Consumer Considerations of Carbon Paw Prints in Evaluations of Dog Food Products

Due to its reliance on meat, the companion animals’ food industry significantly contributes to environmental problems. Despite these environmental implications, little is known about the relative importance that caregivers attach to environmental concerns in their evaluation of companion animals’ food products. Study 1 (N = 317) showed that perceived nutritional value predicted whether caregivers were interested in plant-based dog food products, while pro-environmental identification did not impact the findings. In Studies 2 (N = 460) and 3 (N = 194), the promoted benefits of a fictitious dog food product were manipulated. Findings revealed that perceived health benefits rather than perceived environmental benefits were the main determinant of
product interest. Together, these findings suggest that environmental concerns play a limited role in people’s views of companion animals’ food products. It is therefore important to address concerns about the health impacts of companion animals’ food products with plant-based content.