I have had dogs my whole life, including collies, a cockapoo and a goldendoodle, and I love them. That is why I am so happy that 5W, in our 25th year, is a leading pet agency. Working with pet brands does not feel like a niche to me. It feels like home.
Why Have Dogs Been Part of My Whole Life?
Dogs have been part of my life since long before I started 5W. I have shared my home with collies, a cockapoo and a goldendoodle, and I have always thought of a dog as a member of the family.
That matters in my work. When a pet brand tells me its product is made for a dog that people treat like family, I do not have to imagine the customer. I have been that customer.
How Did 5W Become a Pet Agency?
5W was founded in 2003 as a full-service PR agency, and its pet practice now works with brands in food, treats, supplements, services, franchises, insurance and technology. The agency describes that work on its pet PR and AI visibility page.
The pet work grew one client at a time. Each new brand brought a different kind of dog person, from a family looking for better food to a franchise owner building a business around dogs.
Which Pet Brands Has 5W Worked With?
5W has worked with pet brands across food, wellness, services and dog sports. The table below lists a selection, with details taken from 5W's case studies and public announcements.
| Brand | What it does | 5W work |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster Kennel Club | Dog sports organization founded in 1877 | Case study on 5wpr.com |
| Camp Bow Wow | Doggy day and overnight camp franchise | Case study on 5wpr.com |
| Zoom Room | Indoor dog training gym | Agency of record, announced in 2023 |
| PetAg | Pet wellness and nutrition brand | Agency of record, announced June 2025 |
| Yourgi | Pet services marketplace | Agency of record, announced September 25, 2025 |
| Bedsure Pet | Pet essentials brand | Agency of record, announced January 26, 2026 |
| The Honest Kitchen | Pet food and treats | Pack Retreat, September 29 to October 1, 2026 |
What Does Being a Leading Pet Agency Mean to Me?
I call 5W a leading pet agency because of the clients above and the range of work behind them, which includes earned media, creator programs, events and AI search visibility for pet brands.
The clearest recent example is Pack Retreat 2.0, which 5W's pet team hosted at the Arnold House in the Catskills from September 29 to October 1, 2026. The three-day event brought 32 guests, including dogs, together with The Honest Kitchen, Cabot Creamery, Waggle, Dental Fresh, MacKenzie-Childs and Veterinary Formula. According to the Pack Retreat case study, it produced 300+ organic social shares, an estimated 38M+ social reach, 24M+ immediate earned media impressions and a Good Morning America placement.
How Did the Pack Retreat Put Brands in Front of Editors?
The Pack Retreat put brands in front of editors by building them into every part of the weekend. The Honest Kitchen, for example, appeared in the welcome newspaper, on event signage, in every guest room and in the common areas, and it ran a cake decorating activity for its new Bake Mixes.
Guests decorated cakes for their dogs with applesauce, Greek yogurt, peanut butter and berries. One guest wrote in the post-retreat survey that the activity was the perfect way to experience the baked items.
The guest list included Forbes Vetted, Good Morning America, InsideHook and The Spruce Pets, alongside seven pet creators with a combined following of 1.7M+.
Why Does Pet PR Work for Consumer Brands?
Pet PR works for consumer brands because pet products are consumer products, sold to people who share photos of their dogs without being asked. A bag of treats on a table can become a creator's story the same day. At the Pack Retreat, attendees began posting on September 29, the first day, and kept posting through October 7.
That pattern matches the advice in my guide on how to pitch journalists for a product, which tells brands to offer a sample. The retreat made the sample the setting.
It also fits the structure in my launch PR guide, where one locked story anchors a twelve-week plan. At the Pack Retreat, the newest product was the Bake Mixes, and the cake activity gave it the spotlight.
Where Else Can You Read About the Retreat?
Both 5W and Everything-PR have published their own accounts of the Pack Retreat. The 5W version is the full case study linked above. Everything-PR News LLC, which is owned by a shared interest group that includes me, published a story on why pet brands are turning to retreats.
My post on 5W's 25th year covers the agency's AI search results as it enters that milestone.
How Do I Feel About Our 25th Year?
I feel lucky. A company that began in 2003 now spends part of its year hosting a weekend where dogs decorate cakes with their people, and I do not take that for granted.
The final slide of the Pack Retreat recap says "Until next year!" I plan to hold the agency to that.