A long list of companies recently received top honors through the Pet Independent Innovation Awards program. The mission of the annual program, according to organizers, is to honor innovation and recognize the excellence, hard work and success in a range of pet care industry categories, including apparel, grooming and cleaning, food and treats, health, retailers and services, among others.

“As the pet industry continues to grow, we are seeing an evolving shift in how we treat and care for our pets,” said Bryan Vaughn, managing director of the Pet Independent Innovation Awards. “We see the pet market focused not just on growth, but on creating tangible value for their products to help give our pets a better life. Our 2019 Pet Independent Innovation Award winners deliver on that focus, providing true value with new and innovative technology. We extend our sincere congratulations to the 2019 Pet Independent Innovation Award winners.”

Dog treat company Snif-Snax received the Pet Health Food Product of the Year award; PurrSong, maker of the automatic litter box LavvieBot, received Cat Product of the Year; while pet tracker brand Whistle Labs, a subsidiary of Mars Petcare, received the Pet Innovation Product of the Year award. Overall Pet Product of the Year award went to Fi, a GPS dog collar company.

Other award winners in their respective categories include:

Apparel

1. Accessory Product of the Year: All Star Dogs
2. Clothing Product of the Year: Corky’s Reflective Wear
3. Memories & Keepsake Product of the Year: Animorials Creative Pet Memorials

Bowl, Feeders, Waterers

1. Bowls Product of the Year: Obe
2. Elevated Bowls Product of the Year: Kitchen Dog
3. Gravity Feeders/Waterers Product of the Year: PetSafe
4. Electronic Feeders/Waterers Product of the Year: Van Ness
5. Travel Feeders/Waterers Product of the Year: Highwave
6. Food Storage Product of the Year: Vittles Vault

Collars, Leashes, Harnesses

1. Collar Product of the Year: Fi
2. Hands Free Leashes Product of the Year: Safety Dog Leash
3. Harness Product of the Year: Gold Paw Series
4. ID & Tag Product of the Year: PetHub
5. Tie-out/Stakes Product of the Year: Intelli-Stayk

Grooming & Cleaning

1. Cage Cleaning Product of the Year: Prevue Pet
2. Grooming Product of the Year: Warren London
3. Grooming Spray Product of the Year: 4-Legger
4. Shampoo Product of the Year: earthbath
5. Wipes Product of the Year: Metro Paws

Food & Treat

1. Bird Food Product of the Year: ZuPreem
2. Cat Food Dry Product of the Year: Taste of the Wild
3. Cat Food Frozen/Raw Product of the Year: Northwest Naturals
4. Cat Food Special Diet Product of the Year: Royal Canin
5. Cat Food Wet Product of the Year: PetGuard
6. Cat Treat Product of the Year: Vital Essentials
7. Dog Food Dry Product of the Year: Wild Earth
8. Dog Food Frozen/Raw Product of the Year: Ollie
9. Dog Food Special Diet Product of the Year: v-dog
10. Dog Food Wet Product of the Year: Caru Pet Food
11. Dog Treat Product of the Year: Lord Jameson Dog Patisserie
12. Small Pet Food Product of the Year: F.M. Brown’s Sons

Health

1. Cat Calming Product of the Year: Fidobiotics
2. Cat Digestive Product of the Year: AnimalBiome
3. Cat Homeopathic Product of the Year: Only Natural Pet
4. Cat Skin & Coat Care Product of the Year: Emu Aid
5. Dog Calming Product of the Year: Honest Paws
6. Dog Dental Care Product of the Year: TEEF!
7. Dog Hip & Joint Product of the Year: Side By Side
8. Dog Homeopathic Product of the Year: Pet Well Being
9. Dog Skin & Coat Product of the Year: 4-Legger
10. Dog Vitamin/Supplement Product of the Year: Nature’s Farmacy
11. Flea & Tick Product of the Year: TickKey
12. Flea & Tick Natural Product of the Year: YAYA Organics
13. Small Pet Healthcare Product of the Year: Curicyn

Housing

1. Bed/Mat Product of the Year: Riogoo
2. Carrier Product of the Year: Petmate
3. Crate Product of the Year: Kennel & Crate
4. Dog House Product of the Year: Suncast
5. Fencing Product of the Year: Oscillot
6. Strollers Product of the Year: Paws & Pals

Litter

1. Automated Litter Box Product of the Year: Litter-Robot
2. Cleaners & Deodorizers Product of the Year: Oxyfresh
3. Litter Box Product of the Year: PurrSong
4. Litter Mats of the Year: Pet Fusion
5. Litter Product of the Year: Naturally Fresh
6. Litter Scoop Product of the Year: Petion
7. Waste Disposal Systems Product of the Year: WizSmart

Retailers & Services

1. Boarding Service of the Year: PetAirapy
2. Dog Walking Service of the Year: Tailster
3. Monthly Gift Service of the Year: BarkBox
4. Online Retailer of the Year: Chewy.com
5. Pet Insurance of the Year: PetBizInsurance
6. Storefront Retailer of the Year: Pet Parents

Toys

1. Ball Toy Product of the Year: RuffDawg
2. Cat Toy of the Year: Petstages
3. Chew Toy Product of the Year: SodaPup
4. Fetch Machine Product of the Year: Ifetch
5. Fetch Toy Product of the Year: Puller
6. Plush Toy Product of the Year: HuggleHounds
7. Rope/Tug Product of the Year: Pacific Pups Products

Training

1. Bark Control Product of the Year: dogtra
2. Sport Training Product of the Year: Garmin
3. Training Product of the Year: Mighty Paw

The annual Pet Independent Innovation Awards competition is open to all individuals, products, companies and organizations involved in producing pet products, services and solutions. To be eligible, an entry must have been produced or updated on or before Aug. 1, 2019.

Judges are a group of senior-level marketing, pet products professionals that have personally worked within the pet product space, according to program organizers.

The next round of nominations will open in August 2020.