Pet ads: 28 real examples from dog and cat brands
Catalyst's longest-running ad is a phone photo of a competitor's aisle. Boxes of Arm & Hammer multi-cat litter stacked to the ceiling, one orange bag of Catalyst on the floor, and a green note: "4x as absorbent means it lasts 4x as long." It had been live for 856 days when last checked (Ad Library record). Below are 28 pet ads like it from dog and cat brands, each with its run-length, the patterns they share, and what pet brands can and can't claim. Or jump to the 28 ads.
What 28 long-running pet ads have in common
Every ad below ran on Meta, and every run-length comes from Meta's Ad Library or Foreplay, the ad-tracking service our library sources from. Median run: 194 days when last checked. 15 of the 28 passed 180 days, and 7 passed a year. Counted across the set:
| Cue | Count (of 28) | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| A real pet in the photo | 19 | Most of the set |
| A drawn pet, no photo | 2 | Pupgum, Lemonade |
| No pet at all | 7 | Zesty Paws, Whisko, DASH, Lyka, KatKin, Catalyst (aisle), Ollie (search bar) |
| A person or a hand in frame | 6 | Purina Pro Plan, Petco, French Bandit, Petlibro, Pawprint Lab, 5Strands |
| Discount, price, or free gift in the image | 10 | The Farmer's Dog (2), Purina Pro Plan, Open Farm, PetPlate, BARK (2), Ollie, Catalyst, Pupgum |
| First-box, autoship, or monthly framing | 6 | The Farmer's Dog, Purina Pro Plan, PetPlate, BARK (2), Catalyst |
| Side-by-side comparison | 5 | DASH, Lyka, KatKin, Catalyst (2) |
| Names a competitor in the copy | 2 | DASH (The Farmer's Dog), Catalyst (Pretty Litter) |
| Star rating, review count, or customer quote | 6 | Stella & Chewy's, French Bandit, Pawprint Lab, Open Farm, Catalyst (aisle), unhide (press quote) |
| Cat product (all others are dog) | 6 | French Bandit, Petlibro, Whisko, KatKin, Catalyst (2) |
| Square 1:1 file | 13 | Half the set |
| Vertical (3:4 to 9:16) | 11 | The Farmer's Dog, unhide, Stella & Chewy's, French Bandit, Dr. Harvey's, Petlibro, Lyka, 5Strands, Pure, Open Farm, Pupgum |
Two patterns stand out. Pet ads lean on the animal: 19 of 28 show a real one. And cat ads are about the box: four of the six cat ads sell litter or odor control, and every one of those four uses a comparison or a stat, never a cute cat alone.
The 28 pet ad examples
All 28 come from the pet ad examples in our library, at most two per brand. "Days" is how long the ad had been live when it was last checked, against its Meta Ad Library start date (linked where the library holds the ad ID) or through Foreplay. It proves the brand kept paying for the ad. It doesn't prove what the ad returned.
Pet as hero (4 ads)
In these four, the animal carries the ad and the copy rides along.
1. The Farmer's Dog — a puppy on the box
A black-and-white puppy sits on a The Farmer's Dog delivery box at the front door, small flags in a planter beside it, and a green band along the bottom: "Get 50% Off Fresh Food." 515 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: A box is the product, and a puppy guarding it is the outcome: dinner arrives at the door. One band of copy carries the whole offer.
Clone this layout: Pet on or beside your packaging in the place it gets delivered, one offer band across the bottom.
2. The Farmer's Dog — defense wins championships
A grinning pit mix in a bandana sits on football turf, the 50-yard line behind it, under "Defense wins championships." A pack of food with the dog's name on it leans into the frame, and a hand-drawn loop says "Protect your dog's health with 50% off your first box of fresh food." Vertical. 192 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A seasonal sports line turns "fresh food is healthier" into a joke the owner can repeat. A personalized pack shows the subscription without explaining it.
Clone this layout: Pet in a seasonal setting, a borrowed catchphrase as the headline, your product labeled with the pet's name.
3. unhide — a press quote over a sleeping dog
A golden retriever rests its head on a cream faux-fur bed against a warm gray backdrop. Above it, one line in quotes: "There are no less than nine different dog beds all over my house, but this is arguably my dog's favorite." Attributed to People. 125 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A self-deprecating quote is a believable one, and "People" does the trust work in one word. A dog's face sells comfort better than any spec.
Clone this layout: Pet using the product, neutral backdrop, one press quote and the outlet's wordmark.
