• steve
• October 13, 2026
• 6 Comments

Updated 10/13/26. Original post date 1/29/24. Previously updated 2/1/26.

Click here to skip to the list of the best treats.

A lot has happened since I last updated this list in February, and almost none of it involved anyone in the pet industry suddenly growing a conscience. Most of it involved tariffs.

When tariffs on Chinese goods hit 145% last year, Spectrum Brands (the company behind Good ’n’ Fun, Dingo, and Nature’s Miracle) told investors it had “paused the import of virtually all finished goods purchases from China.” Their pet business started the year with about $100 million of U.S.-bound product coming from China and planned to cut that to about $20 million. Funny how an industry that spent years telling us it HAD to buy from China found other options the minute it hit their margins.

Then in February the Supreme Court struck down the emergency tariffs, and in July a new set of tariffs took effect that charges China and Vietnam the same rate. So moving production from China to Vietnam no longer dodges the newest tariff. Expect the supply chains to keep shuffling.

What worries me more is that Chinese pet companies aren’t sitting still either. Petpal, a major Chinese treat maker, now makes chews in Cambodia and Vietnam that end up on American supermarket shelves. The parent company of Wanpy, another big Chinese pet brand, has factories in the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and Cambodia. In other words, a bag that says “Made in Cambodia” or even “Made in USA” can still be sending money back to a Chinese company.

And China hasn’t cleaned up its act. In early 2025, dogs in Europe that ate China-made chews (sold under the Barkoo and Chrisco brands) came down with what vets called “werewolf syndrome”: panic attacks, aggression, seizures, and in some cases death. The UK’s Food Standards Agency told owners to stop feeding them immediately. At the same time, “not China” doesn’t automatically mean “safe.” As recently as August, the FDA added bully sticks from Turkey to its import alerts.

All of this is why I don’t stop at “Made in the USA.” I want to know where the ingredients come from AND who’s making it. For this update I re-checked every brand, re-ranked the list by Amazon ratings and number of reviews, and added three new brands that are made in the USA with US-sourced ingredients. One longtime favorite, Earth Animal, got bumped down to the “didn’t make the cut” list. You’ll see why at the bottom.

— Original Post Follows —

I’ve written posts on dog food and dog toys not made in China. You can read those articles for my thoughts on everything from the 2007 melamine scandal that tragically resulted in the death of thousands of dogs and cats, and how the pet food industry initially put on the appearance of making changes, only to lie low for a few years (hoping that pet owners would forget—which they did) and ultimately returning to China like the proverbial dog returning to its vomit.

If you’ve got the stomach for it, go to X and search for “animal abuse China” and you’ll see horrors of how the government of China turns a blind eye to animal abuse (except, of course, in cases where they can pretend to care about it for propaganda purposes). Why would anyone in their right mind buy a product where even ONE iota of it went to fund this government?

Go Beyond “Made in the USA”

Because of the 2007 incident, pet owners have been more sensitive than most other industries in reading labels and looking for “Made in the USA”.

Here’s the problem with “Made in the USA”.

As we saw in my write-up on vitamins (for humans), China has a stranglehold on raw ingredients like vitamins and minerals for both human and animal food; if you’ve eaten processed food that’s “fortified” with vitamins, minerals, or preservatives, there’s a good chance that those came from China.

Bottom line, you can find a TON of products that say they’re “Made in the USA”, but that could easily mean that they get most of their ingredients from China and simply manufacture it in the USA.

That’s why for this list I did something extra. I looked specifically for brands that say that they are “Made AND Sourced” outside of China (since I’m based in the USA, most of the products I highlight will be made and sourced in the USA, but feel free to add your own findings in the comments).

Beware of brands that go out of their way to AVOID telling you their sources. Growing up, our dog Happy LOVED Milk-Bone. But I was sad to see that Milk-Bone, since being acquired by the J.M. Smucker Co., has moved some of their product lines to China. While they claim to continue to support American manufacturing, this is one category where there is simply no reason to continue to support brands that are this tone-deaf, especially when there are so many better alternatives from smaller brands that still care about you and your dog more than their quarterly earnings.

