21 Best Black-Owned Pet Brands 2023
Photo: Retailers
Buying your dog or cat quality food, a cozy place to sleep, and a cute collar or leash gives you the chance to spoil a pet you love. It’s also a chance to support Black-owned businesses. The following 21 amazing Black-owned pet brands sell everything from dog bandannas to aromatherapy candles for pets. Some we’ve written about before, and some are completely new to us. But all of them are worth checking out ASAP.
Barbara Clarke Ruiz went from being a brand consultant to launching her own company with her husband. Lick You Silly makes all-natural dog treats, so they’re safe enough for dogs with allergies — but they’re delicious too. They sell dog-food seasoning, peanut butter biscuits, and chicken and sweet potato dog bones, as well as these freeze-dried meat treats, which happen to be a favorite of Venus Williams’s dog.
Out of Little L’s Brooklyn-based pet bakery comes an assortment of all-natural dog treats. It makes everything from cake to cookies to waffles for dogs, but its hero product is Krak’ems, a safe homemade alternative to jerky. Co-founder Lenny Forde dehydrates meat in the oven to kill bacteria, giving these treats an addictive crunchy texture akin to brittle. This is the chicken flavor; they’re also available in turkey, beef, and pork. And the brand sells crunchy salmon skin for your feline friends.
For sensitive dog skin, try this natural shampoo from Nova West Supplies. It helps soothe and heal itchy, irritated skin, yeast infections, dry coat, dermatitis, and more. Thanks to a blend of natural soap, apple-cider vinegar, and a cocktail of essential oils, it’s not only antifungal but will leave your pup with a shiny-looking coat as well.
Fragrance expert Gerrard Larriett developed a line of aromatherapy pet care after his search for spa-quality grooming products came up short. In addition to natural shampoos and conditioners, doggy sunscreen, and breath freshener, he created an extensive line of candles that are pet-odor eliminating and packed with essential aromatherapy oils that both you and your furry friend can benefit from. According to the description, this vanilla-oil-infused candle will reduce stress and anxiety while also lifting the mood in your home.
Dog lover and teen Sir Darius Brown started making and donating bow ties to shelter pets in 2017 and has since turned it into a business. Your pup can now look just as dapper with one of his printed ties. There are seasonal designs and more classic looks, but you’re guaranteed fun prints and lots of color.
For the picky eater, there’s Enjoy-a-Bowl. Veterinarian Joe J. Owens designed the dual-compartment bowl to trick pups with health problems (like diabetes and obesity) to eat their specialty (not-as-tasty) dog food. To get your pet to eat its own healthy food, place crave-able human food in the locked lower compartment and their food in the bowl on top. They’ll lick the bowl clean trying to get to the human food inside.
It ships to the United States, but this stylish dog-apparel brand founded by Leah Bertram is based in the U.K. The items in the collection are handmade and come in a range of styles and patterns. Your dog will be the trendiest at the park in one of Bark & Tumble’s checkerboard sweaters.
[Editor’s note: Bark & Tumble lists its prices in pounds, so this is an approximation to U.S. dollars.]
Brooklyn green thumbs may be familiar with the nursery Natty Garden, but how about the Natty Pet Shop? Owner Joel MahFood opened this sister store in Prospect Heights for all the cat and dog essentials. But it also has bird, reptile, and hamster owners covered too. Even if you’re not local, you can still support it in its online shop.
Sasha Nunes’s hero product is baked-to-order vegan dog treats, but her company Bark Organix also sells dog toys, accessories, pet-parent apparel, and clean grooming products so natural you could shampoo with them.
The In Pups We Trust philosophy is about making products from a pup’s point of view, meaning Fido comes first. A range of natural and organic balms and essential oils treats common pet problems like dry paw pads and anxiety (hello, holiday fireworks). It also sells chew toys designed with human sensibilities in mind, like the pun-y Barkin Bag, a White Paw, and Casamuttgos Tequila.
Husband-and-wife team Nana and Marcus started Homescape Pets after their mini-schnauzer, Beau, got sick with cancer and they started questioning whether regular holistic care and a better diet could have helped avoid that outcome. Their line of all-natural products is meant to help pets lead better and healthier lives. This joint support for dogs and cats claims to relieve pain and arthritis using green-lipped mussel, turmeric, and broad-spectrum hemp extract.
We’ve talked to the Bark Shoppe founder, Melissa Mitchner, multiple times about the best tools for grooming your dog at home. Its line of vegan natural grooming products for dogs and cats includes shampoo, deodorizing spray, and grooming kits.
Fifteen-year-old Ava Dorsey (a dog and cat owner) started her company to provide healthy pet treats made with quality and tasty ingredients. You can buy them in individual bags, like these peanut-flavored biscuits, or as a monthly subscription.
When founder Rita Pardo couldn’t find anything to relieve her daughter’s severe case of eczema, she created her own line of moisturizing products from natural ingredients. Now the brand also makes products for pets, including this paw-and-nose lotion bar made with shea and cocoa butter.
Chicago-based Sir Dogwood was founded four years ago as a community for stylish dogs and their owners. It carries a wide range of apparel, home décor, toys, and other dog essentials, all of which will look good — both on your dog and in your house.
Renaldo Webb started out as a consultant in the pet-food industry before launching Pet Plate. He worked with a veterinarian to create human-grade dog food that provides optimal nutrition and that dogs will want to eat.
Los Angeles–based owner and designer Angela Medlin makes simple and stylish toys, sweatshirts, leashes, and bandannas for dogs. Much of her merchandise is customizable with your pet’s name.
Trill Paws founder Rachel Jones mixes her love of animals and pop culture to create memorable dog and cat tags, toys, leashes, and collars. In addition to this tennis-ball tag, she also sells a gold-chain dog collar and a stuffed toy shaped like Drake crying.
The Cleveland-based brand handcrafts grooming products for dogs with sensitive skin and allergies, like this unscented vegan shampoo made with coconut and olive oils.
Alissa Abba creates made-to-order bandanas inspired by her mini-poodle. This cheeky pickle-printed one is reversible and available in three sizes.
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