The Canadian government’s upcoming imposition of 25 per cent retaliation tariffs spikes concern among local canine and feline pet owners on accessibility to their pet’s food. 

Regina’s Pet Depot is a family-owned local pet store located in Normanview Crossing. They strive to provide pets with nutritious diets, and they employ knowledgeable staff who understand the concerns of pet parents regarding the approaching tariffs and are ready to introduce quality Canadian alternatives. 

“I currently shop at Metro Pet and buy Nature’s Logic for my dog, which is unfortunately an American food. With my dog’s ongoing health issues, I’m worried about switching foods. If the price goes up, I might just have to continue purchasing the same kibble, unless someone can show me something different,” said Kaira Lund, a potential new customer at Regina’s Pet Depot. 

With U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s counter-tariffs delayed until Mar. 4, a significant number of customers at Regina’s Pet Depot are using this time to ask questions so that they know what to expect. 

“Some customers that are currently on, knowing that they are on, U.S. foods are wanting to switch off to find Canadian foods. Our job is to help facilitate that and give them the information that we can,” said Curt Carroll, pet nutrition specialist and owner of Regina’s Pet Depot. 

With certain Canadian pet foods being manufactured in the U.S. and vice versa, it is important to keep a close eye on labels. A tariff situation this severe has never occurred in the history of Canada and the U.S., making it difficult for everyone to assume the impact it will have on their pet’s food. 

“It’s not so much the U.S. tariffs that are going to affect us, it’s what the Canadian government does. They’ve been kind of vague. The first issue is that the government didn’t name any pet foods particularly in there. So, we don’t really know what will be included, or what’s going to be included, until the government really says that. But our Canadian government is fairly vague right now,” said Curt Carroll.

There is almost always an equivalent option when it comes to switching from one pet food to another. Luckily, Curt Carroll assures his valued customers a wide selection of Canadian canine and feline foods that his store offers.

“With our dog food, we’re already about 90 per cent Canadian, cat food, we’re about 70 per cent Canadian, so it’s fairly easy. A lot of our current customers are currently on Canadian anyway, but there are a few that we’re getting from other stores, particularly the big box stores, that are coming in looking for Canadian options for their food.”