4. Stella & Chewy's — a corgi, a bag, three icons
A corgi lies on a white duvet next to a red bag of Meal Mixers and a jar of the topper. "Stella & Chewy's + petco" sits at the top, "#1 Freeze-dried Raw Meal Topper" in the middle, and a red bar with three icons: protein boost, live and active probiotics, picky-eater approved. "1 million+ happy pups" below. Vertical. 448 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A co-branded retailer ad: Petco's logo tells the reader where to buy it today. Three icons answer the three questions a topper buyer has.
Clone this layout: Pet beside the bag on a clean surface, retailer logo top, a three-icon benefit bar.
Owner and pet (5 ads)
Five ads show the relationship, which is what most pet owners are buying for.
5. Purina Pro Plan — a swimmer and a Great Dane
Michael Phelps crouches beside Onyx, a Great Dane, as it eats from a raised bowl, a bag of Pro Plan on the floor. A black tag reads "Fueled by Purina Pro Plan: Michael Phelps & Onyx," and a white band below: "Autoship. Save 35% on your first order." 312 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: "Fueled by" borrows an athlete's credibility for a performance food. An autoship band turns a brand ad into a subscription ad without changing the photo.
Clone this layout: Known person with their own pet, a "fueled by" tag, an offer band bolted to the bottom.
6. Petco — the bowl coming down
A chocolate Lab sits in a bright living room as a hand lowers a bowl of kibble toward it. A bag of Nulo puppy food stands on the rug in front. No copy. 122 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: It freezes the best second of a dog's day. A retailer can run a supplier's bag without a word because the moment explains itself.
Clone this layout: Pet waiting, a hand bringing the product, the package in the foreground. No headline.
7. French Bandit — a cat finally drinks
In French: "My cat finally drinks enough water!" in black and yellow, a short customer review signed Camille R., and a woman sitting on the floor smiling at her cat as it drinks from a green fountain. "4.8/5 — 5,300+ reviews" at the bottom. Vertical. 158 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A headline in the customer's own words carries the relief, and the owner in the frame is the customer the ad wants. Review counts sit last, after the reader already believes it.
Clone this layout: Customer quote as the headline, owner watching the pet use the product, rating badge at the bottom.
8. Dr. Harvey's — the bag, the jar, the bowl
A floral Dr. Harvey's Raw Vibrance bag and a jar stand on a striped rug while an older white dog eats from a bowl beside them, shot from above with a phone. No overlay copy. 372 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: It looks like a customer's photo, and the gray muzzle quietly says "senior dog," which is exactly who a base-mix food is for.
Clone this layout: Top-down phone shot, the package and the pet eating in one frame, real flooring.
9. Petlibro — the feeder and the phone
Two cats eat from twin automatic feeders in a sunny room. A hand holds a phone over the bottom of the photo showing the feeding app's schedule, and the copy reads "Travel with confidence. Personalized meals, always on time." Vertical. 85 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: No owner in the room is the point: the phone in the hand is the owner. A headline names the worry (leaving the cats) without saying it.
Clone this layout: Product working at home, a hand holding the app over it, a headline about being away.
Ingredient and proof (3 ads)
Three ads lead with what's in the product or what a number says about it. Ingredient and proof ads are also where pet brands get into claim trouble, and the rules section below covers why.
10. Pawprint Lab — vet-reviewed, human-grade, twelve owners
Twelve photos of owners and dogs with a dropper bottle frame a white center panel: five stars, "Vet-Reviewed. Human-Grade. Backed by Science.", and a line about supporting aging dogs. Small print: "Based on customer feedback and ingredient-backed research. Individual results may vary." 225 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: A grid reads as a wall of customers, and three short claims stack authority on top. A disclaimer sits on the image, where it travels with every share.
Clone this layout: A photo grid of customers with the product around a center claim block. Use only claims you can document (see the rules section).
11. Zesty Paws — the gut check
A jar of Probiotic Bites on a bright orange and yellow ground, under "How to Help Your Bestie Pass a GUT CHECK with," an arrow pointing to the jar, and a small stomach icon. 44 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: "Gut check" is a pun and a benefit at once. Its claim stays at "help," which is supplement language rather than a promise to treat anything.
Clone this layout: One jar, one pun headline with an arrow into the product, one icon for the body system.
12. Whisko — a stat and a guarantee
Two white litter-box deodorizer units on a misty blue background, "96% report cat litter odor eliminated" stacked in blue bars, and a navy stamp: "30-Day Odor-Free Guarantee." Run by the Cat Tips Daily page. 237 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A survey stat plus a money-back promise answers "does it work" and "what if it doesn't" in one frame. No cat needed, since the buyer is the one smelling the box.
