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Pets+ magazine’s monthly Brain Squad survey shows independent U.S. pet retailers’ July best-sellers, led by seasonal and natural products: life vest sales up 80% at one Washington store, 220 tendon stick treats sold in Detroit Lakes, and 150 bladder disc toys in Hillsboro. The roundup highlights how summer tourism, storms, fireworks and travel shape independent pet retail demand.
Independent pet retailers across the United States reported strong July sales of seasonal and natural products, with one Washington state shop posting an 80% increase for the BAYDOG brand driven largely by dog life vests, according to Pets+ magazine’s monthly “Hot Sellers” roundup published September 27, 2026. The report compiles first-hand sales figures and commentary from owners and managers at more than a dozen small pet businesses, offering a rare item-by-item view of what sells at independent stores during peak summer season.
Jennifer Larsen of Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, WA, reported that BAYDOG sales rose 80%, totaling 45 units in July, including 26 life vests — the Monterey model at number one and the Offshore at number two. She added that the new BAYCAT harness sold seven units in its first couple of weeks on the sales floor.
High-volume treat sales featured prominently in the roundup. Tiffany Brown of Becker Pet & Garden in Detroit Lakes, MN, said ZENTA PETS Tendon Sticks were her highest-quantity item at 220 units, with Zenta Sausages in chicken, beef, venison and hare second at 125 units, which she attributed to the brand’s reputation as a natural, inexpensive treat. Lori Colburn of Nature’s Pet Market Orenco in Hillsboro, OR, reported selling 150 HOME RANGE Furs-Bee Bladder Discs at $8 each, calling the toy’s “super funky shape” a hit with dogs of all sizes.
Seasonal demand shaped several categories. At Lucky Dogs in Skaneateles, NY, tourist-season foot traffic made individual rolls of biodegradable GREENLINE poop bags the top item by quantity at 57 rolls ($1.50 each), according to owners Amy and Pat Schiek. Shari Wilkins of Lake Dog and Their People in Eufaula, OK, tied sales of 23 bottles of SUSIE’S CBD drops to fireworks and travel anxiety, aided by a dollars-off promotion through Astro Loyalty. Other reported figures included $4,500 in net FLUFF & TUFF plush toy sales at Drooly’s Dog Bakery in Bentonville, AR, 30 GUNNI’S Cod Skin Twists at $2.99 each in Providence, RI, and ocean-themed PREPPY PUPPY bakery cookies at $2.95 in Essex, MA.
What July’s Sales Reveal About Pet Retail
The roundup matters because it documents, in retailers’ own numbers, how seasonality drives independent pet retail: water-safety gear peaks in summer, fireworks and thunderstorms boost calming products, and tourist traffic lifts low-ticket impulse items like poop bags and single-serve treats. For independent stores competing with online giants and chains, curated seasonal selections and staff recommendations appear to be a working formula — several retailers explicitly credited staff enthusiasm and customer education for sales.
The results also show where consumer interest is leaning. Multiple retailers pointed to all-natural and species-appropriate products — pheromone-based ALZOO calming items, biodegradable waste bags, fur-based treats marketed as fiber sources, and natural chews — as their strongest sellers, a signal for suppliers and other store owners planning autumn inventories. Health-positioned food also broke through: Pacific NW Pets in Sherwood, OR, reported FORZA10 Renal Support Lamb as a new bestseller, with owner Jennifer Flanagan noting it is the store’s only can specifying “renal” on the label.
How Pets+ Collects These Figures
The “Hot Sellers” feature is a recurring Pets+ magazine segment built on responses from the PETS+ Brain Squad, a panel of owners and top managers of U.S. pet businesses serving the public. Panel members answer a short monthly questionnaire and are featured in the magazine in exchange for participation. The magazine invites eligible retailers to join the squad through its website.
The July edition drew responses from stores across at least ten states, including Washington, Oregon, California-region shops, New York, Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Figures are self-reported by retailers and are not independently audited, and each data point reflects a single store’s experience rather than a market-wide measure.
“ZENTA PETS Tendon Sticks were my highest quantity sold (220). Customers love Zenta because they are a natural and inexpensive treat for their dogs.”
— Tiffany Brown, Becker Pet & Garden, Detroit Lakes, MN
Limits of the Self-Reported Data
All figures in the roundup are self-reported by individual retailers and were not independently verified by Pets+ or third parties. The sample is small — roughly a dozen stores — and geographically scattered, so the results cannot be treated as representative of the broader U.S. pet retail market or of national sales for the brands mentioned. Comparisons such as BAYDOG’s 80% increase refer to that single store’s performance versus its own prior period, not an industry benchmark. Reasons retailers gave for product success — customer preferences, staff recommendations, social media attention — are their interpretation rather than measured causes.
Retailers’ Outlook Into Autumn
Pets+ publishes the “Hot Sellers” feature monthly, so an August edition should follow, giving readers a view of whether summer patterns — life vests, calming products, CBD and frozen or bakery treats — carry into late-season travel or give way to fall items. Retailers wanting to contribute can join the PETS+ Brain Squad via the magazine’s signup page. For suppliers and store owners, the July results suggest watch areas heading into autumn: continued demand for natural chews and functional treats, storm-season calming products in storm-prone regions, and probiotic and renal-positioned supplements as customers show willingness to buy condition-specific wellness items.
Key Questions
What was the single biggest sales gain reported in the July roundup?
Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, WA, reported an 80% increase in BAYDOG sales, totaling 45 units, with life vests — 26 sold — leading the way. That figure reflects one store’s own comparison, not an industry-wide benchmark.
Which products sold in the highest quantities?
By unit count, the top reported items were ZENTA PETS Tendon Sticks (220 units) at Becker Pet & Garden in Minnesota, HOME RANGE Furs-Bee Bladder Discs (150) in Hillsboro, OR, and Zenta Sausages (125), also in Minnesota.
Why did calming and CBD products sell well in July?
Retailers attributed the demand to summer thunderstorms, fireworks and travel anxiety. One Oklahoma store sold 23 bottles of SUSIE’S CBD drops, helped by a promotional discount, while a North Carolina store reported steady sales of all-natural, pheromone-based ALZOO calming products.
How reliable are these sales figures?
The figures are self-reported by individual store owners to Pets+ magazine’s Brain Squad panel and are not independently audited. They reflect single-store experiences and should not be read as national sales data.
What is the PETS+ Brain Squad?
It is a panel of owners and top managers of U.S. pet businesses who answer a short monthly questionnaire. Participants are featured in the magazine and receive a free T-shirt for their first submission, according to Pets+.
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