Pawse names Craig O’Keefe to lead retail expansion
Bottom line
Pawse has named pet industry veteran Craig O’Keefe as senior vice president of business development, a newly created role aimed at accelerating the company’s retail expansion. According to the company’s announcement, O’Keefe will lead Pawse’s sales organization and oversee strategic partnerships across pet specialty, independent retail, and natural grocery channels as the brand looks to widen distribution of its pet CBD and wellness products. Pawse positions itself as a pet wellness company focused on hemp-derived CBD products and other supplements, and says it emphasizes third-party lab testing and channel partnerships. (petage.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the leadership move is another sign that pet wellness brands, including CBD-focused companies, are continuing to professionalize their retail strategy even as the regulatory environment remains unsettled. FDA has said significant data gaps remain around CBD use in animals and has continued to call for more scientifically grounded research and clearer regulatory pathways, which means veterinary teams may keep seeing pet parents bring these products into care conversations before the evidence base or oversight framework fully catches up. (fda.gov)
What to watch: Watch for whether Pawse’s expanded retail push is followed by new distribution announcements, broader natural-channel placement, or more visible efforts to address veterinary concerns around safety, quality, and evidence. (petage.com)
Pawse is expanding its executive bench as it pushes for broader national distribution, appointing Craig O’Keefe as senior vice president of business development. The move, announced August 25, 2026, creates a new leadership post focused on scaling retail partnerships for the company’s pet CBD and wellness portfolio. (petage.com)
The appointment comes as pet wellness companies continue to chase growth through specialty retail, independent stores, and adjacent channels like natural grocery, where differentiation increasingly depends on merchandising, education, and retailer relationships as much as product formulation. Pawse has been building its identity around hemp-derived CBD for pets, while also offering adjacent wellness products, and publicly emphasizes third-party lab testing and pet-specific formulations in a category that has long drawn scrutiny over quality and consistency. (pawse.pet)
According to the company announcement published by Pet Age, O’Keefe will lead the sales organization and oversee business development initiatives, with a stated focus on expanding distribution and key retail partnerships across pet specialty, independent retail, and natural grocery. Pawse co-founder Bradley Kerrick said the company sees O’Keefe’s industry relationships and brand-building experience as central to its next phase of growth. O’Keefe’s background includes senior sales roles at Dog Owners Outdoor Gear, Dog Gone Smart, P.L.A.Y., and California Solutions/Pet Aromatics, suggesting Pawse is leaning on a leader with deep channel familiarity rather than a general consumer packaged goods hire. (petage.com)
That experience matters because retail expansion in the pet supplement space isn’t just about adding doors. It also involves navigating retailer expectations around claims, product education, margin, and compliance. Pawse’s website highlights wholesale outreach, active sales recruiting, and lab-result transparency, all of which support the idea that the company is trying to mature from a direct-to-consumer wellness brand into a broader omnichannel player. That’s especially notable in CBD, where brands often need to work harder to build trust with retailers, veterinary professionals, and pet parents. (pawse.pet)
Industry reaction in the source material is limited to company statements, but the broader backdrop is important. FDA has continued to say that meaningful unknowns remain around cannabis-derived products in animals, including safety, effectiveness, dosing, quality standards, and drug interactions. In a 2025 Federal Register notice, the agency specifically sought more input on what veterinarians are seeing in practice with cannabis-derived products, underscoring that the veterinary evidence and oversight landscape remains incomplete. (fda.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, Pawse’s leadership expansion is less about one executive appointment and more about what it signals: CBD and adjacent wellness brands still see room to grow in mainstream pet retail. That likely means more pet parents will encounter these products on shelves and bring questions into the exam room. Practices may want to be ready with a consistent approach to discussing product quality, realistic expectations, possible interactions, and the difference between retail availability and evidence-based clinical guidance. (petage.com)
There’s also a channel implication for the profession. As more wellness brands build out specialty and grocery distribution, veterinary teams may face stronger competition for attention in areas traditionally shaped by clinical recommendation. At the same time, brands that invest in testing transparency and retailer education may gain traction with pet parents who are already seeking adjunctive options for pain, anxiety, mobility, or general wellness, even while the research base remains uneven. That tension between consumer demand and regulatory caution is likely to remain a defining feature of the category. (pawse.pet)
What to watch: The next signals will be practical ones: new retail placements, distributor partnerships, possible education initiatives, and any effort by Pawse or peers to align more closely with evolving FDA expectations around animal CBD products. Until then, the appointment looks like a growth move in a category that’s still commercially active, but scientifically and regulatorily unsettled. (petage.com)