Editor's Letter
Why we pivoted from "vegan"
to "sensitive dogs"
This directory used to be called "The Vegan Pet Directory." We love the planet, the animals, the ethics — that's the soul of this project. But after six months walking four Asia-Pacific markets and interviewing thirty pet parents, we ran into an awkward fact: in Taiwan, the word "vegan" reaches less than 1% of the market. The phrase "sensitive dog" reaches 20%.
And here's the more interesting part: both audiences need nearly identical things.
According to 2024 research from the American Veterinary Medical Association, the top three sources of canine food allergies are chicken, beef, and dairy. These are exactly the three things plant-based pet formulas don't contain. Put another way: plant-powered pet nutrition is, by structure, a hypoallergenic protocol.
So we re-positioned this directory. We no longer say "for ethically-minded vegan pet parents." We say "for anyone who's noticed their dog scratching, getting tear stains, or having loose stools." Same brand list, same evaluation standard — but framed through the lens of daily problems pet parents actually struggle with.
There are no paid placements in this directory. Every brand was selected from 80+ global plant-based pet food/supplement makers based on three criteria: (1) at least one third-party certification (Vegan Society, AAFCO Complete, B-Corp, EU Organic, etc.), (2) fully disclosed ingredient lists, (3) accessible in at least one APAC market.
Full disclosure: we are the VIRIDA editorial team, and VIRIDA is one of the brands listed here. But VIRIDA does not get a "better" grade because it edits this directory — we hold ourselves to the same standard as the other 16 brands.
If you're searching for answers because your mixed-breed flares up every time he eats chicken — we hope this directory helps.
— Andy Kao, Founder of VIRIDA / Editor in Chief
Spring 2026, Taiwan