V-planet, a vegan dog food brand, enters the UAE that could push the annual dog food sale to US$69.2 million by 2026

With V-planet, a plant-based dog nutrition food, dogs can enjoy all the benefits of animal protein without any health concern with a longer and healthy life

1. The dog population is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2 percent to 88,300 in 2026, compared to 81,600 recorded in 2021;

• The dog food sale in the UAE is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.4 percent to US$69.2 million in 2026, up from US$39 million recorded sale in 2021;

• The global pet food industry has reached great heights in recent years, amassing an estimated worth of over US$91.1 billion;

• The increase in the dog food sale in the UAE at the backdrop of a decline in the dog population growth rate is primarily driven by an increased demand of plant-based vegan food and premium food for dogs.

The dog food sale in the UAE is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15.4 percent to US$69.2 million in 2026, up from US$39 million recorded sale in 2021, according to a report by Euromonitor International, primarily driven by the influx of international premium branded plant-based dog food, such as V-planet that offers better nutrition, good health and longer life to pet dogs.

This is higher than the 12.4 percent CAGR recorded in the previous four years, from 2016-2020, although the growth rate of the dog population is expected decline more than half to 2 percent between 2021 to 2026, from 4.2 percent recorded in the previous four years from 2016 to 2020.

The dog population is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2 percent to 88,300 in 2026, compared to 81,600 recorded in 2021. The increase in the dog food sale in the UAE at the backdrop of a decline in the dog population growth rate is primarily driven by an increased demand of plant-based vegan food and premium food for dogs.

“The global pet food industry has reached great heights in recent years, amassing an estimated worth of over US$91.1 billion. This is expected to boom to even greater amounts in the years ahead, with a large part of this growth due to innovation coming from the rising demand for plant-based dog foods,” said a report published by Vegconomist.

“Though still a niche industry, with vegan and plant-based claims appearing on just 2.1 percent of dog-food products worldwide, it’s finding more shelf space compared to five years ago, when only 0.7 percent of dog-food had a plant-based claim, according to Innova Market Insights. And such plant-based claims are growing rapidly in dog-food (+40%) compared to the growth of all new dog-food launches (+5%) (Global, compound annual growth rate, 2018–2022).”

The health benefits of plant-based vegan healthy dog food have led to the introduction of global dog food brand such as V-planet by Anything Vegan in the UAE, which is gaining popularity every month. The switch to veganism is a healthy, humane choice. A plant-based diet in pups lowers the risks of obesity, cancer and many other ailments. Aside from health motivations, many are switching to vegan diets for ethical reasons. As another example, to curb the environmental effects of meat production and reduce animal suffering.

Mostly, dog foods are derived from human-leftover foods or waste. When the dog is a pup of 0 to 4 years, most of the cases people don’t see the issues, but as they grow old, they start showing different illnesses and symptoms and suffer throughout their lives.

“Vegan dog food will be the future of Canine nutrition. There are growing number of research and studies that have proven that dogs on vegan diets have a lower risk of developing chronic health conditions such as heart diseases, cancer and arthritis. This is likely due to the fact that plant-based diets are naturally low in saturated fat and high in antioxidants, which are both beneficial for their well-being and good health,” Nisha Bhambhaani Managing Director of Anything Vegan, UAE, says.

“In addition, vegan diets are particularly beneficial for dogs having stomach disorders. Since plant-based food is typically high in fiber, they can help to keep dog’s digestive system running smoothly reducing the risk of constipation and diarrhea. With no animal ingredients, plant-based also offers real advantage in solving the allergy and inflammation issues in dogs.”

It’s important to ensure that nutrition is well-planned with right balance of ingredients while switching your dog to a vegan diet, she says.

“Our V-planet is a specially crafted vegan pet food, that follow a meat-free diet for pets. This innovative formula offers a nutritious and healthy alternative for pets. The food is made of natural nutritious ingredients.”

Nowadays, the biggest concern for a dog parent, is how to keep their furry kids fit and healthy by feeding them the right food. Foreign companies such as Mars, Nestlé dominate the dog and cat food categories in the UAE, making up over 50 percent of retail sales over 2016-2020.

Euromonitor report says, “Sales of premium dog food have performed best in the UAE, despite the introduction of a 5 percent VAT in 2018. Given that most UAE citizens work in well-paid jobs, the price increase has not had an effect on demand.

