NEW YORK — Better Choice Company, Inc. announced Oct. 16 it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Halo, Purely for Pets, a holistic, premium pet food brand. As part of the acquisition, current Halo CEO Werner von Pein — who was appointed to the position in January 2019 — will continue to manage Halo.

“Better Choice is the ideal partner for Halo and this combination comes at an exciting time for our company,” said Werner von Pein, CEO of Halo. “As the Better Choice team brings a wealth of experience in animal health and growing consumer brands, we are eager to leverage that expertise and continue to expand our company’s footprint, while maintaining Halo’s unwavering commitment to product quality and to our pet parents’ experience.”

The pet food manufacturer’s name and products are not expected to change as a result of the acquisition, according to Better Choice.

“Over the last three decades, Halo has built a strong reputation and loyal consumer following, carving out a niche in the industry with high-quality animal products that contain whole food meat and fish and non-GMO ingredients. We look forward to working with their team to close the transaction and integrate their brand into our operating and marketing platform,” said Damian Dalla-Longa, CEO of Better Choice.

Halo’s positioning in the market aligns with Better Choice Company’s aspiration to be an “all-encompassing, global animal health and wellness” product company, Dalla-Longa added.

"This is a transformational acquisition for Better Choice that will help accelerate the build out of our animal health platform," said Bruce Linton, special advisor to Better Choice. "The team, market and capital are aligned on the opportunity to create a world class business… with responsible revenue growth and an ambitious research, data and analytics strategy.”

Better Choice said it expects the acquisition to be finalized by the end of 2019.

The company’s portfolio includes several pet nutrition and wellness brands, including TruCat and TruDog, direct-to-consumer pet wellness products; OraPup, direct-to-consumer oral hygiene pet products; and Rawgo, direct-to-consumer dehydrated dog foods. 

Better Choice recently partnered with Authentic Brands Group to launch a line of Elvis Presley-inspired dog treats fortified with cannabidiol (CBD) oil under Authentic Brands’ Elvis Presley Hound Dog name brand.

Better Choice is a portfolio company of premium pet brands, including hemp and CBD supplements, with a mission to “provide clean, holistic and nutritional options for consumers who want to bring their own healthier lifestyle to their pets,” according to the company’s website.

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