The Pet Industry Federation (PIF) has today launched GARD (Guidance for Advertising, Review and Drafting) a tool designed to help businesses assess the advertising risk of pet supplements and other non-medicinal veterinary products.
GARD is intended to support responsible marketing by helping users identify wording that may risk presenting a product as a veterinary medicine.
GARD is aimed at manufacturers, brand owners, marketers, technical teams and regulatory reviewers involved in developing packaging, leaflets, websites, testimonials and other promotional materials for non-medicinal veterinary products in the pet sector.
PIF created GARD to provide a clearer way of reviewing advertising wording against the core principle that non-medicinal veterinary products should be presented only as supporting or maintaining health in healthy animals. They should not be presented as treating, preventing, curing, restoring, correcting or modifying disease or physiological functions in a medicinal way. The framework has been developed against the current regulatory backdrop, including Veterinary Medicines Directorate guidance on advertising non-medicinal veterinary products published on 14 January 2026.
Using a Green, Amber, Amber-Red and Red structure, ‘GARD’ helps users review wording individually and in combination across channels including packaging, leaflets, websites and testimonials. It is an advisory screening tool to support best practice and does not replace legal review.
Nigel Baker, PIF CEO, said: “’GARD’ has been developed to help businesses navigate an area that can often feel unclear in practice. By giving companies a more structured way to review wording and presentation, we hope it will support better decision-making and encourage high standards in the marketing of non-medicinal veterinary products across the pet sector.”
‘GARD’ can be accessed through PIF as part of its wider support for compliant and responsible product marketing. It is a free to PIF members, and will cost £150 + VAT to non-members. To access ‘GARD’, please email info@petfederation.co.uk
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Dan Everett