London-headquartered Tenacious Labs, a pioneering international consumer products group championing emerging plant-based ingredients, has announced the acquisition of US pet care specialist Rover’s Wellness.

Tennessee-based Rover’s Wellness creates high quality products containing all natural, non-GMO ingredients including 100% certified organically grown hemp. Founded by RaChelle Baca-Lobre in 2018 after her own pet was diagnosed with cancer, Rover’s Wellness offers a diverse range of oils, topical salves, and treats which harness the natural power of CBD to support joint flexibility and mobility, ease anxiety, and promote positive long-term health for dogs, cats, and equine.

A core part of the brand’s approach is its commitment to testing and transparency. Leveraging a “seed to sale” approach, Rover’s Wellness works directly with growers and uses state-of-the-art nano technology to extract CBD before purity testing. Each batch is tested by a certified industrial hemp laboratory, both before and after production, with all lab-results published on its website. This process ensures that none of Rover’s Wellness products contain THC – the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis which is harmful to animals. 

The acquisition of Rover’s Wellness represents an important milestone in Tenacious Labs’ strategy to become a leading consumer products group globally and sees the Group diversify into the high growth pet care market for the first time. According to Prohibition Partners, global sales of CBD pet care products are expected to reach $424.4m by 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate of 18.6%.  

As part of the acquisition, RaChelle Baca-Lobre will join Tenacious Labs as Global Director of Sales – Pet Division and CPG Wholesale and Private Label. RaChelle’s personal passion for CBD-enriched pet care, as well as her experience in managing a fast-growing brand, will prove invaluable for the Group as it looks to scale up its pet care division over the coming months.

Since launching 12 months ago, Tenacious Labs has completed three acquisitions, including female-focused CBD brand Press Pause and high quality white-label manufacturer SZM LLC—now operating as TL Manufacturing. The Group has also continued to expand, now employing 35 people around the world as it looks to scale up.

Nicholas Morland, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Tenacious Labs, commented: “We are delighted to welcome RaChelle and her team to Tenacious Labs. Since launching in 2018, Rover’s Wellness has grown rapidly, launching genuinely market-leading products which have been well received by customers across the US. This acquisition will enable us to kick-start our pet care division, while combining RaChelle’s expertise and Tenacious Labs’ high quality manufacturing capabilities to significantly scale up Rover’s Wellness. We look forward to working with her closely over the coming months and years."

RaChelle Baca-Lobre, founder of Rover’s Wellness and Global Director of Sales – Pet Division and CPG Wholesale and Private Label at Tenacious Labs, said: “I am excited to join Tenacious Labs, a Group which reflects my desire to create safe, natural, and quality products, underpinned by third-party laboratory testing. We have enjoyed great success to date, and I believe that by harnessing Tenacious Labs’ best-in-class manufacturing facilities, marketing expertise, and operational support, we can unlock more exciting growth opportunities for Rover’s Wellness and the Group’s broader pet care division.”