We need to reward these brands for caring about the integrity of their product AND for not treating us like fools.

Best Dog Treats Not Made OR Sourced from China

1. Stewart Freeze-Dried Beef Liver Treats (New)

If you’ve ever taken your dog to a training class, chances are you’ve seen one of these blue tubs. Stewart has been around for decades, and their freeze-dried beef liver is about as simple as a treat gets: one ingredient, beef liver. That’s it.

According to Chewy’s listing, they’re freeze dried in small batches in Dayton, Ohio, “using ingredients sourced from US suppliers.” Strictly speaking, “US suppliers” isn’t the same as “US-raised,” but for a single-ingredient beef liver treat I’m comfortable with it. With over 23,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s the most-reviewed product on this list.

My one reservation: Stewart is now owned by BrightPet Nutrition Group, which is backed by private equity. You know how I feel about big money taking over small brands (see Riley’s below). For now the sourcing is still on the label, and I’ll keep an eye on it.

2. Full Moon Chicken Jerky

Here’s another brand that features 100% natural, 100% human grade ingredients. In fact, the only ingredient is chicken, cane sugar, vinegar, and rosemary extract. Their chickens are raised cage-free on family farms in the USA.

Update: the Q&A on Full Moon’s Chewy listing says their products are made in the USA with USA-grown Perdue chicken. With over 17,000 reviews on Amazon, it’s the most popular treat from my original list.

3. Rocco & Roxie Jerky Sticks (New)

Rocco & Roxie’s jerky sticks have a 4.7-star rating on Amazon from over 6,000 reviews. Their product page doesn’t mince words: the jerky sticks are “made in the USA with 100% USA ingredients,” with “no overseas meat whatsoever!” That’s the kind of sentence I wish every brand would put on their site.

Same caution as with Stewart. Rocco & Roxie was bought by PetIQ in 2023, and PetIQ itself was bought by private equity firm Bansk Group in 2024. The brand also sells supplements, which are a different story; the claim I’m relying on here is for the jerky.

4. PureBites Freeze-Dried Beef Liver (New)

PureBites is a Canadian company (I know, I know), but their freeze-dried beef liver is “proudly sourced and made in the USA” from “100% pure USA beef liver,” according to PetSmart’s listing. It’s been a pet store staple for years, and it holds up well with over 6,000 reviews on Amazon.

Be careful with the rest of the PureBites line, though. Not every product they sell is made here. Canada is a perfectly good country to buy from, but if you’re specifically buying American, check the bag. The beef liver is the one I’d go with.

5. Carolina Prime Pet Salmon and Sweet Tater Treats

While not quite as transparent about their sourcing as some of the other sites above, Carolina Prime does state clearly throughout their site that their products are both sourced and made in the USA.

Their Salmon and Sweet Tater Treats is one of their best-selling products, and it’s made with fish and potatoes—no chicken or beef for dogs that have protein sensitivity. The treats are made in their Lenoir, North Carolina factory, and the fish is Alaskan salmon.

Despite their appearance, they’re soft and crumbly, so they can be broken up and used as individual treats with no choking hazard.

I did notice that they took their “About” page on their site down (this is the one I was linking to to show that they manufacture and source their ingredients in the USA). I hope this is just an oversight on their part and not a signal that they intend to start sourcing from elsewhere.

Update: their Chewy listing still says every Carolina Prime product is made in their own facility in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and Chewy has told customers the treats are “sourced and made in the USA.” With over 4,500 reviews on Amazon, they’re still one of the most popular treats on this list.

6. Pet Factory Beefhide Chew Treats

Pet Factory’s Beefhide is one of the longest-standing brands that say “made in” and “sourced from” the USA, with nearly 3,000 reviews on Amazon for this product alone. According to its Web site (which now redirects to their Amazon page), it’s America’s leading manufacturer and distributor of beefhide products.

If you walk into a drug store or a pet store and see a bunch of old rawhide lying in a vat, avoid it. Sure, your dog will probably eat it up, but there’s no way of telling how long it’s been there, where it came from, or what it’s been marinated in.

