care assay measuring NT-proBNP in both cats and dogs, rolling out across its 80,000-analyzer installed base starting in October. The launch turns a $4 billion cardiac testing market into a recurring-revenue question for a company that already owns the hardware in most U.S. clinics.
The Farmer's Dog Tries to Escape the Cold Chain
The Farmer's Dog launched Instant Fresh, a shelf-stable dry food it says rehydrates into a fresh meal. The bigger question is whether it's a hedge on subscription fatigue or the company's first real step toward retail distribution, a channel its refrigerated format could never reach.
Tick Solutions Adds a 10-Minute Diagnostic to Its Retail Empire
Tick Solutions Global launched TiCK TEST, a $34.99 at-home diagnostic that reads a removed tick for Lyme bacteria in 10 minutes. The release frames it as a human-health product, but the company's retail footprint runs through Petco and Tractor Supply, raising the question of when pet-specific testing follows.
BIXBI Bets Big on Pet Food's Most Disputed Certification
BIXBI became the first pet food company to certify kibble under Clean Label Project, a nonprofit whose testing methodology industry groups have publicly disputed. The move raises a real question for every other brand: is the certification becoming a cost of doing business regardless of the critique.
NVA Puts Its Specialty and Emergency Leaders in Charge of the Whole Network
National Veterinary Associates named Leslie Storms its first company-wide COO and promoted Dr. Stacy Burdick into a newly created CMO role, both moving up from its Ethos specialty and emergency business. The appointments unify leadership across a general-practice and specialty divide NVA deliberately created in 2023 while both businesses reportedly eyed separate IPOs.
Wuffes Installs a Dealmaker as CEO Just as Its Retail Rollout Peaks
Wuffes named Jonny Purcell, a former Raymond James M&A adviser, as CEO on August 10th, replacing founder-led operations just after the brand landed in Petco, PetSmart and Pet Supermarket within a single year.