Best Friend Ventures › Briefing
A weekly roundup of funding, product launches, partnerships, industry trends, regulation, and notable leadership moves across the pet care sector. Curated by Best Friend Ventures from 48 pet-industry sources.
LAUNCH
**Woof**, an award-winning pet care brand, has launched **HonestChew Meaty** — a real beef-coated, long-lasting chew designed as a safer alternative to traditional bones, specifically addressing splinter-risk concerns for pet parents. The product is positioned as a premium option within the fast-growing functional chew segment.
Pet Age — 2026-04-09
LAUNCH
**Zignature**, a premium dog food brand from **Pets Global, Inc.**, is expanding its grain-inclusive Select Cuts line with a new **Puppy Formula with Super Grains**, arriving Spring 2026. The launch addresses growing consumer demand for targeted early-life nutrition solutions beyond standard adult formulations.
Pet Age — 2026-04-09
LAUNCH · INNOVATION
**Fureelz** has officially launched as a new global short-form video platform built exclusively for pets, animals, and their human companions. Positioning itself as the first social platform of its kind entirely dedicated to animals, Fureelz aims to capture the substantial and engaged online pet-content audience currently spread across mainstream platforms.
Pet Age — 2026-04-09
LAUNCH
**Win World**, maker of the award-winning **PET GAZEBO**, has announced **The Cat House** — a new addition to its pet product lineup constructed of weatherproof fir wood. The launch extends the brand's outdoor pet habitat category into the growing cat enrichment and outdoor enclosure segment.
Pet Age — 2026-04-09
LAUNCH
Several UK pet grooming brands have introduced professional-grade product launches this week. **Milla and Max** launched salon-grade grooming products with a **25% discount** and complimentary tester kits for **PIF and BDGA members**. **Groom + Kind** introduced a professional-grade fragrance range compatible with all canine coat types, available in both consumer units and trade salon packs. Meanwhile, **Frozzys** unveiled a bold new look for its Signature Range, spotlighting everyday health benefits.
Pet Gazette — 2026-04-09
LAUNCH
**Pedigree Wholesale** has launched **SportsPet seamless team balls** — stitchless dog toys engineered for durability and visual appeal. Separately, equestrian lifestyle brand **Rydale** has entered the pet market with its first-ever **dog harness collection**, featuring adjustable tweed designs in four country-inspired colour combinations with both daytime and nighttime rural walk suitability.
Pet Gazette — 2026-04-08
INNOVATION
Increased awareness and availability of open-heart **mitral valve repair surgery (MMVD)** and the more recent **TEER (transcatheter edge-to-edge repair)** procedure are being highlighted as among the most significant advances in veterinary cardiology in the past decade. The **TEER** procedure has been performed at **Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine** since January 2023, with growing clinical adoption reported across the field.
Veterinary Practice News — 2026-04-09
ACQUISITION
Chewy has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire **Modern Animal**, a technology-forward veterinary platform operating **29 owned clinics**, **24/7 virtual care**, and a high-retention membership model. The deal signals Chewy's strategic pivot from pure-play e-commerce into a fully integrated pet healthcare ecosystem, combining its existing pharmacy and supply business with brick-and-mortar and digital veterinary care capabilities.
Pet Age — 2026-04-09
PARTNERSHIP
**North Shore Animal League America's Tour For Life** is launching a coast-to-coast roadtrip initiative designed to promote animal rescue and pet adoption across the United States. The campaign will celebrate the work of rescue organizations and aims to drive adoption outcomes for homeless animals at a national scale.
Pet Age — 2026-04-09
PARTNERSHIP
**LitPet** has sponsored the first **Sunday Dog Social**, a pet wellness members' club gathering for pet owners. The event was attended by **Strictly Come Dancing** star Karen Hauer, lending celebrity visibility to the wellness-oriented community brand. The sponsorship reflects growing brand investment in experiential and community-based pet wellness marketing.
Pet Gazette — 2026-04-09
DATA
New data from the **American Heartworm Society (AHS)** reveal that while the highest infection rates remain concentrated in the southern United States, heartworm cases are continuing to emerge in previously lower-risk regions across the country. The findings underscore a growing geographic threat and the need for year-round preventive protocols, with implications for both small animal and feline patients.
Veterinary Practice News — 2026-04-09
DATA
**Dutch**, a leading veterinary telemedicine provider, released a new report identifying a growing divide at the intersection of pet ownership, rising costs, and limited access to veterinary care. To amplify awareness, Dutch has partnered with **Olympic champion Tara Lipinski** as a spokesperson. The report highlights affordability and access as two of the most pressing challenges facing modern pet owners.
Pet Age — 2026-04-10
DATA
**UK Pet Food**, the industry trade body, has published its three-year strategic vision targeting **2029**, with pillars focused on nutrition standards, product safety, and sustainability. The strategy is designed to help the UK pet food sector build long-term resilience and respond to evolving regulatory and consumer expectations.
Pet Gazette — 2026-04-08
DATA
A new national report identifies key **behavioral and structural barriers** limiting large-dog adoption, offering data-driven insights for veterinary and animal welfare professionals. The findings come amid growing capacity strain across U.S. shelters and aim to help organizations develop more effective adoption programming for harder-to-place animals.
Veterinary Practice News — 2026-04-06
DATA
The **Halifax Humane Society** has launched a three-month initiative offering cat neutering for just **$0.05** as part of efforts to combat pet overpopulation and celebrate the organization's **90th anniversary**. The low-cost campaign is designed to remove financial barriers to responsible pet ownership in the community.
Veterinary Practice News — 2026-04-06
REGULATION
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an expanded label for a long-acting injectable parasiticide for dogs, adding protection against **two emerging tick species** for up to **12 months**. The label expansion broadens the product's utility for veterinarians managing tick-borne disease risk in a changing geographic landscape.
Veterinary Practice News — 2026-04-03
REGULATION
The **USDA** has awarded **$2 million** to a Purdue University-led project to test novel antiviral fogging technology against avian influenza. The approach uses aerosolized **hydrogenated catmint oil** to inhibit the virus within poultry houses — representing a potentially significant biosecurity advancement for the domestic poultry industry.
Feedstuffs — 2026-04-08
REGULATION
The **USDA** has released an updated New World Screwworm Response Playbook, emphasizing the critical importance of coordinated response efforts across states, livestock producers, veterinarians, and sportsmen. The screwworm parasite poses a significant threat to livestock and wildlife health, and the updated playbook aims to strengthen preparedness at all levels.
Feedstuffs — 2026-04-08
LEADERSHIP
**Ceva Animal Health**, the world's **fifth largest animal health company** and majority-owned by its management team, has appointed **Sébastien Huron** as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. The appointment signals continued investment in senior leadership at one of the industry's most significant independent animal health players.
Pet Age — 2026-04-10
EXPANSION
**Byotrol**, the UK-based specialist biosecurity company, has launched its **ANIGENE** consumer hygiene range into the **Singapore** pet market through a partnership with **Pet Lovers Centre** at PetExpo. The move marks a significant step in ANIGENE's international retail expansion beyond its European home market.
Pet Gazette — 2026-04-07