“Premium dog food is expected to experience significant sales growth as UAE consumers can afford high quality food for their pets and are showing greater interest in their dogs’ health.”

The V-planet recipe is fortified with a powerful blend of essential proteins, fibre and rich vitamins and minerals, designed to keep dogs healthy and happy for years to come, Nisha Bhambhaani says.

“It is important for us to look after the nutrition our pet is taking to prevent health disorders. Vegan food can help to avoid allergies, health issues like joint pain, obesity, diabetes etc. and live a healthy long life,” she concludes.

A recently research study shows, domestic dogs can maintain health on complete and well-balanced plant-based nutrition. Veterinary professionals, nutritionists, and consumers have shown a growing interest in non-traditional dog foods with perceived health benefits, while considering potential safety concerns.

Feeding a dog right, keeps them naturally active and strong while making them live longer and happier life. A fully grown dog needs 22 percent nutrition in its food and V-planet satisfies that.

For the first time in UAE, Anything Vegan gets complete vegan food V-planet, for any size and any breed dogs, offering dog parents a fabulous way to maintain the proper nutrient for their kids. With a goal of bringing freedom of food choice to pet parents, V-Planet gives sustainable option for their furry Kids’ nutrition and keep their pets healthy.

V-planet is a leading international company committed to producing 100 percent vegan products for dogs. Founded in 2005 as the international arm of San Francisco-based v-dog, v-planet first found success in Canada and Australia and is working on a steady rollout to more countries around the world, including UAE.

Darren Middlesworth, President and CEO of V-planet, says, “We are excited to extend our V-planet (V-dog USA) family in partnership with our AnythingVegan UAE team to introduce our nutritionally complete and balanced adult maintenance 100% plant-based dog food to the UAE.” 

Currently, V-planet products available for purchase in UAE through Anything Vegan online store, which include their nutritionally complete and balanced vegan adult dog food in two sizes for both medium to large dogs and for smaller dogs.

V-dog family has made the discovery of Vegan dog food worldwide and are the global leaders in the premium dog food category. Their exceptionally high-quality food is formulated by expert nutritionists to meet dog’s biological needs, entirely through plant-based nutrition.

Researchers from the University of Winchester surveyed 2500+ pet dogs for over a year and analysed their health and found that vegan dogs fared much better compared to dogs fed diets with processed pet food or raw meat.

The study was led by Dr Andrew Knight, Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics at the University of Winchester. He says, “Our study is by far the largest study published to date. It revealed that the healthiest and least hazardous dietary choices for dogs are nutritionally sound vegan diets.”

Table 1

Dog food in UAE

(In US$ million)

Category	2016	2020	CAGR* % 2016-2020	2021	2026	CAGR* % 2021-2026
Total dog food	22.2	35.4	12.4	39.0	69.2	15.4
Dry dog food	13.0	21.4	13.3	23.6	44.2	17.0
Economy dry dog food	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.0
Mid-priced dry dog food	2.4	3.0	5.7	3.1	4.5	9.8
Premium dry dog food	10.3	18.1	15.1	20.1	39.4	18.3
Wet dog food	4.8	6.1	6.2	6.4	8.3	6.7
Economy wet dog food	0.2	0.1	−15.9	0.1	0.1	0.0
Mid-priced wet dog food	3.7	4.6	5.6	4.9	6.4	6.9
Premium wet dog food	0.9	1.3	9.6	1.3	1.8	8.5
Dog treats and mixers	4.4	7.9	15.8	9.0	16.7	16.7

CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

Source: Euromonitor International

Table 2

Dog and Cat population in the UAE

Category	2016	2020	CAGR % 2016-2020	2021	2026	CAGR % 2021-2026
Total Dog Population	66,000	77,900	4.2	81,600	88,300	2.0
Small Dog (Up to 9 kg)	33,000	38,000	3.6	39,500	42,300	1.7
Medium Dog (9-23 kg)	13,200	13,900	1.3	14,300	14,800	0.9
Large Dog (Over 23 kg)	19,800	26,000	7.0	27,800	31,100	2.8
Total Cat Population	124,700	134,100	1.8	136,100	141,100	0.9

CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate

Source: Euromonitor International