It’s Responsible Pet Parents Month. Everyone associates February 14th with love, but the entire month is a time to recognize the devotion and bond between humans and their furry family members. And there are a lot more of those familial ties today than existed pre-COVID. One in five (or 23 million) US households adopted a dog or cat during the pandemic, according to the ASPCA.

So how do you celebrate Pet Parents’ Month? It’s a time to make sure that pets are fed high quality food in the correct portions, get adequate daily exercise and socialization, are seen by their veterinarian for health and wellness checkups, and can be tracked or identified if lost according to National Today.

Some exciting companies are providing unique and meaningful ways for pet parents to celebrate. Goodness Gracious, an MA-based Human Grade pet food maker, recently launched its gently cooked fresh food for dogs. They use only 100% whole foods – no manmade vitamins or minerals – to make high protein, low carb, complete and balance food for adult dogs.

“Using only whole foods means that your dog gets all the phytonutrients and antioxidants Mother Nature intended. Plus, we use only ethically sourced proteins, because kindness and humanity should extend to every animal we touch,” says Amy Renz, Goodness Gracious’ CEO.

Goodness Gracious’ products meet the “Human Grade” pet food regulation – meaning they are made with only human-edible ingredients in a licensed and inspected human food manufacturing facility, following current Good Manufacturing Practices. Goodness Gracious’ dog food and treats are available for direct shipment to your door and at select retailers coast to coast.

BetterVet is another company embracing that special connection between pet and parent. It is a mobile veterinary practice covering fifteen major US geographic markets. They are equipped to handle everything from urgent care, routine wellness exams, and even ultrasounds in your own home.

“At BetterVet, we believe that pets are family. And as family, they deserve the same kind of treatment as one of us. Examining your pet in home keeps your furry family feeling safe and happy, and lets our mobile veterinarians better evaluate your pet in their natural environment,” says CVO, Dr. Dani Cimino.

Good nutrition, exercise, and physical and emotional wellbeing are cornerstones of a long healthy life of any animal – be it human, canine, feline, or any other. Pet owners are embracing this parental obligation and it shows in the products and services they buy.

The humanization of pets is a global revenue trend resulting in parents spending as much on their pets as they do on their human kids. As a result, for the first time ever, sales in the pet product industry exceeded $100 billion according to American Pet Products Association (APPA).

Renz, who considers herself “Mama” to a family of three dogs says: “I live my life trying to be worthy of their devotion. Every day is a celebration of love, time, and connection.”