Loving animals means caring about all of them.

We love nurturing the animals in our families. And we also know it takes a toll on other animals to make pet food. That tension isn't lost on us; it's why we take animal welfare so seriously.

We believe we have a responsibility to every animal touched by our business, the pets we nourish, and the animals we source from. This page explains how we're working to honor that responsibility.

The pet industry's first
formalized Animal
Welfare Framework

We created this framework because we needed one. The pet industry didn't have a standard for thinking about the welfare of animals in the supply chain, so we built our own, based on science that's been used in animal agriculture for decades.

Our framework is modeled after the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, a scientific structure that assesses welfare by looking at both physical needs and emotional experiences. It acknowledges that animals feel things, and that a truly good life requires more than just survival.

Susan Goldstein petting a cow along a farm fence Hens gathered together at Wolfe's Neck Farm Farmer feeding a calf by hand at Wolfe's Neck Farm

All animals deserve a good life

And a good life requires five things:

Good Nutrition

A good life starts with good food. Animals need high-quality nutrition, clean water, and a balanced diet, fed at their own pace, never forced.

What this looks like:

On our partner farms, animals are fed high-quality food with access to clean water. They eat at their own will, never force-fed or overfed. We know a balanced diet matters and we won't sacrifice it for convenience.

Good Environment

Animals need space to move, fresh air to breathe, and familiar surroundings that feel safe. Sudden changes and unpredictable conditions cause stress.

What this looks like:

Our animals are free to roam and explore. Living spaces are clean, comfortable, and temperature-controlled. Routine matters. Predictability helps animals feel secure.

Good Health

Physical health is the foundation. Animals should get enough exercise, maintain healthy weight, and live free from injury and disease.

What this looks like:

Our partner farms are cage-free, added hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and steroid-free. Every animal gets proper attention and care for their health and overall wellbeing.

Good Behavior

Animals have instincts and suppressing them causes suffering. A good life means freedom to behave naturally: to play, explore, bond, and rest.

What this looks like

Animals have room and time to play, forage, and explore. They can form bonds with others. And they get plenty of rest after active days. We let animals be animals.

Good Mental State

The other four domains lead here. When nutrition, environment, health, and behavior are right, animals can be calm, content, and free from chronic stress or fear.

What this looks like:

Just like us, animals have thoughts and feelings. They know when they're cared for. That's why we put our hearts into this work, so the animals in our supply chain are living a good life, not just surviving.

We encourage other companies in the pet industry, and beyond, to adopt this framework. The more businesses that take animal welfare science seriously, the better life gets for all animals.

What 'humanely sourced' means to us

Animal welfare science shows that true well-being goes beyond nutrition, environment, health, and behavior. It must also include an animal’s mental state. We look for care that supports more positive than negative experiences throughout an animal’s life. When that balance is achieved, we consider the animal to have lived a “good life,” and that principle guides how we source every animal-based ingredient.

Wisdom recipes are made with:

Our Better Chicken Commitment progress

Back in 2022, we joined hundreds of other global brands and signed the Better Chicken Commitment. Partnering with Compassion in World Farming and members of the US Working Group for Broiler Welfare, we are working together to improve the lives of broiler chickens.

Wisdom Chicken Recipe Dog Food and Jerky Treats

100% G.A.P. Step 3 Certified chicken.

No-Hide Rolls, Strips, and Stix

100% Bell & Evans Air-Chilled Chicken, audited using humane animal welfare standards comparable to G.A.P. Step 3 Certified chicken.

All chicken products

100% processed using Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) and Slow Induction Anesthesia (SIA), modern techniques implementing more humane processing methods.

Our Commitment

Under our Better Chicken Commitment timeline, we set a goal of sourcing 25% BCC-Approved Breeds by the end of 2025. We didn’t hit it. These Breeds currently cost more to source and require supply volumes that our current production doesn’t yet support. 

We have updated our longer-term goals, and are working with our partners at Compassion in World Farming to find a path to 25% that doesn’t compromise the rest of our progress and we’ll report again next year.

→ Read our full BCC progress report (PDF)

Susan Goldstein sitting at home with her mastiff

We believe that all animals deserve to live a good life, and therefore we have a fundamental responsibility to protect and advocate for the animals in our families and those that are born, raised, and slaughtered for our pet foods.

— Susan GoldsteinCo-founder

Accountability is not a destination.
This is where we are so far.

B Corp certification. Plastic neutral. 1% for the planet. These are not just badges. They are commitments with consequences. As a public benefit corporation, our obligations to people, animals, and planet are in our charter. And we are not done yet.