Reaching the Right Pet Owners for Complex Quotas in Pet Industry Market Research

Recruiting qualified pet owners across multiple variables, including pet type, life stage, feeding habits, and owner demographics, requires both precision and reach.

When a global research firm needed to conduct pet industry market research in Canada, they faced a challenge: sourcing pet owners who met detailed quotas for species, life stage, feeding preferences, and household composition. Because of the large market size and growth forecast of the pet industry in North America, it was also critical that they worked with the most up-to-date information possible.

The objective was to explore pet food decision-making through the lens of pet owners who are actively involved in purchasing, feeding, and managing dietary needs. This included owners of pets with health conditions, owners with specific brand loyalties, and individuals open to trying new diets. It was not enough to find general pet owners; the client needed nuanced, pre-qualified respondents to fill precise study segments.

Decision Point Research was brought in because of our proven ability to deliver highly-specific recruits on time with minimal fall-off, and for our ability to adapt recruitment strategies as targets evolved. Our ability to provide high-quality, up-to-date data and provide information to help the pet industry gather information on consumer behaviour with Canadian newcomers and a multicultural audience was also critical.

Managing Complex Quotas in Pet Market Research

The client’s research design required recruiting pet owners across a series of refined and particular quotas. These included:

• • Pet type (dogs, cats, exotic animals)
  • Life stage (infants/youths, adults, seniors)
  • Feeding style (wet, dry, mixed, specialized diets)
  • Dietary or health-related considerations
  • Owner demographics (age, household income, family makeup)
  • Interest in and openness to different pet food brands and types

While each participant was expected to meet a tailored set of criteria, the volume and specificity of unique combinations meant standard panel sampling alone would not yield the precision or balance needed. Managing this level of specificity, across multiple intersecting attributes, required a recruitment strategy that was both targeted and flexible.

To ensure accuracy and speed, we combined our deeply profiled general population panel with agile digital outreach, enabling us to fill even the most niche segments successfully.

How Decision Point Supports Market Research in the Pet Industry

Decision Point Research maintains a highly detailed proprietary general population panel across Canada, which includes different pet owners. This allowed us to quickly identify matches for this complex pet market research study without relying on last-minute outreach.

For this project, we used our panel as a first source and layered in digital campaigns targeting specific pet care behaviours and demographics. We activated campaigns across multiple social platforms and optimized them to filter audiences by region, pet profile, and brand interest.

To ensure client confidence, our team provided regular updates with quota progress, pre-screening validation summaries, and soft-launch insights to calibrate participant quality before full execution.

Outcome: Precision Execution and Long-Term Engagement

Thanks to our efforts, the recruitment process was successful, with zero quota misses and no rescheduling required due to disqualifications. Client feedback emphasized appreciation for how efficiently we handled a multi-layered sampling structure under a short timeline.

Following this project, the client engaged Decision Point for additional studies in other Canadian markets, and we expanded our support to include international recruitment for their projects.

Results at a Glance

• • Recruited pet owners across complex, multi-variable quotas without delays
  • Delivered niche segments including exotic pet owners, health-specific feeders, and brand-flexible respondents
  • 100% of detailed quotas fulfilled with 0% disqualification rate
  • Combined panel intelligence with agile recruitment to meet shifting project needs

Ready to Launch Your Next Pet Market Research Study?

Whether your study requires owners of senior dogs on prescription diets or first-time cat parents using emerging boutique brands, Decision Point is here to help.

We specialize in connecting research firms with verified, compliant, and highly targeted participants across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Our recruitment infrastructure is built for precision, and our teams are trained to anticipate and resolve quota complexity before it causes disruption.

Start your next pet industry market research project with confidence. Request a bid from Decision Point Research today.