FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DENVER — August 1, 2026 — The shopper who fills their own cart with plant-based, clean, whole foods has never had a convenient way to feed their dog the same. Virtuous Vittles was built to close that gap — and at a show where buyers hunt for what’s next, it’s arriving with a category all its own. The company debuts Bountiful Land™ Food for Dogs — the first 100% plant-based morsels-in-gravy wet food on the market — at Newtopia Now, August 18–20 at the Colorado Convention Center, booth #1505. Every ingredient is human-grade — and, the founders will happily admit, surprisingly delicious; they’ve tasted it plenty of times themselves.
And that shopper isn’t niche. The U.S. plant-based pet food market is projected to nearly double this decade — from roughly $8.35 billion in 2025 to $17.7 billion by 2035 — yet the natural-channel shelf hasn’t caught up. It’s the kind of white space Newtopia Now buyers come to find: a fast-emerging, humanized category with room for a first mover, aligned to the values their stores already stand for.
The product is a category first. Plant-based wet foods to date have come as pâtés or loaves; Bountiful Land™ serves up real morsels in savory gravy — a texture guardians recognize as a hearty stew and dogs devour accordingly. In the company’s taste tests, 95 of 100 dogs gobbled it up at first sniff. The recipe is complete and balanced for adult maintenance, formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and third-party tested to meet or exceed AAFCO nutrient guidelines. Because plant-based recipes naturally avoid the most common canine food allergens — chicken, beef, dairy, and egg — the food also serves the fast-growing population of dogs with food sensitivities.
“The guardian who shops this show’s aisles for themselves has been asking the pet category to catch up for years,” said Lisbeth Merrill, co-founder and COO of Virtuous Vittles, who will be meeting with retail and distribution partners throughout the show. “We built a food that meets them where their values already are — human-grade, 100% plant-based, and sustainably made — and we manufactured a morsels-in-gravy texture no one has done before to get there.”
For the natural channel, the case is as much environmental as it is practical: shelf-stable for two years with no refrigeration and no preservatives, packed in lightweight recyclable cartons that ship more efficiently than cans. Virtuous Vittles generates up to 34 times lower emissions than a conventional meat-based canned food and is made by a Certified B Corporation.
Fittingly, booth #1505 sits by The Park, next door to a dog adoption event, where the very companions this food was made for will be waiting to meet their people.
Since launching in November 2025, the brand has grown direct-to-consumer with a subscription program alongside availability in specialty and vegan retail. A Bountiful Land™ recipe for cats is in development.
About Virtuous Vittles Virtuous Vittles crafts delicious, nutritious, 100% plant-based foods for dogs and cats that are Good for Every Living Being on the Planet™. Founded by Briana Schweizer and Lisbeth Merrill, the company makes complete and balanced meals formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, third-party tested to meet or exceed AAFCO nutrient guidelines, and made in the USA with carefully selected globally sourced ingredients. Learn more at virtuousvittles.com.
Media contact: Briana Schweizer, Co-founder/CEO · Lisbeth Merrill, Co-founder/COO pawtners@virtuousvittles.com · 213.324.2259
Media kit: virtuousvittles.com/media-kit
PDF press release: https://virtuousvittles.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/PressRelease_VirtuousVittles_NewtopiaNow_2026.pdf
Images: https://virtuousvittles.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VirtuousVittles_NewtopiaNow2026_Press-Images.zip