Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer. You can view past posts from the series here.

Disclosure: I received several amazing items from The Evolved Dog to aid in the writing of this post. As per usual, all words and opinions expressed are my own. 

The Evolved Dog is an online store that sells canine supplies with a conscience. Launched in August of last year, Leah Twitchell created The Evolved Dog because she wanted to provide people with a place where they could experience stress-free shopping for their dogs. A place where they didn’t have to worry about ingredients, safety, quality, or whether the products were environmentally friendly and/or cruelty-free. In her own words,  “I wanted them to be able to find the highest quality products that would enrich the health and well-being of their animals while supporting domestic producers and helping protect the environment.”
According to Leah, her overall focus is on the health of the dogs, being environmentally conscious in both the products and The Evolved Dog’s business practices, and keeping everything domestically produced. She offers soy, wheat and corn-free dog treats and sells dog toys that are recycled or recyclable. (The recyclable Jive toy was a big hit with Hana because it was fun to chew and bounce around the room. And it’s guaranteed against dog damage!) Leah uses recyclable packaging when shipping products to customers. The Evolved Dog also tries to source products from micro-entrepreneurs with similar values. You can read more about The Evolved Dog’s founding principles on the website.

Everything in the store is made in the USA, though she does have a particular focus on Maine-made products. Having two dogs that are made to pull sleds for long distances, it was the Bayline leashes that caught my eye first. Made in Maine with sailing line from Massachusetts and a marine grade brass clip, the leash is, as the website notes, “great if you have a sled-dog type pulling you down the street and need to hang on for dear life.”
On any given evening, you can find my husband walking two sled-dog types – three when Kona was with us. Our dogs have gone through their share of leashes and this one is as tough as they come. Plus the leashes have a bit of give to them, so you don’t get jerked as much when, say, a squirrel has a death wish and runs in front of you and your small animal averse dogs.

Leah personally tests all the products with her own dogs, Eva the Diva (pit mix) and Sophie (boxador), and writes about her experiences on her blog. Not surprisingly, she also used The Evolved Dog to promote awareness in regards to homeless animals, always encouraging adoption and fostering. She also welcomes any opportunity to help break the stereotypes about rescues and pit-bulls.
Personally, I love that I can shop with a conscience when buying products for my dogs. And guess what? Leah has generously offered a 25% off discount code for another jennifer readers to use on The Evolved Dog website. Use the code “anotherjennifer” to get 25% off all orders until Jan. 31st, 2014! 

What catches your eye on The Evolved Dog website?

this post was also published on pplkind.com