Pet Factory is one of the few manufacturers in the United States that uses cattle hide raised in the USA and make all their products in the USA. It was founded in 1989 and today it produces all of its products in its factory in Illinois, which is GFSI-certified for food safety (I’d like to find one China contractor that can say the same). Their products contain no preservatives, are easily digestible, and their unique design help them last longer than typical cheap rawhide chews.

As with all rawhide you want to monitor your dog carefully. You need to choose a size large enough for your dog (giving a small sized chew to a big dog can be a choking hazard) and you want to monitor your dog (generally dogs will naturally soften the hide through their chewing action, but if you find that small, sharp pieces break off while your dog chews them, rawhide may not be for them).

7. ETTA SAYS! Yumm Meat Stick Treats

Every now and again I come across a dog treat that I kind of want to try myself. These Meat Stick treats by ETTA SAYS! fall into that category. They kind of remind me of Slim Jims for dogs—they’re made in a USDA human grade facility and use 100% USDA approved meats sourced from the USA. You can easily break them to use in training dogs.

8. Lucky Premium Treats Chicken Wrapped Rawhide

Lucky Premium Treats sells a number of dog treats, but their most popular are their Chicken Wrapped Beefhide Treats. It’s an ingenious product which uses a combination of beef hide and restaurant quality chicken breast, all from the USA. That’s it. No chemicals, preservatives, or fillers.

As with all the products on this list, they state clearly that all their products are sourced in the USA. The products are so natural their Web site says that their (human) employees have tried them themselves!

9. The Honest Kitchen Dog Treats

The Honest Kitchen sources its ingredients from around the world, but they’ve made a commitment that since 2007 to eliminate all ingredients from China. It is a rare demonstration of an American company that made a promise and stuck to it.

Not only that, they put it in writing. Their ingredient origin statement says their products are “Made in the USA with ingredients from around the world (nothing from China).”

You may recall from my dog food article that The Honest Kitchen was targeted by communist Chinese trolls who accused them of “racism” for stating on their product packaging that none of their ingredients come from China. The bullying on them was so severe that they had to remove the phrase from their packaging (the next step would have been for the communist social warriors to pressure retailers into removing their product), but to their credit they continue to completely avoid China.

They’re also very affordable, proving that the claim of other dog treat vendors that not using China “would drive prices too high” is a complete lie.

You can choose Beef and Salmon or Chicken and Salmon. Your dog will absolutely love both.

10. Riley’s Turkey Tendons Dog Treats

There’s also Riley’s. When I first wrote this list they were an independent company, but since then they’ve been acquired by Pet MD Brands, a part of Swedencare AB. I always get a little nervous when big companies take over small independent ones, because their first move is always to cut costs, and sure enough, there are no longer any mentions on their site about sourcing.

This is one where I’d exercise caution. If it has the “Made in USA, Sourced in USA” seal on the package, it’s fine to buy. But if it just says “Made in USA” or nothing at all, chances are there’s a number cruncher somewhere trying to figure out how to replace free-range American chickens with poisoned China ones.

Here are some of the products where I still see the seal (as of this update, Chewy still lists all four as sourced and made in the USA):

Beef Lung Dehydrated Dog Treat

Lamb Lung Dehydrated Dog Treat

Turkey Tendons Natural Dog Chew Treats

Bully Sticks Dog Chews

11. Health Extension Dog Chew Bone Treats

This brand escaped my attention when I wrote up my article on best dog food. I just went and corrected that.

This is a brand based out of New York that makes holistic dog food and treats. I love how on their Web site they don’t dance around the question—they state unequivocally that no ingredients used are sourced from China. For that alone, they’re worth your consideration.

While they’re more known for their dog food, their treats are great too. Get them on Amazon or directly from the manufacturer.

12. Pawstruck

Pawstruck‘s site sells ears, snouts, hooves, knee caps, and various other animal parts that might sound unsavory to you and me, but trust me that your dog won’t mind a bit. Back in the days when our ancestors were learning how to make fire, your dog’s ancestors were fighting it out for these delicious and nutritious parts.

