Is Royal Canin ethical and cruelty-free?
Not really — Royal Canin fails 3 of the 4 ethics signals we track, including its animal-testing position, and holds no third-party certification we can verify.
Royal Canin, a subsidiary of Mars Inc., is a leading veterinary-recommended pet food brand known for its breed-specific and health-focused formulas, but its ethical profile is mixed due to its parent company's association with animal testing for confectionery, limited sustainability transparency, and no official vegan product range.
The evidence, signal by signal
Cruelty-freeflagged
No clear public policy; parent company Mars states it does not test finished products on animals unless required by law, but feeding trials for pet food are not addressed.
Vegan optionsunverified
No vegan or plant-based product range offered.
Sells in mainland Chinaflagged
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
Third-party certifiedflagged
No independent certifications recorded on the products we track.
Public pledges: Aims for 100% recyclable packaging by 2025, 100% sustainable fish sourcing by 2025, and net-zero emissions by 2050.
Scored with our public methodology. Profile last updated 2026-09-27.
More on Royal Canin
Is Royal Canin ethical? FAQs
Is Royal Canin cruelty-free?+
No clear public policy; parent company Mars states it does not test finished products on animals unless required by law, but feeding trials for pet food are not addressed.
Does Royal Canin have vegan products?+
No vegan or plant-based product range offered.
Does Royal Canin sell in mainland China?+
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
What is Royal Canin's ethics score?+
Royal Canin averages —/100 across 0 products we score on certifications, sourcing, labour, packaging and transparency.
What are the best alternatives to Royal Canin?+
See our full list of ethical alternatives to Royal Canin for better-scoring options in the same categories.