Clone this layout: Product on a soft gradient, a stat in stacked bars, a guarantee stamp in the corner. Keep the survey behind the stat.
Comparison (5 ads)
Comparison is the most common move in dog food ads and litter ads. Two of the five name the rival.
13. DASH — fresh food vs fresh food
"Not all fresh dog food is created equal." Two bowls on navy, labeled Farmer's Dog and DASH, three rows below (organic chicken, 100% grass-fed beef, picky eaters love it) with red crosses and a question mark under the rival and green checks under DASH, then a "Learn more" button. 55 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A challenger compares itself to the category leader, not to kibble, which positions it inside the premium tier. A question mark on "picky eaters" is a softer jab than a cross.
Clone this layout: Headline that concedes the category, two bowls side by side, three rows of checks.
14. Lyka — three bowls each side
"lyka vs Processed Dog Food." Three pairs of bowls down the frame, labeled beef, turkey, and roo: fresh, visible food on the left, uniform kibble on the right. Nothing else. Vertical. 56 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: No checklist needed when the photo is the argument. Repeating the pair three times proves it holds across the range.
Clone this layout: Your product and the category default in matching bowls, repeated once per flavor.
15. KatKin — clay litter stinks
"Clay litter stinks. Literally." A green panel shows KatKin's pellets (pea fibre and millet, 100% biodegradable, stays fresh all month), a black panel labeled "THEM" shows gray clay (strip-mined, sits in landfill 2,000+ years, needs constant changes). 84 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A pun with an edge makes the headline, and "THEM" lets the reader picture whatever brand they use now.
Clone this layout: Two color-coded panels, a close-up of each material, three lines under each.
16. Catalyst — named rival, two prices
Two framed columns, red for Pretty Litter and green for Catalyst, each with the bag and a cat photo. Pretty Litter gets crosses (poor clumping silica, not biodegradable, made in China, $24/month). Catalyst gets checks (soft wood, 7x more odor reduction than clay, made in America, $12.35/month with a subscription). 489 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A price row ends the argument. Naming the rival is legal when the comparison is truthful (see the rules section), and it captures shoppers already sold on the category.
Clone this layout: Two bordered columns in red and green, the competitor named, monthly price as the last row.
17. Catalyst — the aisle photo
Catalyst's other ad, from the top of this post. A phone photo down a pet-store aisle stacked with another brand's multi-cat litter boxes, one Catalyst bag at the bottom, two green notes ("4x as absorbent means it lasts 4x as long. How much litter are you buying this month?" and "Try 1 bag of Catalyst instead"), and a 4.8-star, 1,280-review badge. 856 days, the longest run in this set. Ad Library record.
Why it works: It meets the buyer where the habit lives, in the aisle, and asks a question they can answer from their own receipt. An amateur photo makes it feel like a tip.
Clone this layout: Phone photo of the category shelf, your bag in the frame, two sticky-note callouts, a review badge.
UGC and reviews (4 ads)
Shot like a customer's camera roll, which is how pet owners share everything anyway. For more of this format across categories, see our testimonial ad examples.
18. 5Strands — the box in hand
A hand holds a 5Strands pet food intolerance test box toward the camera while a gray-muzzled cattle dog sits on the kitchen tiles behind it, looking off to the side. No overlay copy, because the box carries its own claims. Run by the That One Dog Mom page. Vertical. 263 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A creator page, a real kitchen, and a dog that isn't posing. It reads as a recommendation, which is the job of a creator-run ad.
Clone this layout: Hand holding the product, the pet out of focus behind it, a real floor.
19. Pure Pet Food — Ralph's delivery
Two bags of Pure dog food (salmon and duck) with "Ralph" on the labels, a delivery box saying "Ralph's paws off!", and a pink lick mat, propped on a dog bed beside a black spaniel. Vertical. 51 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: A dog's name on every pack is the product's best feature, and an unboxing photo shows it without a word of copy.
Clone this layout: Unboxing on the pet's own bed, personalized packaging facing the camera, the pet beside it.
20. Open Farm — the picky eater quote
A spaniel eats from a bowl on a kitchen counter. A green quote bubble says "My picky eater dog LOVES this food!!" (Amanda S., five stars), the RawMix bag sits bottom right, and a green tag offers "20% OFF your first order." Vertical. 30 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: "Picky eater" is the most common objection to switching food, and the photo shows the dog eating, which answers it.
Clone this layout: Pet eating, a review bubble that names the objection, package and offer tag in opposite corners.
