Fellow Vancouverite Olivia and her corgi, Kiki, recently launched a doggy monthly subscription box called Paws Bento - Bear and Momo were sent one to review. For a 1-month subscription, it costs $45 CAD per box. For a 1-year subscription, it costs $39 CAD per box. Olivia started Paws Bento because she wanted healthier treat options for Kiki and to have the peace of mind of knowing what’s going into Kiki's tummy.
Paws Bento can be customized based on your dog’s size and any allergies that they may have. The box ships out from the HQ in Vancouver on the 15th of every month (shipping in Canada is free). Right now they only ship to Canadian provinces but they are looking to launch in the US soon.
Every Paws Bento comes with at least 5 items, including 2 bags of treats, 2-3 all-natural chews, and a surprise monthly themed toy and/or a handmade accessory.
What makes Paws Bento different?
According to their website, the treats in their boxes are raw and all-natural. They are made with limited ingredients, and are free of fillers, by-products, and additives. All the food items are wheat, soy, and corn free - perfect for those pups who have allergies. Also, Paws Bento partner with independent North American pet boutiques and brands - yay for supporting small businesses!
Let’s take a look at what we received in our bento!
Zippy Paws Sushi Toy
The toy in our box was a soft, squeaky plush dog toy in the shape of a salmon nigiri/sushi (7 x 4.5 x 3 inches). It is made by the company Zippy Paws and is sold on their website for $6.99 USD. The toy is in two pieces - the actual plush sushi part and a black velcro strip that is supposed to be the seaweed. We removed the velcro strip before giving the toy to the dogs, just in case Momo tries to eat it. The sushi has two round squeakers, and they squeak fairly loud. Unfortunately, Bear only shows interest in real food, and he wasn't tricked by this toy's appearance. Momo, on the other hand, loves anything squeaky so he was seen carrying the toy around in his mouth all day.
Chew Chew Treats
These Beef & Broccoli Munchies are made by the folks at Chew Chew Treats. The bag is 60 g and the value of the treats is $13.96 CAD on their website. These munchies are made with only two ingredients - 85% locally sourced organic beef (Canadian grass-fed beef) and 15% organic broccoli. Most of the nutrients are retained because these treats are dehydrated under low temperatures. We enjoy using these treats for training sessions - they are crunchy and are easily broken into smaller pieces without making a huge mess.
- 100% Organic + Gluten-free
- No preservatives
- Non-GMO, Hormone-free, antibiotic-free
- Made in Toronto, Canada
Wild Pacific Salmon Sushi Rolls
The other bag of treats in our box is made by the folks at Snack 21, another local company. All of their products are 100% manufactured at their Richmond, BC, plant - about a 20 minute drive from where we live! The bag of treats has a net weight of 36 g (or 1.27 oz). Snack 21 use only wild pacific salmon in these treats, not farmed salmon. No by-product fillers or rendered materials are used - these treats are made with 100% dried wild Pacific Salmon. We love finding treats with just one or two ingredients! The salmon meat is rolled with the salmon skin, giving it the appearance of a sushi roll.
- No additives or preservatives, colouring or artificial flavouring
- A natural source of Omega 3 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals
- Made in Richmond, Canada
Bully’s Den Beef Bully Stick
We received two bully sticks in our box - a 6” bully stick and a 12” bully stick. These chews are made of one ingredient - grass-fed, pasture finished Angus cattle in Argentina. There are no added hormones, antibiotics, steroids, animal by-products, artificial colour, flavours or preservatives. The cattles were raised on family ranches in the Pampas Region in Argentina. Both dogs love these, and even though Bear eats through them a lot quicker than Momo, we believe it still helps with cleaning his teeth. Since these chews do have a bit of an odour, and can stain the carpet, we give the dogs these chews to gnaw on in the backyard. It keeps them busy and happy!
Around of A-Paws Sushi Bowtie
The handmade accessory in our bento is a super cute sushi print bowtie, made by Amber from A Round of A-Paws, a Canadian etsy shop specializing in handmade pet accessories. The bowtie size we received was size medium, which is for dogs 25-60 lbs, so we had Momo model it. Look how cute he looks in it! The bowtie are made to lay flat along the collar, and there are two velcro straps on the backside so you are able to secure the bowtie to the collar no matter how big or small the collar is. The value of the bowtie is about $12 CAD for size medium.
Final Thoughts:
We really enjoyed reviewing the Paws Bento. We love how half of the items are made in Canada. This month’s theme is super adorable, too! We enjoyed how cohesive the items were - from the adorable sushi toy to the yummy sushi rolls treats to the chic sushi bowtie. Our personal favourite products are the bags of treats - we love that they have only one or two high-quality, healthy ingredients. Both dogs were jumping for joy every time we reached for the bags. Even Bear was willing to do tricks for them (he’s a super picky eater - a self-professed food connoisseur). The bully sticks also made our pups super happy - they do not get these chews often so both of them went absolutely bonkers when we handed them one each. We would like to give a big thank you to Olivia and Kiki for choosing Bear and Momo to review their new subscription box. If you are interested in getting your own Paws Bento, feel free to check out their website.