IAMS and Strava Partner to Turn Pet Ownership Into a Fitness Driver
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
A new partnership between Mars Incorporated’s IAMS brand and Strava is tapping into a simple behavior already happening at scale: people moving more because of their pets.
The collaboration introduces a “Pet Tag” feature on Strava, allowing users to log walks, runs, and outdoor activities completed with their dogs. The rollout begins in the US, targeting millions of pet owners already active on the platform.
The data behind the move is straightforward. According to Strava, 76% of users with pets say their animals motivate them to get moving. At the same time, only 40% of urban pet owners feel their neighborhoods are truly pet-friendly, highlighting a gap between behavior and environment.
This is where the partnership is positioning itself. By combining activity tracking with community challenges, the goal is to reinforce habits that already exist while encouraging more consistent movement. Users can tag activities “with pet” and participate in IAMS-backed challenges designed to increase frequency and engagement.
From a fitness industry perspective, the angle is notable. Pets are emerging as an overlooked driver of physical activity, particularly for consumers who may not identify with traditional gym environments. Walking, jogging, and outdoor recreation with dogs represent a low-barrier entry point into consistent movement.
The partnership also ties into a broader push around lifestyle integration. Rather than separating fitness into dedicated sessions, it leans into everyday behaviors, blending activity, companionship, and routine.
Beyond the consumer layer, the initiative feeds into Mars’ broader Better Cities for Pets program, which focuses on improving access to pet-friendly spaces in urban environments. Insights gathered through Strava activity data are expected to inform how cities design green spaces and shared environments for both people and pets.
For operators and brands, the takeaway is less about the feature itself and more about the behavior shift. Movement is increasingly being driven outside traditional fitness settings, and in many cases, by factors like pets, social connection, and daily routine rather than structured workouts.
As engagement continues to fragment across formats, partnerships like this point to a broader expansion of what counts as fitness, and who or what is motivating it.
