Beef

Where's the beef? You may notice a surprising lack of beef treats on our site, especially considering that beef is the second most common protein (chicken being number one) used in dog treats. Over 11 thousands tons of beef goes to making dog treats in the United States each year. This fact alone isn't a problem, rather the problem is that 75-80% of grass-fed beef sold in the United States is imported, with Brazil being one of the top importers. Brazil's constantly growing cattle industry, and the demand for cheap, grass fed beef, has resulted in 800 million trees being destroyed in the Amazon Rainforest over the last six year. Most popular dog treats, including bully sticks, collagen chews, and cow ears are sourced from South America. Many companies claim to source transparently, and assure you that their treats are ethically produced without any deforestation. Unfortunately this is virtually impossible to verify, with "dirty" ranches linked to deforestation laundering cattle to "clean" ranches that are certified deforestation free. So, clearly the concerned shopper should look for beef labeled product of the USA, right? Unfortunately, lax labeling laws mean that as long as foreign beef is processed through a USDA plant and repackaged, it may be labeled product of the USA. We decided that for us, besides our beef liver treats grazed on Audubon Certified bird friendly grasslands in Colorado, bison fills our beef niche. Bison are native to the United States and naturally beneficial to the grasslands they graze, are less likely to have ever been confined, and are similar in price to truly sustainably sourced beef.
Beef