Strong human-animal bonds may be accelerating vet tech adoption

CURRENT FULL VERSION: The latest signal from HABRI and Chewy Health is that the human-animal bond may now be a meaningful driver of technology adoption in veterinary care. In findings highlighted by dvm360 on January 6, 2026, and summarized in HABRI’s 2025 impact report, pet parents with the strongest bonds were more likely to seek veterinary care more often, spend more on their pets, and embrace digital tools that help them navigate the care journey. The underlying Pet Health Challenges Study surveyed 2,005 U.S. dog and cat pet parents in February 2025, and the average bond score reached 60 out of 70, which HABRI said was the highest average it has recorded across its surveys. (dvm360.com)

That framing matters because veterinary technology conversations have often centered on efficiency, staffing pressure, or consumer convenience. This research shifts the emphasis toward relationship dynamics. HABRI’s bond scoring model looks at attachment, humanization, commitment, and integration, and the latest data suggest those emotional factors are linked to real care behaviors. The stronger the bond, the more likely pet parents were to report higher veterinary utilization and greater openness to new tools. That fits with HABRI’s earlier international work with Zoetis, which also found a correlation between stronger bonds and better preventive care and veterinary engagement. (dvm360.com)

The study’s details help explain where the pressure points are. According to the survey summary, 74% of pet parents found at least one aspect of pet care very or extremely challenging, and 82% said they experience challenges in understanding their pet’s health. The top challenge overall was the emotional toll of leaving pets alone, while affording quality veterinary care ranked as a major concern, especially for younger, lower-income, and multi-pet households. Among households earning under $60,000, 35% cited veterinary costs as a top concern, as did 34% of multi-pet households. Those findings suggest that the demand for technology is not abstract. Pet parents appear to want tools that solve concrete problems around communication, reassurance, affordability, and logistics. (petfoodindustry.com)

The strongest signal for veterinary businesses may be where pet parents said they would actually use technology. Willingness to adopt tech solutions rose from 24% among “strong bond” pet parents to more than 50% among those with the “strongest bonds.” Interest was highest for tools focused on affording care, finding care, and managing care. Younger pet parents, especially Gen Z, reported the highest care-related stress and used an average of 3.6 pet health tools, with interest in symptom checkers, smart feeders, robotic litter boxes, wearables, and telehealth. At the same time, satisfaction with veterinary care improved when practices added a third communication mode beyond in-person visits and phone, such as email, text, apps, or telehealth. That broader pattern also matches where innovation is showing up across the profession: AI-native practice management systems are promising more modern client and team workflows, teletriage platforms are positioning themselves as a way to guide owners and support general practice teams, and teleconsulting models are extending specialist oversight into hospitals that may not otherwise have access to boarded expertise in real time. (petfoodindustry.com)

Industry reaction has been consistent with that message. In comments reported by PetfoodIndustry, Chewy Health president Mita Malhotra said the findings point to a need for more “tech-forward, personalized care” that helps pet parents feel confident and supported, while HABRI president Steven Feldman said veterinary teams sit at the center of a stronger, technology-enhanced veterinary-client relationship. That aligns with Chewy’s broader health strategy. The company has been building an ecosystem that includes telehealth, pharmacy, insurance and wellness offerings, practice commerce tools, and, more recently, Chewy Vet Care clinics designed around a technology-enabled care experience. In other words, the survey supports a model some veterinary-adjacent companies are already investing in. Elsewhere in the market, vendors are making similar bets on infrastructure that supports access and continuity: Digitail has been promoting AI-native practice management tools, VetTriage has been emphasizing teletriage and telementorship to help practices and pet owners make better decisions sooner, and Safe Pet Anesthesia has built a teleconsulting model that lets anesthesiologists remotely follow cases from induction through recovery using a camera-enabled device and custom workflow software. (petfoodindustry.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the important point is not that every new tool will succeed. It’s that adoption may depend less on novelty than on whether a tool supports the emotional and practical realities of pet parenting. If clients are deeply bonded, worried about leaving pets alone, uncertain about health information, and stressed about cost, then tools that extend communication, clarify next steps, and reduce administrative friction may land better than standalone gadgets. For practices, that could mean prioritizing client-facing systems that strengthen continuity, such as texting, structured follow-up, teletriage pathways, payment transparency, educational workflows, and virtual assistant or scribe support for nonclinical tasks, rather than treating technology as a back-office upgrade alone. It may also mean looking beyond client messaging to clinical access models that expand what a general practice can safely offer, including remote specialist input or telementorship that helps teams build confidence with common but sometimes deferred procedures. (dvm360.com)

There’s also a caution embedded in the data. Interest in technology was high, but usage of some financial support tools, including pet insurance and discount cards, remained relatively low, according to the survey coverage. That suggests intent does not automatically translate into behavior, and practices may still need to guide clients through what tools exist, when to use them, and how they fit into medical decision-making. The survey itself was commissioned by HABRI in partnership with Chewy Health, so the findings also come from stakeholders with a clear interest in digital engagement. Even so, the core message, that communication and access are central to client satisfaction, is consistent with broader industry movement toward hybrid, digitally supported care models. Those models increasingly include not just client-facing apps, but also behind-the-scenes operational support such as virtual assistants who can handle many remote administrative workflows and help practices stay responsive without relying entirely on in-hospital staffing. (petfoodindustry.com)

What to watch: HABRI and Chewy Health have already turned the research into a professional guide, “The Bond Factor,” and the next step will likely be whether practices, vendors, and consolidators translate these insights into measurable changes in client communication, compliance, and retention. Watch for more products and service models aimed at affordability, triage, and between-visit engagement, especially for younger pet parents and high-bond households. Also watch for continued investment in AI infrastructure, remote staffing support, and teleconsulting models that make specialty input, mentorship, and monitoring more available inside general practice settings. (petfoodindustry.com)