SAN FRANCISCO — Wag! Group Co., an online platform that offers pet services, completed its acquisition of Dog Food Advisor, a consumer-trusted dog food marketplace, on Jan. 5 for $9 million in cash. The company acquired Dog Food Advisor from Clicks and Traffic LLC.

On Jan. 3, Wag! entered a definitive asset purchase agreement with Clicks and Traffic to acquire Dog Food Advisor, but the acquisition was subject to closing conditions. The acquisition of Dog Food Advisor represents the company’s entrance into the pet food market.

“Today, we officially welcomed the Dog Food Advisor community to Wag!,” said Garrett Smallwood, chairman and chief executive officer of Wag!. “Wag!’s acquisition of Dog Food Advisor is aligned with the top elements of our strategy to create sustainable shareholder value while consolidating the pet industry online.”

Established in 2008 by Mike Sagman, DDS, Dog Food Advisor researches and reviews various dog food products, examining recall history and safety practices, offering pet parents knowledge through its proprietary website DogFoodAdvisor.com. Since its inception, Dog Food Advisor has researched, reviewed and rated more than 5,300 dog food products. According to Wag!, more than 24 million pet parents have visited DogFoodAdvisor.com in the past 24 months.

“It’s hard to imagine a better entrance into the pet food and treats market than through the digital presence that Dog Food Advisor has built for over a decade,” Smallwood said. “This acquisition demonstrates a commitment to our long-term strategic initiatives of measured expansion, opportunistic mergers and acquisitions, and becoming an all-inclusive, trusted partner for the premium pet parent.

“This is the latest example of how Wag! is expanding and diversifying its business mix throughout the pet industry, while continuing to leverage the unrivaled data that our platform naturally holds,” he added.

Wag! offers various pet services to consumers, including dog walking, pet sitting, pet advice, wellness plans, one-on-one training and more through a network of 400,000 pet caregivers nationwide. According to the company, more than 12.1 million services have been completed through its platform in more than 5,300 cities throughout the United States. Through these services, Wag! has collected extensive data on pet breeds, ages, walk distances and service frequency. By combining its data with Dog Food Advisor’s expansive reach, Wag! seeks to become a partner in personalized pet food and treat offerings.

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