21. Ollie — the freezer drawer
Shot straight down into an open freezer drawer packed with red Ollie packs (lamb with cranberries), a small apricot poodle sitting on the shelf above, looking up at the camera. No copy. 33 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: It answers a question fresh-food buyers have (where does it all go?) and makes the answer look like abundance.
Clone this layout: Your product where it's stored at home, the pet nearby, overhead phone angle.
Subscription offers (3 ads)
Fresh food and toy boxes are subscriptions, so the first-box offer is the ad. More examples of offer-led food creative are in our food ad examples.
22. PetPlate — 61% off the first box
"Tail Waggin' Time! Act now and get 61% off your first box," over a circle-cropped photo of a dog eating from a pink bowl, two PetPlate cups in the corner, on pale blue. 69 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: An oddly specific number reads as a real calculation, not a rounded promo. A circle crop keeps the dog's face as the focal point.
Clone this layout: Offer headline, circle-cropped pet photo, two product shots tucked into one corner.
23. BARK — double the first box
Three shepherd-type dogs stand behind a pile of BARK Super Chewer boxes, each with a toy in its mouth, a blue "$45 savings" badge, and "FREE UPGRADE / DOUBLE FIRST BOX" in heavy type below. 408 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: Three big dogs with toys intact is the proof for a "super chewer" line. "Double" is easier to picture than a percentage.
Clone this layout: Pets holding the product, a stack of boxes, a savings badge, and a plain-language offer.
24. Ollie — the search result
A search bar reading "Best dog food for picky eaters" over a yellow gradient, and below it a shopping-result card: the Ollie box with fresh-food packs, carrots and blueberries, "Ollie Sampler Box, $25.00." No dog. 56 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: It borrows the format of the moment people decide (a search), types their question for them, and answers with a low-commitment sampler price.
Clone this layout: A search bar with your buyer's exact question, your product as the only result, the entry price on the card.
Humor and pop culture (4 ads)
Pet owners share pet jokes. Four ads are built to be the joke.
25. Spot & Tango — Kermit and a puppy
A meme caption, "Sometimes you just need to lie in bed with your dog and do nothing for 5 years...", over a photo of a Kermit plush sprawled on a bed with a sleeping puppy, a phone, a tumbler, and a treat bag scattered around them. 288 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: It's a post people tag friends in. Its product is a prop, which keeps it from feeling like an ad.
Clone this layout: Meme caption in plain black type, a staged photo, the product as one item among the clutter.
26. BARK — Jurassic World dino egg
A Jurassic World and BARK Super Chewer co-branded ad: a dog bites into a giant cream dino egg toy among jungle leaves, a box and "Raptor Scraps" treats beside it, and "FREE XL DINO EGG / JOIN TODAY" top left. 393 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: A licensed theme gives a monthly box a story, and the free item is the signup hook. Same brand as #23, opposite tone, both over a year.
Clone this layout: Licensed or seasonal theme, the pet mid-play with the hero toy, a free-gift offer as the headline.
27. Pupgum — no more fish breath
"No more fish breath. Try Pupgum today." Two line drawings of a dog's mouth, labeled before and after Pupgum, one drooling and one sparkling, then the bag, a few chews, and a yellow "Get up to 45% off" burst. Vertical. 196 days. Ad Library record.
Why it works: Drawing the before and after keeps it funny, not gross, and sidesteps the believability problem of a real before/after photo.
Clone this layout: Illustrated before and after, the problem named in four words, product and discount below.
28. Lemonade — a $15,259 vet bill
"Dublin's parents had a $15,259 vet bill for his heart disease complications," with the figure circled in pink, then "Lemonade Pet covered $14,143" in large handwriting, and a line drawing of a dog in a recovery cone. 199 days, checked via Foreplay.
Why it works: Two specific numbers tell the whole claim story. "Dublin's parents" frames owners the way they frame themselves.
Clone this layout: A pet's name, the bill, the amount covered in handwriting, one line drawing.
