The pet care landscape has evolved significantly over the past decade —with growing of consolidation raising concerns about affordability, access, and consumer choice. The Coalition’s advocacy is built around three principles designed to protect pet owners, support veterinary practices, and foster a competitive working as it should that delivers value and options for consumers.
66%
of American households own pets, a number that has climbed steadily over the past two decades and shows no signs of slowing.
83%
of parents have noticed pet-related costs increasing over the past 12 months.
60%+
Veterinary care costs in the U.S. have risen by more than 60% since 2016.
Three priorities. One marketplace worth defending.
Each of the principles below addresses a distinct pressure point in the pet care system. Together, they describe what a fair and competitive marketplace looks like — and what we’ll lose without it.
Protect affordability for pet owners.
Pet care costs are already rising at an unsustainable rate. Veterinary service prices have increased more than 60% over the past decade, putting routine and emergency care out of reach for a growing number of households.
Further consolidation in the companion animal health market threatens to drive prices higher still — for veterinary clinics that depend on competitive supply pricing, and for the families who depend on those clinics for affordable care.
The bottom line: When fewer companies supply pet care products, clinics pay more and pet owners pay more.
Preserve competition in the veterinary marketplace.
The companion pet health industry has already undergone significant consolidation, and further concentration could reduce competition and increase costs for consumers.
Federal regulators and antitrust experts have repeatedly warned that mergers in already concentrated markets can increase market power, weaken competitive safeguards, and ultimately lead to higher prices and reduced innovation for consumers and providers alike.
The bottom line: Competitive markets don’t happen by accident. Without active stewardship, consolidation continues — and the marketplace tips toward those who already dominate it.
Protect choice and independence for veterinarians and consumers.
Veterinarians and pet owners deserve access to a competitive marketplace with multiple suppliers, multiple platforms, and a broad range of product options. Choice is how clinics tailor care to their patients, and how families find treatment that fits their lives and budgets.
Increased consolidation risks locking clinics into restrictive purchasing arrangements and proprietary technology systems that limit flexibility, narrow product selection, and weaken the independence of veterinary practices across the country.
The bottom line: A veterinarian’s clinical decisions should be shaped by the needs of their patients — not by the constraints of a vertically integrated supplier.
Stay close to this fight.
Policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders are making decisions right now that will shape the pet care marketplace for the next generation. Get the latest Coalition news and advocacy alerts in your inbox.
