Pet industry closes strategic deals across key categories

Corporations across the pet and animal health industries continue to adjust their portfolios through acquisitions, divestments and technology-driven deals. GlobalPETS reports on the latest developments.

Pets Choice

British pet food manufacturer Pets Choice has acquired the goodwill associated with Pettex Aquatic’s pond food business and its branding following the company’s closure.

The range will join Pets Choice’s portfolio from 1 October, following its integration of Pettex’s cat litter and small animal lines in April 2025. 

“Pettex has built an excellent reputation within the aquatic market, and we are committed to continuing that legacy,” says Tony Raeburn, CEO of Pets Choice.

Raeburn adds that the brand will enhance Pets Choice’s product offering, strengthen its position in the sector and enable the company to provide greater value to customers and retail partners.

Headquartered in Blackburn, Lancashire, with facilities in Yatton and Cardiff, Pets Choice offers a range of pet and wild bird products under brands including Webbox, Bob Martin, TastyBone and Vitakraft.

Vital Pet Group

Paramount Retail Group (PRG) has sold Vital Pet Group (VPG) to SPL Group as part of its strategy to concentrate its resources, investment and management focus on its portfolio of owned and licensed brands.

Following the divestment, VPG will operate independently of PRG, with its new ownership responsible for the business’s future strategy, investment and operations.

“The sale represents the right next step for both businesses. It gives VPG the independence to develop under committed new ownership, while enabling Paramount Retail Group to focus its investment, resources and attention on the branded businesses at the heart of our long-term strategy,” says Ravi Sharma, Director at PRG.

VPG is a Yorkshire-based pet products supplier. Its portfolio includes pet food, accessories, hygiene products, equine feed, and home and garden supplies.

Boehringer Ingelheim

German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has acquired Evax, a Swiss biotech company focused on equine health. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Founded more than a decade ago at the University of Zurich, Evax has been developing therapeutic vaccines to address significant unmet needs in horses, particularly for allergic skin diseases.

According to the company, Evax’s pipeline includes virus-like particle vaccine technology that could address opportunities in the equine dermatology market, given the prevalence of allergic and dermatological conditions.

The technology is designed to stimulate a horse’s immune system to produce neutralizing antibodies that target the underlying cause of the disease. This could provide longer-lasting effects, improved treatment outcomes, and greater convenience and compliance.

“The acquisition of Evax reflects our commitment to addressing unmet medical needs and advancing equine health through differentiated, science-driven innovation. The equine business represents around 6% of our net sales,” Boehringer Ingelheim tells GlobalPETS.

Ever After Foods

Israeli food and beverage (F&B) manufacturer Ever After Foods (EAF) has acquired Belgian food-tech company Fishway to expand its industrial protein manufacturing platform by integrating complementary technologies and scientific capabilities.

According to EAF, Fishway’s shareholders will continue to support the platform and share its confidence in its long-term potential. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The integration of the 2 platforms adds a portfolio of aquatic cell lines, expertise in animal-component-free (ACF) media and an experienced scientific team, strengthening EAF’s industrial protein manufacturing capabilities while shortening development cycles and accelerating commercialization.

One of the integrated platform’s initial commercial programs will focus on cultivated functional protein ingredients for premium pet food, driven by industry demand, product value and favorable regulatory dynamics.

The platform will also enable food and ingredient companies and cultivated protein developers to accelerate the development and industrial-scale production of cultivated meat, seafood and other next-generation protein applications.