Ethically Raised – Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire

Ethically Raised is the UK’s first company to offer Certified Animal Welfare Approved dog treats, providing customers with an assurance that all meat ingredients are sourced from AGW-certified farms across the UK that are manging their animals according to the highest welfare and sustainable standards.

After establishing a dog day care centre in 2015, Ethically Raised’s founder, David Kemp, became increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency in the pet food industry, with its reliance on by-products from intensively reared animals and other questionable ingredients.

“Like many dog owners, I want to feed my animals the best food and treats that I can get,” says David. “After opening a doggie day care centre in 2015, feeding dogs became very much part of our daily routine. But finding for an ‘off the shelf’ food and treats that were healthy and wholesome proved really difficult. The more I knew about what went into dog food and treats, and how it was made, the more I felt compelled to make a change.”

At the same time, David became increasingly aware of the impact of intensive livestock systems on animal welfare and the environment. “My investigations into the pet food industry and the ingredients naturally led me to watching food and farming documentaries, including Kiss the Ground,” he explains. “I knew that we could not only farm better, but we could also cultivate regeneratively. This set me on the path with Ethically Raised and my quest not only to create a pet treat business but a life-enhancing journey that pet parents will take to have a healthy, happy pet that will also live longer.” Davd joined forces with dog nutritionist, Junior Hudson, to start Ethically Raised to help dog owners access the best, most ethically raised dog treats available.

Ethically Raised is unique in the UK pet food industry. David sources meat from cull animals and animal by-products (such as offal) from livestock farms that meet the AGW programme’s Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW standards that would not be used for human consumption solely. In addition, any fruit and vegetable ingredients in Ethically Raised products are also certified organic and sourced in the UK.

As well as influencing our food choices, changing societal priorities on animal welfare and the environment are now also affecting pet food demand trends. With growing consumer concern in the UK about the source of pet food ingredients – and rising demand for pet food and treats produced to meaningful standards – David sought third-party validation to verify the high welfare and environmental meat sourcing practices at Ethically Raised.

“Our goal is to revolutionise the pet food and treat industry,” says David. “By only sourcing meat ingredients from A Greener World’s certified farms, we’re putting the highest quality meat in our pet treats and doing good for the planet. As the first – and currently only – pet treat brand to be certified by A Greener World, we are practicing what we preach: transparency, ethical standards, and a positive environmental impact.”

Ethically Raised’s Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW pet treats are available through their online store, as well as numerous retail outlets. Check the AGW online directory for details. For more information about Ethically Raised, visit ethicallyraised.co.uk. Contact David Kemp at hello@ethicallyraised.co.uk and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Rural Life Magazine