Pet industry M&A picks up again across food, services, and supply

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Pet industry dealmaking picked up again over the winter, with activity spanning pet food, distribution, and services. Recent examples include AlphaPet Ventures’ March 27, 2026 acquisition of Belgian premium dog and cat food brand Cpro Food, its fifth acquisition since 2020, as the company continues building a portfolio of local premium brands across Europe. On the services side, Rover has kept expanding under Blackstone after Blackstone completed its $2.3 billion take-private of the company in February 2024, and Covetrus is now part of another major consolidation move through a proposed merger with MWI Animal Health that still requires regulatory approvals. Industry reporting suggests the broader pattern is a mix of geographic expansion, portfolio diversification, and consolidation around premium nutrition, veterinary distribution, and pet care platforms. (ad-hoc-news.de)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this wave of M&A matters because it can reshape product access, distribution relationships, pricing leverage, and referral or partnership ecosystems around pet care services. GlobalPETS’ 2025 deal analysis found pet food accounted for nearly half of major transactions it reviewed, while veterinary services, pet health, and pharmaceuticals were also among the strongest segments. Analysts and industry observers tied that activity to resilient pet spending, premiumization, and interest in science-backed, higher-margin categories, all of which can influence what clinics stock, recommend, and compete against in the months ahead. (globalpetindustry.com)

What to watch: Watch for regulatory clearance on the Covetrus-MWI deal, further cross-border acquisitions in premium pet food, and whether larger late-2025 and early-2026 transactions set a new valuation benchmark for the sector. (covetrus.com)