With patios opening up for spring across the country, Canadian dog owners and their pets are in for a treat.
A craft brew non-alcoholic beer for dogs is being brewed up at a canning facility in Fredericton, N.B. and shipped to bars, restaurants and retail stores across Canada.
“We have created a very healthy all-natural Canadian-sourced bone broth that has fruits and veggies and a couple of different proteins in it,” said Cindy James of Halifax, the co-owner and president of Crafty Beasts Brewing Company.
James said she got the idea to develop the canned canine treat after visiting a dog bar in Croatia serving a similar drink.
James, whose mission is to also produce a product that is environmentally friendly, said that 60% of ingredients poured into the crafty brew are generated primarily through diverted food waste from beef, seafood and fruits and vegetables leftover from human markets.
The company’s goal is to eventually fill these cans with 100% perfectly healthy food waste, “giving back as a company in a substantial way to the planet,” she said.
Partnering with Craft Coast Canning in Fredericton, Crafty Beasts is getting ready to ship a new product called “Catch” across Canada for the first time. Jame Ponting, who owns the canning company, said that people are embracing their pooch’s health like never before.
“People are having kids later or maybe not at all and the dogs are becoming the kids,” he said.
Ponting said that dogs are being pampered like babies, and with more and more businesses across Canada opening their doors to both two and four legged customers, he believed that it was perfect timing to partner with Crafty Beasts. The first cans were filled in 2020 amid the pandemic.
“We find the product sells the best in dog-friendly breweries, patios and restaurants and those type of scenarios,” said Ponting.
With other catchy names like “unleashed” and “fetch”, demand for the doggie brew is growing by the bowlful.
“We have a new pumpkin ale that is made with fish protein that we are calling Catch,” said Ponting.
He and James are planning to take their brand international over the next year.
Melissa Georgoudis of Moncton said her four-year-old Rottweiler-Boxer mix named Goon, loves the treat.
“He gets together with his friends and water sometimes just doesn’t cut it,” she said.
James said she hopes their brews will catch on across the country.
“Anytime you crack a cold one you can crack one for your dog now too,” she said.