A new report shows animal welfare is the primary factor influencing pet food purchasing decisions, outweighing other sustainability concerns, with 90% of pet owners willing to switch brands for better farm animal treatment standards.
- Animal welfare significantly outranks other sustainability factors in driving pet food purchasing decisions, according to The Humane League's 2026 report.
- 90% of consumers surveyed said they would likely switch pet food brands if they learned competitors sourced from farms with better animal treatment.
- Major brands including J.M. Smucker Co., Goodness Gracious, and Evermore Pet Food have transitioned to 100% cage-free egg sourcing for pet products.
Animal welfare plays a larger role in pet food purchasing decisions than most other sustainability factors, according to a pet food section included in The Humane League's 2026 U.S. Food Manufacturing Industry Eggsposé.
The report cited pet food companies for progress on cage-free egg sourcing. J.M. Smucker Co. has sourced 100% cage-free eggs for its pet food products since 2022, according to the report. Goodness Gracious and Evermore Pet Food were also cited for transitioning to cage-free eggs.
Nearly half of the U.S. egg-laying flock is now cage-free, and producers continue to invest in cage-free housing, according to the report.
Evermore Pet Food co-founder Hanna Mandelbaum said the company works only with accountable farmers and maintains transparency about its sourcing.
"Evermore Pet Food has always prioritized animal welfare above all else, not just for the pets we feed, but also the farmed animals that provide their sustenance. That's why we work only with accountable farmers and maintain transparency about our sourcing," Mandelbaum said.
Animal welfare as a marketing tool
The Humane League's report cited research and news coverage showing the impact animal welfare has on pet food purchasing decisions.
- "Both academic research and industry discussion have pointed out that animal welfare may be one of the strongest marketing tools to influence consumer behavior," Tim Wall, senior reporter with Petfood Industry, wrote in his report, Animal welfare beats sustainability in pet food purchases.
- Research published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, cited in the report, found that while pet owners value both animal welfare and environmental impact, welfare was significantly more important in driving their purchasing choices.
- Consumer survey data presented at Pet Summit 2026 found that 90% of respondents said they would be likely to switch brands if they learned a different brand sourced from farms that treat animals better, according to the report.
