Royal Canin is owned by Mars (the United States), which acquired the brand in 2002.[1][2] Royal Canin was founded in 1968 in France and was independent until 2002.
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Mars, Incorporated — our brands. Last checked .
Royal Canin was founded in 1968 by a French veterinary surgeon who developed a feed for dogs with skin conditions he was treating. Its formulations are tailored by breed, size, age and clinical condition, and it is sold largely through vets and specialist retailers. Mars acquired it in 2002.
The USPTO record for the Royal Canin mark lists ROYAL CANIN SAS as the owner of record (serial number 73522029). A trademark is often held by a group company rather than the listed parent, so the registrant's name can differ from the owner named above.[3]
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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See the full Mars brand portfolio (42) →
Mars controls 42 brands on Brandtree, 11 of them in pet & animal care.
The 36 brands in dog food on Brandtree belong to 17 owners. The largest is VAFO, with 8; Mars has 6.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Brit | VAFO | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic |
| Club 4 Paws | Kormotech | 🇺🇦 Ukraine |
| Bobtail | RCL FOODS | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| American Journey | Chewy | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Sojos | WellPet | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Master Dog | Carozzi | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| Hill's Pet Nutrition | Colgate-Palmolive | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Freshpet | Freshpet | 🇺🇸 United States |
Mars is a family-owned company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States, founded in 1911. Brandtree records 42 brands under its control.
Mars is one of the largest privately held companies in the world, owned by the Mars family since Frank Mars began making sweets in Tacoma in 1911. It publishes no financial statements. Its four segments are snacking, pet nutrition, food and Mars Wrigley, and it agreed to acquire Kellanova in 2024.
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 322 brands that began in France. 100 of them (31%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, Royal Canin among them.
Mars acquired Royal Canin, a French pet food company founded by a veterinary surgeon in 1968 who began making feed for dogs with skin conditions. It sells by breed and by clinical condition rather than by flavour, and is sold largely through vets and pet specialists. Only the year is documented here.
The parent company of Royal Canin is Mars, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.
Royal Canin originated in France in 1968, but it is owned today by Mars, which is headquartered in the United States. So Royal Canin is a French-origin brand under American ownership.
Mars completed its acquisition of Royal Canin in 2002, after announcing the deal in 2002. The price was not disclosed.
Royal Canin was an independent company from its founding in 1968 until Mars acquired it in 2002.
Yes. As of 27 September 2026, Royal Canin is still owned by Mars. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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