Central Garden & Pet (CENT) executive withholds 1,181 shares for tax obligations

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Central Garden & Pet executive John D. Walker III, President of Garden Consumer Products, reported a routine tax-related share withholding on restricted stock vesting. On February 6, 2026, 1,181 shares of Class A common stock were delivered at $33.6 per share to cover withholding taxes.

After this transaction, Walker beneficially owns 67,985 Class A common shares directly and an additional 2,200 units indirectly through the company’s 401(k) plan CENTA Stock Fund, which holds a mix of CENTA shares and cash.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Walker John D. III

(Last) (First) (Middle)

1340 TREAT BLVD

SUITE 600

(Street)

WALNUT CREEK CA 94597-7578

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO [ CENT ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	President, Garden Consumer Pro

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/06/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Class A Common Stock	02/06/2026		F(1)		1,181	D	$33.6	67,985	D
Units								2,200	I	By 401(k) Plan(2)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Shares delivered by Reporting Person in payment of the withholding tax liability upon vesting of restricted stock. The amount of shares withheld is based on the average of the high and low of the sales prices of CENTA on Febrauary 6, 2026.

2. The units represent interests in the CENTA Stock Fund in the Issuer's 401(k) Plan, which consist of shares of CENTA stock and cash.

	/s/Filomena Eickstaedt as Attorney-in-Fact for John Walker	02/09/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

FAQ

What insider transaction did CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT) report?

CENT reported that executive John D. Walker III delivered 1,181 Class A shares to cover withholding taxes on vested restricted stock. This is a non-market transaction and left his overall ownership position largely unchanged, with most shares still held directly.

At what price were the CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT) shares withheld?

The 1,181 Class A shares were valued at $33.6 per share for tax withholding. The filing states this amount reflects the average of the high and low CENTA sales prices on February 6, 2026, the restricted stock vesting date.

How many CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT) shares does John D. Walker III now own?

After the tax withholding, John D. Walker III beneficially owns 67,985 Class A common shares directly. He also holds 2,200 units indirectly through the company’s 401(k) plan CENTA Stock Fund, which includes CENTA stock and cash assets.

Was the CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT) Form 4 sale an open-market transaction?

No. The Form 4 describes shares delivered to satisfy withholding tax on restricted stock vesting, coded as transaction type F. This indicates a tax-withholding event rather than a discretionary open-market sale initiated by the executive.

What do the 2,200 units in the CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT) 401(k) plan represent?

The 2,200 units represent interests in the CENTA Stock Fund within the issuer’s 401(k) plan. According to the filing, these units consist of a combination of CENTA shares and cash, reflecting indirect ownership held through the retirement plan structure.

What is John D. Walker III’s role at CENTRAL GARDEN & PET (CENT)?

John D. Walker III is an officer of Central Garden & Pet, serving as President, Garden Consumer Pro. His position and insider status require reporting changes in his beneficial ownership of the company’s Class A common stock on Form 4.