Pet Industry and News Briefing — 2026-11-11

Pet Industry and Business Trends

Harim Pet Food Leads Pet Product Brand Reputation; Market Data Contracts The Korea Enterprise Reputation Research Institute released big data analysis results for 27 pet product brands in November 2026. In this survey, Harim Pet Food ranked first in the overall brand reputation index, followed by Dorandoran and Catzang in second and third places, respectively. Notably, the overall big data volume for pet product brands dropped by 37.27% compared to the previous month, suggesting that shrinking consumer sentiment and fluctuating interest are impacting the market as a whole.

Leveraging AI Tech: Attempts at "Verbal" Communication with Pets In China, a service has emerged that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze pets' cries and behaviors to interpret their intentions. With the proportion of pet-owning households in Korea reaching 29.2%, these AI-driven communication technologies are emerging as a fresh trend among pet parents. Attention is focused on whether this technology can help bridge the gap between animals and humans.

Rapid Growth of Insect Feed Industry: Black Soldier Fly Emerges as Fishmeal Substitute The domestic insect industry market size is approaching 60 billion won and showing solid growth. In particular, the feed insect "black soldier fly" is rapidly emerging as a substitute for fishmeal, driving industry growth. Due to rising fishmeal prices and sustainability issues, the pet food and feed market utilizing insect protein is on an expansion trend.

1 sources

dtoday.co.kr

dtoday.co.kr

Policy and Legal Amendments

Need for Enactment of the "Animal Welfare Basic Act" Gains Traction Discussions are accelerating to enact a national "Animal Welfare Basic Act" to establish consistent standards and resolve the issue where different laws apply depending on the animal's species or purpose of use (livestock, experimentation, companionship, etc.). Animal welfare research organizations like Aware emphasized sentience-based protection and pan-governmental cooperation while proposing the necessity of an integrated bill.

Edible Reptiles and Fish Pointed Out as Animal Protection Act Blind Spots The existing Animal Protection Act remains centered around a mammalian protection system, leaving reptiles and fish used for food or ornamentation excluded from protection or handled only in limited ways. As research results—similar to cases in Australia—show that reptiles also form social relationships and emotions, voices are growing to bring them within the legal framework.

Guidelines for Review of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals Published The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency recently published the "Guidelines for Safety and Efficacy Review of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals." Moving away from traditional industry animal-centered review principles, it presents specialized review criteria reflecting the improvement of pets' quality of life, chronic disease management, and long-term administration safety, which is expected to raise professionalism in the pet medical ecosystem.

Health Care and Lifestyle Tips

Online Memorial Space Sharing the Grief of "Pet Loss" Gains Popularity An online community helping pet owners recover psychologically from pet loss has surpassed 300,000 visitors in just ten days, gaining huge popularity. Linked with the virtual temple "Sansa," this space has established itself as a digital funeral and memorial platform where owners can share memories and comfort each other's grief.

Increasing Demand for Premiumization and Wellness The global dog supplies market is expanding beyond simple feed into premium supplements, health aids, and smart supplies. Alongside the "pet humanization" trend—where pets are recognized as family members—demand for preventive care (wellness) is growing, and the related supplies market is projected to continue growing through 2035.

Evolution of the Dog Pee Pad Market The dog pee pad market is also showing growth fueled by premiumization and e-commerce expansion. Consumers clearly show a preference for high-functional products that offer not only absorbency but also eco-friendly materials and odor-removal functions.