Honoring Juneteenth: Freedom, Furry Pets & Forward Momentum
Juneteenth is a day of both reflection and celebration, a time to honor Black resilience and joy, and amplify Black voices and invest in vibrant, thriving businesses.
🐾 Spotlight: Six Black‑Owned Pet Businesses to Celebrate
1. Sir Dogwood (Chicago, IL)
Chaz Olajide launched Sir Dogwood in 2016 after noticing a gap in stylish, modern dogwear that resonated with her and her miniature schnauzer, Winston Churchill. Based in Chicago, the brand curates a thoughtfully global selection of clothing, accessories, and upcycled pieces—prioritizing design-forward, non-gendered pet fashion. Beyond aesthetics, Chaz champions diversity by highlighting women- and BIPOC-led makers and supporting organizations like One Tail at a Time and CARE
2. Sir Darius Brown – Beaux & Paws (Newark, NJ)
Founded by then‑teen entrepreneur Sir Darius Brown, Beaux & Paws creates handmade, limited‑edition bow ties designed to help shelter animals get noticed. The "buy-one, give-one" model ensures every purchase results in a donated bow tie to a shelter pet—raising visibility and adoption rates. Diagnosed early with developmental delays, Darius honed fine motor skills through crafting, and his business now merges creative expression with social impact .
3. House Dogge (Portland, OR)
Angela Medlin, a designer with a 30-year career at brands like Nike, Adidas, Levi’s, and The North Face, founded House Dogge in 2017 in Portland, OR. Inspired by her Olde English Bulldogge Wubbi and aiming to eliminate toxic materials, Angela launched a line of eco-conscious, minimalistic pet essentials—from vegetable-tanned leather tug toys to biodegradable fleece hoodies. As one of the few Black female product designers in her field, she's also committed to mentorship through her FAAS Design Collab initiative, nurturing underrepresented creatives. A portion of every sale goes to Northwest Dog Project rescues, and the brand even earned a spot on Oprah’s Favorite Things list.
4. PetPlate (Brooklyn, NY)
Renaldo Webb established PetPlate in 2016 after witnessing poor quality ingredients used in mass-market kibble and facing his own dog Winston’s digestive issues. With professional roots in consulting and industry knowledge from pet food factory visits, he launched a subscription-based, veterinarian-crafted, human-grade fresh food service. The company has since delivered over 20 million meals, raised more than $19–21 million in funding, and remains the only Black‑owned fresh‑food pet brand in the U.S..
5. Homescape Pets (Austin, TX)
Nana Pfeifer co-founded Homescape Pets in 2017–2018 after her dog fell ill and she couldn't find clean, simple, affordable supplements. With a background in marketing and entrepreneurship, and alongside her husband Marcus, Nana steers the brand toward all-natural, limited-ingredient supplements and treats for anxiety, inflammation, mobility, dental health, and more. She’s among the first Black founders in pet supplements, advocating for diversity and holistic pet wellness.
