Is Pedigree ethical and cruelty-free?
Not really — Pedigree fails 3 of the 4 ethics signals we track, including its animal-testing position, and holds no third-party certification we can verify.
Pedigree, owned by Mars Inc., is a global pet food brand focused on dog nutrition and welfare, but faces scrutiny over its parent company's animal testing practices and limited sustainability transparency.
The evidence, signal by signal
Cruelty-freeflagged
Mars Inc. conducts animal testing on dogs and cats for pet food research, with a stated goal to reduce and replace it, but no deadline.
Vegan optionsunverified
No vegan or plant-based product line exists; all formulas contain animal ingredients.
Sells in mainland Chinaflagged
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
Third-party certifiedflagged
No independent certifications recorded on the products we track.
Public pledges: Mars Inc. aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, 25% plastic reduction by 2025, and responsible sourcing via Supplier Code of Conduct.
Scored with our public methodology. Profile last updated 2026-09-27.
More on Pedigree
Is Pedigree ethical? FAQs
Is Pedigree cruelty-free?+
Mars Inc. conducts animal testing on dogs and cats for pet food research, with a stated goal to reduce and replace it, but no deadline.
Does Pedigree have vegan products?+
No vegan or plant-based product line exists; all formulas contain animal ingredients.
Does Pedigree sell in mainland China?+
Selling through mainland Chinese retail has historically triggered post-market animal testing.
What is Pedigree's ethics score?+
Pedigree averages —/100 across 0 products we score on certifications, sourcing, labour, packaging and transparency.
What are the best alternatives to Pedigree?+
See our full list of ethical alternatives to Pedigree for better-scoring options in the same categories.