Earth Day has come and gone, but clearly engaging in eco-friendly practices year-round is the real goal. The pet industry is no exception, and a tour of massive pet industry trade shows such as SuperZoo 2023 revealed ‘eco-friendly’ dog products’ or ‘all natural’ are selling features for fur baby stuff.

But, like everywhere, greenwashing lives here too.

Do real eco-friendly dog products exist? Even better, do Earth-friendly pet product companies exist? Some companies are modifying practices and products to do better on the environmental front, while others are making it the organization’s mission. Alzoo™ is one of the latter.

This post contains links from affiliates such as Amazon and/or Chewy online pet supply store.

Alzoo, a manufacturer of eco-friendly pet cleaners, shampoos, and collars is on that mission. After visiting their booth (and picking up boxes I thought were empty … why is coming up), Alzoo sent dogtrotting.net a kit containing the following:

• Alzoo Concentrated Stain & Odor Remover
• Alzoo Concentrated Dog Shampoo
• Alzoo dog collar

Here’s what we learned about Alzoo Eco-friendly Dog Products:

First, Alzoo boxes ‘feel’ empty because the company is not shipping water. That’s a big part of the plan. Lower cost of transportation equals lower carbon emissions … and cheaper for the customer.

Second, all the bottles are reusable, so when you run out of product, you simply purchase a small packet of concentrated powder or bottle of liquid concentrate and refill your bottle.

Third, none of the products are tested on animals.

Product 1: Alzoo Concentrated Stain & Odor Remover

The box of Alzoo concentrated stain and odor remover contains one 1.1 ounce botte of concentrated stain remover and one 32-ounce refillable empty bottle. When you pick up the box, you might think the company forgot to put the product in the packaging. It’s very light – and that equals savings. The shipping cost is significantly reduced when you aren’t paying to ship water.

Once you fill the spray bottle with water, add the concentrated liquid, shake and spray. That’s it. The active enzyme and probiotic contents are designed to swiftly eliminate pet stains without scrubbing. The spray-and-leave design enhances user convenience, while the product’s manufacture in the USA suggests adherence to North American quality standards.

Characteristics of Alzoo’s Stain & Odor Remover:

• Refillable bottle
• Active enzyme & probiotic blend
• Quickly eliminates pet stains
• Spray and leave
• No scrubbing needed
• Made in the USA
• Cruelty-free

Review of Alzoo Concentrated Stain & Odor Remover

Following the Alzoo stain & odor remover (affiliate link) instructions carefully, I filled the reusable plastic spray bottle with water halfway full. Then I added the liquid concentrate and finished filling up the bottle. A few shakes, and we are ready to spray. (Note: turn the spray knob to ‘on.’ You can imagine why I mention it).

I chose to heavily spray two areas of my home: fresh cat barf on a dark carpet and an older cat barf stain on a lighter carpet. Yes, I’m lucky to have three cats, so someone is always heaving at some point. Also, cat barf is the ultimate stain remover test.

I saturated both stains and, according to instructions, covered each with a damp cloth to ‘activate’ the mico-organisms. Then wait at least 8 hours. The dark carpet stain disappeared as the liquid evaporated. The older stain on the lighter carpet was less visible – and to be fair, I haven’t found a cleaner yet that can remove it. I likely need another application, as the box suggests.

However, on pee I’m confident Alzoo stain and odor remover will remove evidence of the indiscretion, and yes, it will be put in the car on our next road trip. Just in case. Some hotel rooms still have carpets, and when travelling with the dog, you can’t be overly prepared. The spray bottle is big, though. So, I’ll likely buy a smaller ‘travel size’ (but reusable) spray bottle (affiliate link) and pour some order remover into it now that the product is thoroughly mixed.

Product 2: Alzoo Concentrated Dog Shampoo

Similar to the stain and odor remover, Alzoo Concentrated Dog Shampoo kit (affiliate link) comes in a really light box. But don’t think it’s empty. Inside is a lightweight metal bottle and a small package of powdered shampoo.

Follow the instructions: fill the bottle to the water line and slowly pour the powered shampoo into the bottle being careful not to breathe any dust. Then close the bottle and shake. Your dog shampoo is ready for use. When you need more, simply buy the concentrated packets (less than $8 each US), not the entire bottle. Because the bottle is not plastic, it won’t break down over time.

Characteristics of Alzoo Dog Shampoo:

• Formulated with 100% plant-based active ingredients
• Sulfate free, dye free, soap free, phthalates free
• pH balanced for dogs
• Cruelty-free standards
• Made in the USA
• Vanilla scented

Review of Alzoo Concentrated Dog Shampoo

How did we do using the Alzoo Concentrated Dog Shampoo? I mixed the power and water easily without breathing dust nor losing any powder, which is a coordination win for me. One small issue is that the water line is on the outside of the bottle, so it’s hard to see if you filled exactly to the line. But I’m sure I came close. Filled but not over-flowing is likely the sweet spot.

Now for bath time, something my crazy spaniel tolerates but tries to avoid. After thoroughly wetting the dog down, I applied the shampoo all over her noting that the scent is crisp but not over-whelming and no suds – which makes sense considering most suds are a result of additives designed to make you feel like you are cleaning but add little to the process.

The soap washed off easily and took most of the dirt with it. Mission accomplished: I had a clean dog, no suds needed. Because the bottle is not plastic, I had to pour the shampoo – not squeeze – to carefully control the amount used. I hadn’t realized how accustomed I’ve become to squeezing bottles. One drawback is that you’ll likely use more shampoo than usual because the product is thinner than most shampoos.

Where to find (or reorder) Alzoo Products

I will definitely be refilling this bottle by buying more concentrated shampoo packs (affiliate link) and using the shampoo again. this is a specialty product, so finding it online is the best option.

Find the starter kits that include your first reusable bottle here. (affiliate link). If you want to check out all the Alzoo products, including the stain remover, check out the Alzoo Pet Product page on Amazon (affiliate link).

Overall …

Reasons Alzoo products fall into the eco-friendly dog product category:

• Reusable bottle
• Made from recycled materials
• No shipping water – lower weight reduces carbon footprint
• No single-use plastic

Refillable bottles might be the next pet product trend – we’ll see at SuperZoo 2024 coming up in August. For now, Alzoo is one of the first to market with a concept that will save shipping costs and efforts – while prioritizing ethical and eco practices.

If you’ve used this product, or any like it, let us know in the comments below….

Writer bio: Sherri Telenko has been a professional writer for decades and a travel writer for the last two. She’s a member of TMAC (Travel Media Association of Canada) and Dog Writers Association of America and travels almost weekly with her canine companion, Victoria. Contact Sherri at dogtrotting.net here. All written content is original, written by a person, and based on experience and research. Please subscribe!