A pet food company headquartered in York has won an international award, beating out companies from around the world.

RAWZ Natural Pet Food won a 2023 Pet Independent Innovation Award, which recognizes innovators and leaders of the pet industry. RAWZ Meal-Free Dehydrated Chicken, Turkey & Chicken Dry Dog Food received the award for “Dog Food Grain Free Product of the Year.”

The 2023 Pet Independent Innovation Awards received more than 2,000 nominations from all over the world. Products were assessed on criteria including innovation, performance, ease of use, functionality, impact and value.

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges who focused their review on how a product, company or organization innovatively distinguishes itself.

“Much like humans, we believe pets are better off eating fresh, minimally processed foods. RAWZ focuses on high quality, high meat recipes that are minimally processed to preserve nutritional content,” said Jim Scott, CEO of RAWZ. “As a small company, we’re honored to have been recognized for our efforts with an Independent Innovation Award.”

The winning food uses dehydrated chicken as the concentrated protein source, and the first seven ingredients are meat and organ proteins, and no rendered meats are used.

RAWZ is a third-generation family business, headquartered in York. The company says it donates 100% of its profits, after taxes and reserves, to three main causes: providing service dogs, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.