Whether you’re a veterinarian, pet supply store owner, pet photographer, pet sitter or pet services provider, the pet industry is still one of the most resilient categories in retail. U.S. pet spending hit $158 billion in 2025, up 3.7% from the year before, and is projected to climb to $165 billion in 2026. Pets aren’t a trend that’s cooling off. They’re a fixture in nearly every American household, and owners are still finding room in the budget for them even when the economy gets tight.
That last part matters for how you market. Pet owners haven’t stopped spending, but they have gotten more intentional about where their money goes. That’s an opening for local pet businesses that can show up with the right offer at the right moment. Direct mail marketing can help you reach pet owners in your own community and turn them into loyal, “furever” customers.
An estimated 95 million U.S. households now own a pet. Dog ownership grew from 51% to 53% of households in 2025, about 71 million homes, adding roughly 4 million new dog-owning households in a single year. Cat ownership grew too, now at 39% of households, or 53 million homes, a 5% jump year over year. Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X are the generations driving most of that growth, which means the pet-owning household next door looks a little different than it did even five years ago.
Even with the industry in a strong position, that doesn’t mean your business can skip the marketing. If anything, you need to market smarter to earn a first visit and keep the customers you already have.
Pet Humanization Isn’t Slowing Down
Pet owners keep treating their animals more like family members than property, and that shift keeps shaping what they buy. Basic kibble and generic treatment plans don’t cut it anymore. Owners want higher-quality food, better veterinary care and products that reflect their own values, including sustainability.
Pet food keeps trending closer to what humans eat. Grain fillers and mystery byproducts are a hard sell today. Owners look for real, identifiable proteins like salmon, turkey, chicken and lamb, paired with ingredients like sweet potatoes, brown rice and leafy greens. If your business sells food, treats or supplements, leading with ingredient quality and transparency in your marketing will resonate more than a generic discount ever will.
One nuance: about a fifth of pet owners say they’re spending a bit less this year due to broader economic pressure, even though most report no change at all. That doesn’t mean owners are trading down on quality. It means they’re being choosier about who earns their business. Messaging that proves value, not just low price, tends to win.
Vacationing (and Living) With Animals
Pet owners still plan their lives around their animals, not the other way around. Pet-friendly workplaces, restaurants and travel destinations have become the norm rather than the exception, and owners increasingly bring pets along instead of boarding them. That keeps demand steady for travel gear, pet-safe car accessories and grooming or boarding services for the trips when a pet can’t tag along.
Connected Pets and Digital Habits
Pet tech has only gotten more mainstream. GPS collars, health-tracking wearables, automatic feeders and pet cameras are common enough now that they’re less a novelty and more an expectation, especially among younger pet owners who already live on their phones. If your business can tie into that connected lifestyle, whether through appointment reminders, loyalty apps or simple text updates, you’ll meet pet owners where they already are.
Pet Insurance Is Still an Underused Opportunity
Pet health insurance keeps growing fast. Across North America, insured pets reached 7.6 million in 2025, a 9% year-over-year increase in the U.S. alone, and gross written premium for U.S. pet insurance climbed 20.8% to $5.2 billion. Even so, only about 4.27% of U.S. pets are actually insured today. That gap is the opportunity: most pet owners you’re marketing to don’t have coverage yet, and many haven’t been asked. Partnering with or educating customers about pet insurance can add real value to your business and build the kind of trust that turns a one-time visit into a repeat customer.
Where Direct Mail Comes In
Using direct mail to promote a pet-related business still works, and the data backs it up. According to the ANA/DMA Response Rate Report, direct mail averages a 4.4% response rate compared to just 0.12% for email, making it roughly 36 times more effective at getting a response. House lists of existing customers do even better, often landing in the 5% to 9% range. Direct mail to house lists has also been shown to deliver some of the strongest ROI of any paid marketing channel.
Pet lovers respond to what pet lovers always respond to: an adorable photo and an offer that feels made for them. Use direct mail to target pet owners in your own community with:
- Discounts on food, toys and everyday pet care essentials
- Seasonal offers, like flea and tick prevention coupons ahead of warmer months
- Invitations to in-store events, training sessions or grooming specials
- A recurring newsletter or postcard that shares a tip along with a coupon
Direct mail also pairs well with digital marketing rather than competing with it. Owners who see your offer in the mailbox and then again on social media or search are far more likely to act than owners who only see one or the other.
Valpak loves pets, too. If you’d like to learn more about how direct mail marketing can help your pet business fetch more customers in your community, contact your local Valpak representative today.
Sources
- American Pet Products Association (APPA), 2026 State of the Industry Report, released at Global Pet Expo, March 2026
- North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA), 2026 State of the Industry Report, June 2026
- Association of National Advertisers (ANA) / DMA Response Rate Report, 2025 edition