You can purchase their products on Amazon, including their best-selling Beef Collagen Sticks for Dogs, but because Amazon hides country of origin, I’d suggest cross-referencing from their site (or better yet, just buy it on their site). In the case of the Beef Collagen Sticks, for example, their site is very transparent that they’re made in Paraguay, Brazil, or India.

Conclusion

This is one of those categories where there’s happily an embarrassment of riches. Why? Because there were enough consumers who refused to forget 2007, and enough small brands willing to put their sourcing in writing.

There were lots of brands I found that said “Made in the USA” that didn’t make the cut, simply because they didn’t bother to clearly document on their Web site where they sourced their products from.

Here are some that might have made the cut on any other list, but there were so many strong contenders. While I’m not 100% sure, there’s a decent chance none of these went through China. I would suggest considering one of the brands above to be 100% sure, but you probably can’t go wrong with these.

• Earth Animal No-Hide Chews – This one used to be #3 on my list, and it hurts to move it. Earth Animal deserves credit for publishing an ingredient library that shows where every ingredient they use comes from. But when I went back to check, that same library lists China as the source for 15 ingredients they use across their products. None of those are in the No-Hide chews, but the No-Hide’s agar-agar comes from “Asia,” and PetSmart’s listing now says the chews are “made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients.” That’s exactly the kind of language I warn you about at the top of this post. If your dog already loves them you’re probably fine, but they no longer meet the standard for this list.
• Vital Essentials – I really wanted to add this one. Everything is made in-house in Green Bay, Wisconsin (no co-packers), and their freeze-dried beef liver has thousands of great reviews. But their Amazon listing says it’s “USA Made with U.S. & Globally Sourced Ingredients,” and that’s for a treat whose only ingredient is beef liver. I couldn’t find anything on their own site that says otherwise. Same problem as Earth Animal: probably not China, but not something I can vouch for.
• Pupford Train Treats – Pupford’s freeze-dried training treats are hugely popular with dog trainers, and I had them on my list until I looked at the packaging. Every bag and Amazon listing I’ve seen says “US and global ingredients,” and their own Web site only says “Made in USA.” Same story as Vital Essentials: probably not China, but I can’t vouch for it.
• Grace’s Organic Dog Treats are clearly marked as sourced AND made in the USA. They didn’t quite make the cut because I couldn’t find as many online reviews as the other options above. When I first wrote this, they didn’t appear on Amazon even if you searched Amazon for their brand name! This is the sad reality of how Amazon works—they deliberately manipulate search results to point to products that have the highest margins for them. They’re on Amazon now, but with zero reviews so far. If you’re a happy customer of Grace’s Organic, you can help them out by leaving a positive review.
• Good and Fun – Made in Cambodia. A whopping 59,000+ reviews on Amazon (and counting). I left them off only because there were so many good made in USA options. Their parent company, Spectrum Brands, spent 2025 moving its U.S. supply out of China (see the update at the top).
• Alfreschi Turkey Tendon – Made in Vietnam. Another highly popular product that I may have put in the top if they were a little more transparent about their country of origin (they’re made in Vietnam with turkey sourced from the USA).
• Bocce’s Bakery – Made in USA. I wanted SO much to put this in my “best of” list having bought these from Shake Shack, but their Web site or their Amazon listing doesn’t say anything about where their ingredients are sourced.
• Dogswell – This is another very popular and highly reviewed brand, but my issue with them is that they say “Made in the USA” without divulging any of their sources. They’re probably okay, but I would consider one of the other brands first.
• Cloud Star – Another promising brand that says “Made in USA” but doesn’t divulge sources. It’s also now owned by General Mills, the same company that owns Blue Buffalo (see below).

Be careful of Blue Buffalo. They’re one of the more popular, but they use weasel words like “Made in the USA with the world’s finest ingredients”. While it’s likely true that they use US-raised meat, the fact that they don’t reveal sourcing for their other ingredients almost certainly means some come from China.

There are a lot more. If you’ve come across a dog treat brand that sources and manufactures in the USA, please share it in the comments!