Dogs May Lead the Way to Lab-Grown Meat

Your dog may be among the first members of the family to try meat that never came from a farm animal.

In February 2025, British pet retailer Pets at Home began selling dog treats made with cultivated chicken, a form of real animal meat grown from cells instead of raised on a farm. The product, called Chick Bites, was made with chicken developed by Meatly, a British startup working in the fast-growing field of lab-grown meat.

The idea may sound like science fiction: chicken that did not come from a chicken. But cultivated meat is not a plant-based substitute. It is made from animal cells, which are grown with nutrients inside controlled tanks. The result is real animal protein, but without raising, feeding, and slaughtering livestock.

For now, the first customers are dogs.

That may turn out to be an important step for the future of food. Pet food gives companies a way to test cultivated meat with the public while also meeting safety and regulatory rules. People may be cautious about eating lab-grown meat themselves, but they may be more open to trying it in a dog treat, especially if it is safe, nutritious, and better for the planet.

Meatly’s cultivated chicken begins with a single egg cell. Scientists feed the cell a mix of nutrients so it can grow into meat in fermentation tanks. These tanks are similar in idea to equipment used to make foods such as yogurt or beer, though the process is much more advanced.

Supporters say cultivated meat could help reduce the environmental costs of food production. Raising animals for meat requires large amounts of land, water, and feed. It also creates greenhouse gas emissions and animal waste. If companies can make real meat with fewer resources, the technology could become part of a larger effort to make food production more sustainable.

That promise is especially important in the pet food industry. Dogs and cats eat a large amount of meat every year, and much of the protein in pet food comes from animal agriculture. A cultivated meat treat may seem small, but it could help companies learn how to make larger amounts of lab-grown protein at lower cost.

The pet food aisle may also be a friendlier place to introduce the idea. Human food habits are deeply personal. People can be suspicious of anything that sounds artificial, even when it is carefully tested. Pet owners, however, are already used to buying specialized foods for their animals, from grain-free kibble to freeze-dried treats. A new kind of chicken snack may be less shocking when it is packaged for a dog.

Still, cultivated meat faces big challenges. It must pass strict safety reviews. It must be produced at a price people are willing to pay. It also must win trust from shoppers who may wonder how meat grown in a tank can be safe or natural.

Those questions are part of the reason the pet market matters. Before cultivated meat becomes common on dinner plates, companies need to prove they can make it safely, consistently, and in larger amounts. Dog treats offer a smaller, simpler place to start.

The launch of Chick Bites does not mean grocery stores will soon be filled with lab-grown chicken breasts. The technology is still developing, and many companies are working through the slow process of government approval in different countries. But each new product gives the industry more real-world experience.

For pet owners, the choice may come down to a simple question: Would they buy a treat for their dog if it offered real chicken protein without the need to raise and kill a chicken?

For food companies, the question is much bigger. If dogs accept cultivated meat, and their owners accept the idea, the next step could be food made for people.

The dog bowl may not seem like the place where the future of meat begins. But it just might be the perfect place to start.