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.
Loyal's Third Longevity Drug Clears the FDA's First Efficacy Bar
Loyal's LOY-003, a large-breed longevity drug targeting the growth hormone/IGF-1 pathway, has cleared the FDA's Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness bar, the company's third such acceptance. The milestone de-risks Loyal's broader platform even as its furthest-along drug, LOY-002, still awaits a manufacturing review before conditional approval.
Skiptown Bundles Bar, Park and Grooming Into a $60 Membership Bet
Skiptown relaunched its three-city dog daycare-and-bar membership program into three simplified plans, anchored by a $60-a-month VIP tier bundling grooming, boarding and park access. The venture-backed chain says active memberships hit 8,000 and grew 23% in Q2, a subscription bet on solving an occupancy problem that's plagued independent pet care operators for years.
After 13 Years Photographing Dogs, The Dogist Launches Its First Product
Elias Weiss Friedman's picky-eater dog, Elsa, inspired his first product: Vitality, a $35 antioxidant chew developed with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. Preorders open now ahead of a September 22nd release on The Dogist Company's site and TikTok Shop.
Patterson's Atlas Makes Three Vet-Software AI Launches in a Week
Patterson Veterinary launched Atlas, an AI assistant built into its NaVetor practice-management software, on September 15th. It's the third AI product veterinary-software vendors have introduced in six days, following Instinct Science's Attending and IDEXX's acquisition of CoVetAI. The launches suggest AI features are becoming a baseline expectation for practice-management platforms rather than a differentiator.
IDEXX Acquires CoVetAI, Buying the Exam-Room AI Scribe It Used to Just Benefit From
IDEXX Laboratories has acquired CoVetAI, the ambient-AI scribe startup that transcribes veterinary exam-room conversations into clinical notes, on undisclosed terms. The deal extends IDEXX's install-then-monetize playbook one step earlier in the veterinary visit, and turns a tailwind this publication flagged in May into infrastructure IDEXX now owns outright.
Leap Venture Studio Opens Applications for a Record-Chasing Cohort 11
Leap Venture Studio is accepting applications for Cohort 11 through October 18th, returning to a spring start after a record 300-plus applications for Cohort 10. The program offers portfolio startups mentorship, capital, and access to investors from Mars Petcare, TAW Ventures, and Michelson Found Animals, with this cycle prioritizing pet healthspan, feline-first care, senior pets, dental health, and allergy solutions.