13 Black-Owned Pet Brands You Should Absolutely Shop

Drawing from her background as a designer for brands like Nike and Levi’s, Angela Medlin began designing toys for her Olde English Bulldogge, Wubbi, in 2017. Her hobby soon evolved into House Dogge, which earned a spot on Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list in 2020 for its sustainable, upcycled products including leather leashes, and biodegradable rope toys, and fleece hoodies (which you can customize with your dog’s name).

House Dogge supports Oregon dog rescue the NW Dog Project, and in her free time, Medlin pays it forward through her project Faas Design Collab, which “provides creative and professional development to underrepresented creatives desiring to enter the product creation industry.”

When Pet Plate founder Renaldo Webb started cooking for his own dogs and noticed near-instant improvements in their health, he was motivated to start his own company. Webb teamed up with veterinary nutritionist Dr. R.M. Streeter to create this human-grade dog food that is cooked in USDA kitchens, then flash-frozen for freshness. Available by subscription, meal plans are customized for your pet and delivered to your door. 

Veterinarian and founder Dr. Joe J. Owens created Enjoy-a-Bowl after growing increasingly frustrated with treating pets who had preventable health complications. His vision was to prevent issues from diabetes to obesity by helping pets develop healthy-eating habits. Simply plop your pet’s favorite aromatic food, such as chicken, in the lower compartment, place a filter on top, and then slide the bowl lid on top of that. Put your pet’s regular food in the top-bowl compartment and watch as they come running for dinner. 

U.K.-based Bark & Tumble makes limited-edition knitwear for dogs in poppy prints and from cozy materials like boucle jersey and organic cotton. Designer Leah Bertram founded the brand to prove that style and comfort are not mutually exclusive. Oh, and yes, she ships to the U.S.

Bored with the pet ID tags on the market, LA-based Rachel Jones founded Trill Paws, a line of dog accessories that are anything but basic. A tag that reads, “Have your people call my people” and others in the shape of Drake and a bag of money are among some of the gems you’ll find on the Trill Paws site. The brand also donates 25 tags a month to rescue organizations, including the Labelle Foundation in LA and Rescue City in NYC.

Little L’s Dog Bakery was founded after Lenny Forde scoured his neighborhood for healthy, wholesome ingredients to create homemade dog treats for his pups Lily and Lulu. Forde shared the treats with his community of dog parents and word got out. Little L’s “krak’ems” and “woofulls” are made with human-grade meat and other healthful ingredients, such as banana and blueberries, at Forde’s pet bakery in Brooklyn. 

Austin-based Nana and Marcus Pfeifer started Homescape Pets after losing their first pup to cancer. “We knew we couldn’t save her life, but we could give her a better quality of life. That included less hardcore drugs and more of what nature provides,” they say. After consulting with integrative veterinarians, they developed all-natural joint supplements, CBD oil, and single-ingredient chews that are all chemical-and-toxin-free, made in the U.S., and contain only organically grown herbs. The Pfeifers also support local shelters, including Austin Pets Alive.

Handcrafted, stamped, and glazed in Los Angeles, Kibble and Bone believes your pet should be dining in style. If these gorgeous bowls — which come in Classic ceramic, Poppy red, Mojito mint, and glossy Midnight black colorways — aren’t selling themselves, consider that for every bowl purchased, the brand donates dog food to LA’s Wags and Walks animal rescue.

Ava’s Pet Palace was founded by 14-year-old Ava Dorsey when she was just six years old (try not to get insecure) with the aim to create a healthier world for pets. Today, Ava’s Pet Place provides pet parents with USDA-certified organic and single-ingredient treats in flavors including Cheeze Pleaze, Gone Banana, and Peanutty Paws. Dorsey features rescues and Rescuers of the Month (one of whom is Nina Love, founder of The Black Thornberry) and posts about adoptable pets on her Instagram.

In addition to Fresh Pawz founder Christopher Cargoni’s own line of graphic gear (hoodies, harnesses, sneakers, and more), the LA-based pet streetwear designer collaborates with everyone from Odd Future and Santa Cruz Skateboards to Death Row Records and NBALAB. Fresh Pawz also partners with Petfinder to promote pet adoption.

Barbara Clarke-Ruiz worked for big players, including Adidas, Disney, and New Balance before turning her attention to her dog, YumYum, who was reacting poorly to over-processed dog treats. She launched Lick You Silly, a small line of limited-ingredient dog treats and seasonings / meal toppers, free of artificial flavors, antibiotics, and by-products. Both savory (freeze-dried beef and chicken) and sweet (peanut butter and honey) flavors are available. And a portion of the proceeds go to animal rescues around the country.

The Bark Shoppe’s line of all-natural pet products is a smart addition to any pup’s grooming routine. The woman-owned brand includes shampoos, conditioners, body sprays, and dental rinses — all of which are vegan and cruelty-free. With allergy season around the corner, you may want to stock up on their medicated antifungal/antimicrobial shampoo, hypoallergenic shampoo, and soothing hot spot spray. And if your dog is a New Yorker, The Bark Shoppe also offers grooming, bathing, boarding, and daycare services at their Harlem HQ.

Following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma back in 2017, teen entrepreneur Sir Darius Brown was moved to do something to help the animals who had suffered in the storms. He started stitching together bow ties on his own sewing machine and donating them to local shelters so dogs could sport them in their adoption photos — which he shared on his Instagram account. Beaux & Paws was born. In 2022, Brown received a Global Child Prodigy Award and was sent a personal letter commending his efforts by former President Barack Obama.