It should come as no surprise that being stuck inside for months on end led to the biggest pet boom of the century. During the last year, 11.3 million Americans adopted furry friends -- and for reference, only 3.6 million human babies were born. As pet lovers, this stat makes us giddy. But an often untold truth is that this huge increase in such-a-good-boys could also have unprecedented impacts on the environment. Pet food production requires an average of 121 million acres of agricultural land (twice the size of the UK) and releases 106 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

With more pets in the picture, these staggering numbers will likely increase. Luckily, brands like us are putting the power of positive change back into paws. Here at Shameless Pets, we've made it our mission to share real, recognizable ingredients with our pets through the most eco-friendly pet treats. Both cats and dogs can indulge in delicious treats made from upcycled ingredients that would otherwise go to waste, including “ugly” sweet potatoes, apple pulp from the cider press, and leftover Halloween pumpkins. By repurposing food waste- or better known as upcycling- we've already rescued ½ million pounds of food and turned it into highly nutritious pet treats, without contributing to the unnecessary and massive greenhouse gas emissions of pet food production.

Though we're proud of the amount of foods we've saved to date, we've still got a long way to go. Our goal by 2025 is to upcycle 3 million pounds of food! Each purchase you make helps us get one step closer to our goal. So grab a bag (or a few), subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on our journey!