Weekly Roundup
Friday · 2/27/2026 · Issue #309
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Quick Hits
🙌 50 pet industry M&A deals in 12 months
🐴 The pet care gold rush: animal biotech’s $36 Billion market
🇯🇵 The rise of Japan’s high-tech, pet-first homes
😞 Poor dog abandoned at airport quickly finds a forever home
🧥 Matching Adidas tracksuits for you and your pet
💥 Japan’s $20 billion cat boom
🇰🇷 Two-night sleepover camps filled with treasure hunts, campfires, and games for dogs are gaining popularity in South Korea
Scrub Daddy Enters Pet Aisles
The Shark Tank sensation partners with Pets & People to launch exclusive, high-performance pet stain and odor cleaning products.
Cutting Horse Closes Over-Subscribed Fund
Backers of Butternut Box and Better Wild close an over-subscribed $75M fund to further invest in innovative pet industry brands.
£1.5M To Cook More Kibble
Fresh pet food brand Different Dog secures £1.5M to expand their Telford kitchen, scaling production for over 20,000 daily canine customers.
1 Tap To Vet Intel
Co.vet integrates Vetlexicon, giving veterinarians instant access to 25,000+ clinical and client education resources directly within their clinical workflow.
1 New Warehouse, Way More Bowties
Huxley & Kent moves to a massive Kansas City facility, doubling their footprint to keep up with skyrocketing pet accessory demand.
Elanco’s "Big 6" Boosts Billions
CEO Jeff Simmons reports 9% organic growth for Q4 2025, driven by new "blockbuster" pet products like Zenrelia and Credelio.
Dogtopia Ranked No. 1 Pet Franchise — Again
For the fourth consecutive year, Dogtopia ranks as the top pet care franchise on Entrepreneur’s prestigious Franchise 500 list.
$23M Bet On Pet Ingredients
Palo Duro Investment Partners opens a massive position in Darling Ingredients, a global leader in sustainable pet food proteins.
Large Dogs 4x More "Polluting"
Swiss researchers found large dogs emit 2-4x more microorganisms than humans, functioning as mobile carriers that significantly alter indoor air.
15 Years Of Free Kibble?
Pet Valu joins Tim Hortons’ legendary "Roll Up To Win" game, offering massive prizes including 15 years of pet food.
Four Military K-9 Deaths Reported
A Pentagon watchdog report exposes squalid kennel conditions, mold, and extreme weather exposure that led to four military dog deaths.
5 Best Cats For Flats
A veterinarian identifies top cat breeds, including Ragdolls and Maine Coons, that thrive in small urban apartment living environments.
Mars Inks $50M Sustainability Pledge
Mars launches an impact fund with a $50 million annual commitment to accelerate climate action and sustainable sourcing initiatives.
Pawsible Ventures
— Incubator Program Manager
Sundays For Dogs
— Director of Integrated Marketing
Whisker
— Vice President, Product Management & UX
Snout
— Head of Marketing
Healthy Bud
— Customer Service x Community Growth Lead
PetSmart
— Sr Specialist, Personalized Marketing
Spot & Tango
— Growth Marketing Manager
Chewy
— Product Marketing Manager
Independence Pet Holdings
— Social Media Manager
Open Farm
— Creative Director
Freshpet
— Senior Manager - Paid Media (Marketing)
The Farmer’s Dog
— Director of Integrated Search
Chewy
— Marketing Analytics Manager - Chewy Ads
Petco
— Sr. Digital Product Manager, Petco.com Search & Discovery
KONG
— Senior Director of Brand (Marketing and Creative)
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