Veterinary clients value animal welfare and environmental sustainability in pet food choices

Pet food, due to its general abundance and use of animal protein, makes a substantial contribution to the environmental 'pawprint' of dog and cat ownership. As pet owners are increasingly interested in sustainability issues, which include both the physical environment and animal welfare, our objective was to identify how veterinary teams can support pet owners to make sustainable feeding choices. We surveyed 1,066 people on perceptions of these topics and the role their veterinary team could fill. While people value both factors when choosing pet food, animal welfare was significantly more important in driving pet owners' choices relative to the environment. We found that pet owners consider the veterinary team, particularly veterinarians, to be a trusted source of information for animal welfare and environmental sustainability. Finally, third-party certifications are well received by both familiar and introduced individuals and could be a powerful tool in these conversations. This study highlights opportunities for veterinary clinics to advance sustainability efforts in the animal health sector.