OUR STORY

We're Vermont Dog Eats and we make certified organic dog treats with locally-sourced and people-grade ingredients. Our all-natural dog treats are mixed, baked and bagged by hand at our bake shop in Montpelier, Vermont.

It all began one day when we decided that rather than buying dog treats with ingredients we couldn't pronounce, we would buy locally-sourced, healthy & organic foods and make them ourselves. We started sharing them with friends, neighbors, and eventually the greater community at our local farmers' market. Before long we were working with area store owners to spread the love to the slobbery masses. The rest, as they say, is history! We're happy to make a product that makes dogs happier and healthier, and we're glad that owners can give their furry friends food that is just...food.

We have a network of local farms and partners that offer us access to some of the finest food around and as a result our dog treats are made with entirely real, human-grade food and absolutely NO wheat, soy, meals, sugar, byproducts or preservatives. We believe that good dog eats are vital to the health of our furry friends.

As proud parents of two rescue dogs and a few foster pups ourselves, we can’t say enough about the work done by animal rescue groups. That's why every year we donate 2% of our profits to local animal rescue/welfare organizations. In short, we're happy to support the great community that supports Vermont Dog Eats and our furry friends.

Our Inspiration

Napoleon, our OG taste tester and feisty chihuahua, lived to be nearly 15 years old...and we like to give our treats some credit for his longevity! His favorite activities included hiking Camel's Hump and other area mountains, cleaning up toddler-flung food scraps and lounging in the sun. 

Our rescue pitbull, Ginger, wasn't too far behind Napoleon in age, and lived to be 14 years old. She loved people and dogs of all shapes and sizes, and was certified with Therapy Dogs of Vermont. As so many of you know, she was often our faithful companion at the Burlington Farmers' Market. 

WHY ORGANIC?

For Farmers

We choose to source our ingredients from organic farmers who are raising animals humanely, growing produce sustainably, and contributing to the overall health of our local food systems and economy.

For Earth

We want to be a part of the solution, not the problem. By taking part in the National Organic Program, we are demonstrating a commitment to sustainable food production that values quality over quantity and puts the planet ahead of profits.

For Dogs

We believe in feeding dogs the same quality foods we feed ourselves. That means foods without pesticides, preservatives, artificial flavors or chemicals of any kind. No junk, just food.

Our mission is to make dogs happy with real food. Our vision is to change the way people feed their dogs. Becoming certified organic is just one step on the path to realizing that vision. Thank you for taking that step with us!

Locally Sourced & Direct Trade

We source as many ingredients as possible from our neighbors in the area. In fact, some actually are our neighbors at the Burlington Farmers' Market! And we thank them for their partnership and support. 

In addition, whenever possible, we purchase direct from our farm partners, assuring they get the best price for their product and we get the best they have to offer. 

Full Moon Farm, Hinesburg, VT

Organic Pork

Vermont Bean Crafters, Warren, VT

Organic Black Beans & Corn

Starbird Fish, Burlington, VT

Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon

Stony Pond Farm, Fairfield, VT

Organic Grass-Fed Beef

Pete & Gerry's, Monroe, NH

Organic Eggs

King Arthur Flour, Norwich, VT

Organic Rye Flour

Good Dogs

Our goal is to improve the lives of dogs and their owners. So we try our best to give back to the doggy community (and community-at-large around us). We give away free treats, or offer them as gifts for raffles, and every year we donate 2% of our net profits to dog-loving organizations. Because, to make it personal, without organizations like these, we'd never have our Ginger. 

We've given, humbly, to the following organizations... Thank you for helping us support them.

Blue Star Mothers of Vermont

Furnishing comfort dogs for veterans, free of charge. 

Chase Away K-9 Cancer Fund

Help us chase away K-9 Cancer.

Humane Society of Chittenden County

Adopt your new best friend.

Franklin County Animal Rescue

Saving Cats & Dogs since 1964

Homeward Bound (Addison Cty Humane Society)

Adopt your new best friend.

New England Golden Jubilee

Golden Retriever filled events.

Rad Girls Club, Vermont

Redemption for Adoptable Dogs.

News

Updated September 2023

We’ve Reopened!

We are THRILLED to share that we reopened our small but mighty bake shop on Saturday, September 23rd! We have spent the last two months cleaning, demolishing, repairing, sanding, painting…and of course, baking. And now we’re ready to welcome everyone back to our downtown Montpelier storefront with open arms and lots of yummy treats.

Our bakery and production space is now fully operational, and our retail space is up and running as of this past weekend. So if you’ve been holding off on ordering or using the gift cards you purchased to support us during our recovery effort, please fire away! And if you’re local and can come visit, we’d love to see you.

Thank you for your support, generosity and love during these past few months. We couldn’t have done this without you!

With love and gratitude,

Elisa Garcia-Rey, Owner

Our Bake Shop & Bakery Are Closed

As many of you may already know, our second home of Montpelier, VT is currently underwater. We haven’t yet been able to access our Bake Shop to assess the damage, and as such it is difficult to estimate when we will be back up and running again. We will post updates here and on our social media as they become available. We thank you in advance for your patience, your understanding and your support as we navigate this unprecedented event.

7/17/2023 - Update: We’ve spent the last five days ripping up floors, tearing out walls, tossing out damaged items, and cleaning whatever we can. We have a long road ahead of us on our way to recovery. If you’d like to help, here are some ways you can support our business and our community of Montpelier:

Donate - You can donate directly to our GoFundMe, to the Montpelier Alive fund or to the Vermont Flood Response Recovery Fund.

Volunteer - You can sign up to volunteer via MontpelierAlive.com or Vermont.gov.

Purchase Gift Cards - You can buy gift cards on our website for future use online or at our bake shop, or you can place orders now for future fulfillment (date TBD).

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Our Store is Opening!

Hello friends,

We are so excited to share that after many months of preparation, we are opening the bright blue door to our bake shop! Everyone (and their pups!) is invited to celebrate the grand opening with us on Saturday, May 27th in downtown Montpelier. The festivities will start at 11AM at our 5 E State St location, and will include special doggy door prizes, free samples, refreshments and kid- and pet-friendly entertainment. We can’t wait to celebrate and look forward to seeing you all in our bake shop soon!

Many Thanks,

Elisa

Some updates on the horizon…

Hello friends,

We wanted to let you know about a few updates happening on our end over the coming months.

First off, as many other businesses weathering the pandemic have experienced, our costs have skyrocketed over the past few years, from ingredients to packaging and beyond. We have not changed our pricing in over 5 years, but we've realized it's time to face the hard truth that in order to stay alive and stay true to our values, our prices must go up.

We are deeply committed to sourcing as many of our ingredients locally as possible, and working with small, local farm partners and producers to do so. This commitment to quality and support of the local food economy translates into higher quality, and higher costs. We fully believe in not taking the easy, cheap shortcut for our business and its products, and through your support for us over the years we know that you do, too.

Our updated pricing goes into effect on July 1st, at which time you will see it reflected on our website and at our amazing network of local retailers. We thank you in advance for continuing to support us amidst these changes, and in so doing supporting both the local businesses that carry our treats and the local farms and producers that provide us with their ingredients.

In the months ahead we will also be announcing the return of an old favorite (Tico's Tasties, our beloved salmon & kale variety!), as well as the opening of our new kitchen and retail location, including expanded bulk offerings. More details on those coming soon!

As always, we are incredibly grateful for your continued support of our tiny (but mighty!) business, and we look forward to serving you and your furry friends with our products for many years to come.

Many Thanks,

Elisa