Best Pet Food Stocks for Animal Lovers

Interest in the pet industry surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while pet stocks have receded since, there are a lot of reasons to invest in pet stocks. In fact, if you were to make a list of the top qualities in consumer-facing stocks, the pet food industry would check virtually every box.

Pet products are repeat purchases, and pet owners tend to buy products such as dog food at regular intervals. This gives pet food companies both a reliable revenue stream and loyal customers who are reluctant to switch their animal's diet. Additionally, pet food is a recession-proof sector; sales of pet products actually rose during the 2008-09 financial crisis and the early stages of the pandemic. Pet owners are willing to spend on their furry friends in good times and bad, placing pet products in the broader category of consumer staples, although they aren't usually thought of that way.

Other trends favor growth in the pet food segment. One is the humanization of pets. Spending on pets is increasing as millennials and young adults view them more like members of the family. Ancillary pet products, such as pet insurance and animal health products, are becoming mainstream and expanding the broader industry.

For all those reasons -- as well as the simple fact that there's no real substitute for pets -- it's easy to see why you would want some exposure to the industry. Keep reading to see seven of the top pet food stocks you can buy today.

Top pet stocks

Top pet stocks to buy in 2025

Companies 1 - 3

1. Chewy

Chewy has probably gotten more attention than any other pet food stock in recent years, and for good reason. The company has become synonymous with e-commerce in the pet products sector for customers and investors alike, and Chewy's success shows why it's a top pet food stock and why the industry is so appealing.

Most Chewy customers purchase products on a subscription basis, or what it calls autoship, by signing up to get items at recurring intervals. In 2025, autoship customers represented 82% of its sales, up from 68% in 2020, showing its success.

The autoship program is both a revenue driver and a customer retention tool for Chewy. Autoship sales generate higher operating margins since they require little incremental marketing spend from Chewy.

Chewy is also benefiting from a number of trends in pet foods, including the transition to e-commerce, which is well-suited to pet products, though pet adoptions slowed after the pandemic.

The company has recently turned profitable, and its margins are improving as it gains scale.

2. Freshpet

Freshpet has been a top performer on the stock market since its 2014 initial public offering (IPO), riding trends that include an increasing interest in natural and organic foods for humans and pets.

That trend has helped to drive the company's growth as Freshpet has distinguished itself from most pet food companies by selling fresh, refrigerated pet food rather than dry kibble. Freshpet fridges have become common in both pet stores and supermarkets, and the company finished 2024 with fridges in 36,000 stores across North America.

It's also begun expanding internationally, starting with the U.K., and is increasing manufacturing capacity to meet an expected rise in demand. The company has room for growth; only 13 million of more than 85 million pet-owning households in North America are Freshpet customers, and it's planning to expand its North American customer base to 20 million households by 2027, potentially doubling its revenue. Revenue growth has been 20% or better every quarter since 2018, so there's good reason to believe the company can accomplish its goal.

3. Petco

Petco is not a new company, but it is a new stock. The big-box pet products retailer was founded in 1965 but went public at the beginning of 2021, taking advantage of increased interest in pets and pet stocks during the pandemic. Today, it has about 1,500 locations around the country and seeks to be a one-stop shop for pet owners by providing a wide range of products such as food, treats, and toys, as well as services such as insurance, veterinary care, and training and grooming.

The company is one of two large pet products chains in the U.S., along with PetSmart. The ability to house clinics inside its stores for vet care and grooming gives Petco an advantage over e-commerce companies that can't provide such services. According to a Lippincott survey, the company cites, half of pet owners prefer a one-stop experience for their pet needs.

Petco's growth has been sluggish in the aftermath of the pandemic since it doesn't have the same growth potential as Chewy or Freshpet. It's not currently profitable on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis, but it reported adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $336.5 million in 2024, down from $401.1 million in 2023.

The company's strategy of adding veterinary clinics to stores should help improve profitability. Stores with vet clinics increased from 39 at the end of 2018 to more than 150 as of 2024. Additionally, profitability has gotten a boost after it paid off $1.5 billion in debt with funds raised from the IPO.

Companies 4 - 7

4. BARK

The Original BARK Company may be better known by the name of its best-known product, Barkbox, a monthly subscription service that provides premium toys and treats for dogs. The company went public through a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in a merger completed in June 2021.

Revenue growth has faded from the pandemic boom, and fell 1.2% in fiscal 2025 to $484.2 million. However, the company has made progress toward profitability, and it reported its first full-year EBITDA profit of $5.4 million.

Bark offers a number of subscription products, including Bark Eats, a monthly meal plan; Bark Bright, a health subscription that starts with a dental kit; and Super Chewer, durable dog toys for larger dogs.

Bark aims to continue growing by expanding to new categories, increasing brand awareness, and broadening its subscriber base. With its strong growth and a unique subscription model that selects products for customers, Bark could have a promising future ahead.

5. Central Garden & Pet Company

Most pet food companies focus on dogs and cats, but Central Garden & Pet has a broader reach by also selling food for birds and small animals such as rodents, fish, reptiles, and others.

Founded as a distribution company, Central Garden & Pet has made more than 50 acquisitions over its history, giving it an impressive portfolio of proprietary products, as well as a widespread distribution network that serves more than 10,000 retailers and more than 6,000 veterinary offices.

That strategy has helped Central Garden & Pet deliver steady top-line growth and also margin improvement over its history, though its recent growth has been flat.

While the company may not offer the disruptive potential of other pet stocks, its history of acquisitions and entrenched relationships with major retailers makes it a good bet for steady growth in the pet industry.

6. Trupanion

Trupanion is a leader in an often-overlooked niche in the pet products industry -- insurance.

Pet insurance is a growth market, and other companies, like Lemonade (LMND 0.75%), have jumped on the trend. However, Trupanion remains the pure-play leader in the market, and it now has more than 1 million pets enrolled in its subscription-based insurance program. Trupanion only serves cats and dogs, which likely eliminates the risk and hassle of dealing with the wide range of animals that vets see.

In 2024, revenue rose 16% to $1.3 billion, showing Trupanion is outgrowing many of its pet industry peers.

7. Zoetis

Like Trupanion, Zoetis is also a market leader in its niche of the pet products industry. Zoetis dominates the market for animal pharmaceuticals. While some of its business comes from livestock, the vast majority goes to pets, a reflection of how much the pet industry has grown.

In 2024, revenue grew 8% to $9.26 billion, and its companion animal segment made up all of the growth with revenue up 13% to $6.28 billion. Zoetis is also highly profitable, with a net income of $2.5 billion in 2024.

Given its focus on animal pharmaceuticals, Zoetis seems well positioned to continue to benefit from the humanization of pets trend.

Related investing topics

Trends

Trends in the pet industry

Investors interested in pet food stocks should also consider looking to the broader pet industry, including pet medications and veterinary products.

Let's take a look at some key numbers and trends in the industry.

• Americans spent $147 billion on pets in 2023.
• Two-thirds of U.S. households own a pet, and pet ownership rates are rising.
• Spending per pet is also increasing each year, by about $100 according to some estimates.

One thing is clear in the pet industry: The growth trends supporting the industry and the demand for pets among millennials are not going away. The humanization of pets and the willingness to spend on them -- including on organic food, insurance, grooming, and wellness products -- should ensure the industry continues to experience solid growth beyond the crisis and presents a number of appealing opportunities for investors.

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