Owa Owa Named Dog Treat Company of the Year in the 2026 Pet Innovation Awards

A very big little moment for our family-run pet brand.

Owa Owa has been named Dog Treat Company of the Year in the 2026 Pet Innovation Awards... and this one means a lot to us.

Owa Owa started small. Really small.

It started with my own dogs, a lot of ingredient-label reading, and the belief that I shouldn't have to choose between treats that were fun and treats I actually felt good about feeding them.

I wanted real meat. Recognizable ingredients. Thoughtful recipes.

But I also wanted joy.

I wanted dog treats that reminded me of the foods, colors, humor, and little memories I grew up with as a Mexican-American woman in Los Angeles.

Somehow, that little idea grew into Owa Owa.

And now, we're Dog Treat Company of the Year. 🥹

What is the Pet Innovation Award?

The Pet Innovation Awards recognize companies, products, and people creating standout ideas across the pet industry.

Being named Dog Treat Company of the Year is especially meaningful to us because Owa Owa has never tried to look like every other pet treat company.

We've built this brand around a pretty simple belief:

Our dogs and cats are family, and what we feed them should reflect the same care we give the rest of the family.

For us, that means making species-appropriate treats centered around real animal proteins and thoughtfully selected ingredients, while creating products that feel joyful, nostalgic, and unmistakably ours.

We believe pet treats can be serious about ingredients and still be fun.

That's a big part of why Owa Owa exists.

Pet parents shouldn't have to choose between a cute treat and one made with ingredients they understand.

Our treats are inspired by familiar foods and memories — but they're made specifically for dogs.

Owa Owa Noodles may look like the little noodle cups you know.

Our Pawnadería is filled with tiny Conchitas, Puerquitos, and Meatzapawns inspired by the panadería.

Chewrros are our dog-friendly take on churros.

They're silly. They're nostalgic. They're meant to make you smile.

But underneath all of that whimsy is something we're very serious about: what goes inside the bag.

We focus on real animal proteins, limited ingredients, and recipes that make sense for dogs.

Nothing has to be complicated to be good.

For the dog moms who would make everything from scratch if they had unlimited time.

I know this person because I am this person.

You're standing in the pet store turning the bag around before you even look at the price.

You're Googling an ingredient in the aisle because you don't recognize it.

You're bringing your dog's own snacks when you leave the house.

And if you had unlimited time, you'd probably be in your kitchen making everything yourself.

But you don't have unlimited time.

Neither do I.

Owa Owa is for pet parents who want to know what they're feeding without losing the joy of treating their dogs.

We're not trying to make pet parenting more complicated.

We're trying to make one little part of it easier.

This award belongs to my family, too.

Owa Owa isn't a company with a giant team behind it.

It's a family-run small business.

My mom, my dad, and the people I love have been woven into this brand from the beginning.

There have been countless days of making products, packing orders, preparing for pop-ups, figuring things out as we go, and turning ideas that sounded slightly ridiculous at first into real things people can hold in their hands.

That's part of what makes this award feel so surreal.

The Pet Innovation Award may have Owa Owa's name on it, but behind that name is my family.

And behind every order is a real person packing something we made for a real dog somewhere.

I never want us to lose that.

Why being Dog Treat Company of the Year matters to us

An award doesn't change why we make Owa Owa.

But it does feel like a little confirmation that there is room in the pet industry for brands that do things differently.

Brands can be culturally specific without watering themselves down.

Pet products can be playful without treating pet parents like they don't care about ingredients.

A small family business can have big ideas.

And something inspired by your own life, your family, your memories, and the way you care for your animals can resonate with people you've never even met.

That's the part I'm most proud of.

So, what's next for Owa Owa?

More treats.

More weird little ideas that somehow become products.

More trips to the mercadito.

More Pawnadería.

More Owa Owa Treatlandia.

More learning.

And, hopefully, a lot more dogs getting very excited when they hear a bag open.

We're still small.

We're still family-run.

We're still making the kind of things I wish existed when I started looking for better options for my own dogs.

We just get to add something new now:

2026 Pet Innovation Award — Dog Treat Company of the Year. 🏆

That's going to take a while to sink in.

To everyone who has ordered from us, stopped by our booth, shared a video, told a friend about Owa Owa, trusted us with your dog's treats, or simply cheered us on:

thank you for helping our little family business grow.

We're so happy you're here.

With lots of love (and treat crumbs),

Lizzy + the Owa Owa family

For the dogs and cats we love like family.