Editorial illustration for article: Paws, Press, and Purpose – How Pet PR Is Thriving in Europe
European pet PR now runs on regulation and trust as much as storytelling. FEDIAF counts 306 million pets in 140 million European households (2024 data, published June 2026), and Regulation (EU) 2026/1818, published on 10 August 2026, sets the first EU-wide welfare and traceability rules for dogs and cats. Pet PR teams that report welfare, sourcing and traceability in specifics fit that baseline best.
The European pet market covers 306 million pets in 140 million households, according to FEDIAF's Facts & Figures 2026 report. FEDIAF, the European pet food industry federation, published the report in June 2026 using data from 2024, compiled with Soulor Consulting from its 15 national association members.
Measure
FEDIAF 2026 figure (2024 data)
Households owning at least one pet
140 million (49% of European households)
Pets in Europe
306 million
Cats
111 million
Dogs
91 million
Ornamental birds
44 million
Small mammals
23 million
Pet food sales value
EUR 29.4 billion
Pet food volume
8.6 million tonnes
FEDIAF advises against direct year-on-year comparisons, because the countries covered changed: Russia is no longer included and additional countries were added, so the report now spans 41 of the 48 Council of Europe member states.
What do the new EU dog and cat welfare rules change?
The new EU regulation sets the first common welfare and traceability standards for dogs and cats across the European Union. Regulation (EU) 2026/1818 of 17 June 2026 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 10 August 2026, according to the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE).
The legislative path ran in five steps:
7 December 2023: the European Commission proposed the regulation.
25 November 2025: Parliament and Council reached a provisional deal, according to the Council of the EU.
28 April 2026: the European Parliament gave final approval by 558 votes to 35, with 52 abstentions.
22 May 2026: the Council adopted the legislation.
10 August 2026: publication in the Official Journal.
The Council describes common requirements for breeders, sellers, shelters and online platforms, with mandatory identification and registration. The FVE reports four key changes: identification and registration of dogs and cats, interoperable national databases, new requirements for online sales and advertising, and common welfare standards for breeding establishments covering housing, care, breeding practices and health management. Identification obligations phase in from 2030 for operators, 2036 for dog owners and 2041 for cat owners, per the FVE.
The regulation moves statements about where an animal comes from into a regulated, checkable frame. These are EPR's reading of the rules, not legal advice.
Breeders, shelters and pet retailers will need communications that match registration and traceability records, because a welfare claim that conflicts with the database becomes a reputational and legal exposure. Online platforms that carry pet advertisements face new verification and traceability duties, so marketplace and classifieds brands need a public explanation of how listings are checked. Brands in the animal-welfare space gain a concrete news peg, since the first EU-wide rules arrived after a legislative process that ran from December 2023 to August 2026.
How did a values-led brand build its position in Europe?
Lily's Kitchen built its position on operational values that gave PR concrete facts to report. Henrietta Morrison founded the London pet food brand in 2008 and named it after her border terrier, Lily. The agency Albion gave it the proposition "Proper Dog Food," and the brand's packaging won a D&AD Wood Pencil in 2009.
The values were backed by actions. Lily's Kitchen states on its own site that it has donated more than 750,000 meals to cats and dogs in need since 2016, and its Love & Pride edition in the UK sends 100% of profits to the LGBTQIA+ support line Switchboard, as Wamiz reported.
Nestlé Purina PetCare acquired Lily's Kitchen in April 2020. Nestlé described it as a GBP 85 million retail brand sold in 6,000 stores across 30 countries, and kept it as a stand-alone business run from London.
The EPR takeaway: a donation total, a profit-share edition and a named charity partner are facts a journalist can verify, and verifiable facts are the part of a values position that PR can actually use.
What should a European pet brand do next?
A European pet brand should map every welfare, sourcing and origin claim to a record it can produce. Review breeder and shelter partner statements against registration requirements as the 2030 phase-in approaches. Publish the numbers behind any charity or welfare commitment, as Lily's Kitchen does with its meal donations. For market framing, cite FEDIAF's 2026 figures and state the 2024 data year.
FEDIAF's Facts & Figures 2026 report counts 306 million pets in 140 million households, using 2024 data. Cats number 111 million and dogs 91 million.
What is Regulation (EU) 2026/1818?
Regulation (EU) 2026/1818 is the first EU-wide regulation on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. It was dated 17 June 2026 and published in the Official Journal on 10 August 2026, according to the FVE.
When do the identification requirements apply?
The FVE reports a phased schedule: from 2030 for operators, 2036 for dog owners and 2041 for cat owners.
What does the regulation require of online pet sellers?
The FVE reports new requirements for online sales and advertisements, covering verification, transparency and traceability on digital platforms. The decision for a European pet brand is to treat welfare and sourcing claims as records it must be able to produce, and to publish those records before a regulator or journalist asks. Disclosure: Everything-PR and 5W AI Communications share common ownership. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
