Growing sales, Dynamic actors, new products, Watch out for animal welfare ... the petfood market has iron health. But our relationship to pets cannot be reduced to the sole economic issue. Too many abandonments, Too much animal suffering, otherwise.
The Petfood market represents a huge economic issue : according to the Xerfi institute, the French petfood market is estimated at more than four billion euros ! The famous Royal Canin brand, world and national number one in this market, is not sold in supermarkets, but very present in Reunion. In mass distribution, Nestlé brands with Purina One, Mars Petcare brands, distributed by Redisma, have largely contributed to the expansion of the offer through innovation, attractive and practical packaging. Quality and an increasingly sophisticated offering are essential everywhere. Without forgetting the latest player to enter the local market, PetFood Run, the péi producer who has managed to establish himself and find his place in this very competitive market where private labels and challenger brands are also active..
300,000 abandoned animals
But pets are not only an economic issue. Mahatma Gandhi used to say : “We measure the degree of civilization of a country by the way it treats its animals…” Difficult, in the light of the words of the apostle of non-violence, to judge, from this point of view, from the state of Reunion, and more broadly the Metropolis, as the situation of domestic animals appears in contradictory light. On the one hand, what can we say about these stray dogs that are still too numerous in Reunion?, and these moth-eaten cats seen here and there ? On the other, how to interpret the incredible wealth of shelves for animals in supermarkets where manufacturers launch recipes that will make customers drooling when they come to buy food for their favorite companion ? According to the APPAR association (Act to Protect Reunion Island Animals), for a population of Reunion approaching 900,000 inhabitants, “there are around 300,000 abandoned animals (i.e. one abandoned animal for every three inhabitants !). Nearly 13,000 euthanasias are carried out per year (dogs and cats), i.e. 18% of euthanasias carried out on French soil for the island of Reunion alone ! »
We must communicate to the younger generations
“We need a collective awareness of the general public” underlines an expert on the animal issue. With the support of the State and the Region, Reunion animal protection associations campaign for sterilization campaigns. Created in 1983, the Réunion SPA has been carrying this message for almost 40 years now. She is not the only one, but she is the oldest to participate in various events, such as World Animal Day, every October 4, to awaken consciences, call for the responsibility of animal owners. Much remains to be done, but this awareness-raising action is not fortunate. Things are changing. “We need to communicate to the younger generations. We are increasingly seeing that dogs and cats are being treated better, they really are part of the family” assures our expert.
