PATS 2026: The People Behind the Pet Industry
PATS - Pet & Aquatics Trade Show at the NEC was a big one for us this year. New products, growing brands, founders going all in on their next chapter. Ambition was everywhere you looked.
But the conversations on the show floor kept circling back to one question: who's going to turn all that ambition into lasting success?
That's the bit we care about. We spend our days hearing what employers want to achieve, what candidates need to do their best work, and what makes great people join, stay or leave. At PATS, all of those sides of the industry were in one room. Here's what we took away.
Coffee, connections and big questions
Our MD and Co-Founder, Chris, hosted the Coffee & Connect panel. After years of interviewing people, both in recruitment and on our podcast Meet the Animal People, asking questions and digging beneath the surface comes pretty naturally to him.
He was joined by Dr. Guy Sandelowsky from Omni Pet, fresh from his podcast appearance, and Laura Rudolph from Leopard Co.
The agenda covered AI and misinformation, humanisation, premium products and pressure on household budgets. Every one of those topics comes back to people. How do brands explain their evidence, earn trust and show their value? And what will teams need to understand and do differently to get there?
"We nearly didn't interview them"
Some of our favourite moments were with clients looking back on people we'd introduced. More than one admitted they'd initially said no to a candidate, until we pushed back and encouraged a conversation. Those same people are now thriving in their businesses.
The lesson for employers? If your first filter only spots CVs that look familiar, you could miss the person who moves your business forward.
A CV shows experience. It doesn't always show judgement, curiosity, resilience or the ability to build relationships. And having worked for a well-known competitor doesn't automatically make someone the right hire.
Our job is to understand what the role needs, weigh up the evidence and explain why someone deserves a look. Sometimes that means challenging a first reaction. A willingness to look again can change a career and strengthen a business.
Better hiring starts before the first interview
Clients also talked about how we'd helped them sharpen their whole approach. That might mean reworking a job description so it reflects the real role and gives candidates a reason to say yes. Or an honest chat about salary, expectations and what's happening in the talent market.
These decisions shape a search before anyone is interviewed. If the responsibilities, salary and expectations don't line up, even a great process will struggle.
It also means knowing when to look beyond the pet industry. Sector knowledge is valuable, but if you need stronger account management, marketing or operational leadership, ask which skills are essential from day one and which knowledge can be learned. Fishing in the same small pool limits your options. The right person from another market can bring fresh skills and ideas.
Some of our proudest work helps people stay
Spotting familiar faces on the stands reminded us of a different kind of conversation. People who came to us because something at work wasn't right. They needed someone to listen, a place to vent and advice on how to talk to their boss.
Sometimes, after talking it through, they went back with the confidence to ask for what they needed. Things improved. They stayed. Their employers may never know we helped, but it worked out well for everyone.
For employers, it's worth remembering: someone thinking about leaving might still want their job to work. Before assuming you need a replacement, ask whether there's something you could fix.
Who gets the next opportunity?
When Chris first went to PATS in Telford years ago, much of the crowd looked very similar. This year there was a broader mix, with younger founders and startups bringing new perspectives. Knowing we've helped open some of those doors felt brilliant.
It matters beyond how a show floor looks. Pet owners have different lives, backgrounds and budgets. Teams with a broader range of perspectives are better placed to understand them, question assumptions and spot needs others miss.
We also spoke with experienced leaders thinking about retirement. Their knowledge helped build this industry, and passing it on deserves attention now. Succession planning starts well before anyone hands in their notice. A few questions worth asking:
- Who in your team could step up with the right support?
- Which relationships and knowledge sit with just one person?
- Does each vacancy truly need someone who's done the exact same job, or does that just feel reassuring?
- Can you explain your hiring decisions against what the role actually requires?
The future of this industry depends partly on who gets the chance to lead it. We want to be deliberate about opening those doors.
Your hiring process is your brand
Several people told us about applying directly to companies and hitting automated systems, radio silence and no real human conversation. Some lost interest before they ever heard back.
Think about the effort that goes into a trade show stand: the welcome, the product knowledge, the follow-up. Every detail helps someone decide whether they want a relationship with you. Your recruitment process does exactly the same job.
Your job ad, salary, interviews, communication and feedback all tell candidates a story about your business. And that candidate might also be a customer, an industry contact or a future decision-maker.
Tech can make hiring easier to manage, but the experience it creates is still yours. Candidates should understand the opportunity, know what happens next and get a decision once they've invested time in you. How you treat someone during recruitment tells them how you might treat them once they join.
Giant dog beds, familiar faces and the dogs who matter most
It wasn't all serious. There was plenty of laughter, catching up with industry legends and Katie landing herself in a giant dog bed on the Baker & Bray stand. Product testing at its finest.
We loved seeing heritage brands like Ancol alongside newer names like Fidelis and its food in jars, plus raw and fresh feeding favourites Bella+Duke, Benyfit Natural Pet Food and Nutriment. Chris's dog Rodney also came away with a wish list, thanks to Antinol UK, PLAY9's treat dispenser and the toys on the Petface stand. When you love animals and work in this industry, you always look through two lenses: what it means for the business, and whether your own pet would love it.
Huge credit to Raccoon Media Group, and to Ellie Mansfield, Lydia Leverett and Ian Reynolds. The NEC looked fantastic and PATS felt like it had levelled up.
Then there's Birmingham Dogs Home. We donate for every placement we make, we're proud Platinum Business Patrons, and Chris is an ambassador for the charity. By August 2024 our donations had passed £20,000, and introductions made at PATS 2025 helped secure £45,000 worth of products for the dogs.
This year, exhibitors gave generously again. And after a long show, while stands were coming down, the Birmingham Dogs Home volunteers arrived to collect donations and load the vans. To every exhibitor who donated and every volunteer who carried, sorted and helped: thank you.
A moment that brought it all home
Waheeda Jafferali, who leads our Animal Health division, spent much of the day at BETA International next door. At the end of it, she got emotional talking about the impact Chris and Katie have made in the pet industry, and how warmly people spoke about them. Chris got emotional too.
When you're busy running a business, it's easy to forget to stop and notice what the work has achieved. PATS gave us that chance: people thriving in roles we helped them find, hiring decisions that paid off, and an industry coming together for the dogs.
Next stop: the USA
Our new Recruitment Partner, Elizabeth Gibson dedicated to the USA has joined us this October. We already have US candidates registered and ready for their next move.
The opportunity is huge. The American Pet Products Association's 2026 State of the Industry report puts US pet industry spending at $158 billion in 2025, with $165 billion projected for 2026.
Behind every launch and expansion plan are the people who'll make it work, and that's where we come in. We'll bring what we've built in the UK, with a real commitment to listening and learning the US market.
Let's talk about your team
Thank you to everyone who spent time with us at PATS, whether on our stand, at Coffee & Connect, at the Pet Industry Federation recruitment clinic or around the show floor.
If the show sparked plans for your business, put talent at the centre of them. Who will help you grow? Who in your team could step up? What might need to change to attract and keep the people you want?
We'll help you shape the role, understand the market and find people who make a real difference.
Hiring, planning your next stage of growth, or just want an honest chat about your team? Get in touch.
team@animalpeoplerecruitment.com | 0121 468 0934
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