Create your own pets product ads
Create your ad
What pet brands can and can't claim in ads
Pet food in the US is regulated by FDA and the states, and claims that look harmless in a headline have specific meanings. What follows summarizes the official sources and isn't legal advice.
| Claim or move | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| "Complete and balanced" | Means the food is meant as the pet's sole diet. It must meet an AAFCO nutrient profile or pass an AAFCO feeding trial. Treats and supplements usually aren't. | FDA |
| Treat or prevent a disease | If a product's intended use is to treat or prevent disease, FDA treats it as a drug. FDA's example of a structure/function drug claim is a product meant to improve joint function in an arthritic dog. | FDA |
| Therapeutic diets | FDA has separate guidance for dog and cat diets labeled or marketed to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease. | FDA CPG Sec. 690.150 |
| "Human grade" | Applies only to the product as a whole. Every ingredient and the finished product must be handled under human-food rules (21 CFR part 117), in a facility licensed to produce human food. It remains an animal food under 21 CFR part 507. | AAFCO guidelines (marked draft) |
| "Made in USA" / "Made in America" | An unqualified claim means "all or virtually all" made in the US, and the standard covers ads, not only labels. | FTC |
| Reviews and testimonials | Fake reviews, paid reviews without disclosure, and fabricated testimonials are banned under a rule in force since October 21, 2024, with civil penalties. | FTC |
| Naming a competitor | The FTC encourages truthful comparative ads that name competitors, as long as they're clear and not deceptive. | FTC policy statement |
Read against the 28 ads, three things follow. Supplement ads keep to "help" and "support" (Zesty Paws, Pawprint Lab), and Pawprint Lab adds a results-may-vary line. Comparison ads that name a rival (DASH, Catalyst) need every row to be provable. And if a headline says "human-grade," the claim covers the whole product and needs paperwork behind it.
Pet advertising ideas that come from the set
Drawn from the counts, not from taste:
- Show the animal. 19 of 28 do, and a pet's face is a scroll-stopper you already own.
- For cat products, sell the box, not the cat. Four of six cat ads sell litter or odor, with a comparison or a stat.
- Compare to the category default. Kibble, clay litter, or the market leader. Five of 28 do it, including the longest-running ad in the set.
- Make the first box the offer. Six ads frame the deal as a first box, autoship, or monthly price, because the subscription is the business.
- Shoot it like a customer would. Phone angles, real floors, hands holding the product: Dr. Harvey's, 5Strands, Pure, and Ollie each ran without a single line of overlay copy.
- Size for the placement. 11 of 28 are vertical. Specs for every Meta placement are in the Meta ad sizes guide.
If you want to try one of these layouts with your own product, AdDogs takes a reference ad from the library and rebuilds it with your product photo and brand colors. Basic is $12/mo for 30 credits, and one credit makes one ad in the dimension you choose. Try the static ad generator.
Methodology
All 28 ads come from the AdDogs ad library's pet collection: public, not retired, and with a run-length measured by Meta's Ad Library (20 ads, checked between August 12 and October 12, 2026) or Foreplay (8 ads, checked April 8, 2026). We left out ads with no brand, a weight-loss before-and-after, and a joint-supplement ad built on treatment-style claims, and took at most two ads per brand. Several have run longer since they were checked. To verify one, open its Ad Library record and read "Started running on." Our Meta Ad Library guide explains how. Cue counts are ours, made by looking at each image.
FAQ
What makes a good pet ad?
A real pet in the frame, one clear benefit, and an offer if you're selling a subscription. In this set, 19 of 28 long-running pet ads show a real animal, and six frame the deal as a first box, autoship, or monthly price.
How do dog food brands advertise on Facebook and Instagram?
Dog food ads on Meta mostly use three moves: the dog eating or waiting for the food, a comparison with kibble or a rival fresh-food brand, and a first-box discount. The Farmer's Dog, PetPlate, Open Farm, and Purina Pro Plan all put a percentage off the first order in the image itself.
What can you legally say in a pet food ad?
"Complete and balanced" must be backed by an AAFCO nutrient profile or feeding trial (FDA), and claims to treat or prevent disease make a product a drug in FDA's eyes. "Human grade" covers the whole product and requires human-food handling under AAFCO's guidelines. Testimonials must be real under the FTC's 2024 reviews rule.
Can a pet ad compare itself to a named competitor?
Yes, if the comparison is truthful and clear. The FTC's policy statement on comparative advertising encourages naming competitors (FTC). DASH names The Farmer's Dog and Catalyst names Pretty Litter in ads above, and Catalyst's ran 489 days.
How are cat food and cat product ads different from dog ads?
In this set, cat ads lean on proof more than charm. Four of the six cat ads sell litter or odor control using a comparison or a survey stat, while most dog ads lead with the dog. Cat owners buying litter are solving a smell, and the ads speak to that.
Where can you find pet ads to study?
Search a brand in the Meta Ad Library and filter to active ads, or browse the pet ad examples in our library, which shows real pet ads with run-lengths where we have them. The Meta Ad Library guide covers how to read start dates.
