Updated: Jan 5

INTRODUCING: We Chews Vegan: EAT the Change. Together!

VEGANUARY is here and with good news! Coordinators of this timely mission are excited to see record-breaking signups! The registrations to dish up a vegan/plant-based journey for one month have increased from 12,800 people (2015) to over 582,000 (2021)! The environmental impact alone - of thousands of people eating less meat - is astounding.

But, hey! What about our dog's daily dinner? Here are the two questions we ask at Virchew: What if we added our dog's diet to this impact? What if together, with our dogs, we can EAT the change?

So we decided it's high time to raise our paws for Veganuary! During the month of January, we're super excited to highlight some of our furiends and their hoomans as they share their "We Chews Vegan" stories.

Chew on this - a revealing study suggests that meaty pet foods are a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. In the USA alone, up to 70 million tons of carbon are released annually from the production and consumption of pet food. Did you know that according to UCLA Professor Gregory Okin, meat-eating dogs and cats account for 25% - 30% of the environmental impact of meat consumption in the USA? (Bow. Wow.)

Find the fun facts. Based on the vegan calculator if you eschew animal-based products for one month you would save: the lives of 30 animals, 913 square feet of forest, and 33,481 gallons of water - that's just for starters! Then, imagine if even 20% of the negative environmental impact was reduced just by choosing plant-based food for your dog's dinner for a month - what a massive difference it would make! And, that's just the climate impact.

We're doggedly delighted to jump into 2022 with embracing #VEGANUARY by launching a new blog series, 'We Chews Vegan: Eat the Change - Together.' This month-long digital event introduces the stories of four dynamic vegan duos of hoomans and doggos who live and thrive together. We'll also be sharing some belief-shifting stats and facts that support a plant-based life. Julia Murry and Zak, pictured here are going to share their story from an Olympian's, plant-powered athlete perspective. And yes, Zak is a strong, vegan athletic pooch, too!

Watch our newsletters and social media posts during the month for some pooch and plant-based inspiration!

*Calculations during this series will be made using the Veestro Vegan Calculator for humans and this study for our companion animals.