2025 Winners - Dog & Bond
We’re proud to feature Dog & Bond’s Doggy Ice-Cream Kit, winner of the Gift of the Year 2025 – Pet Gift category. This simple, natural, and fun kit lets pet owners make tasty ice cream their dogs will love. Founder Avi Nagel shares what the award means to him and the story behind the product.
How did it feel when you found out you were a Gift of the Year winner?
Super exciting for us. Dog & Bond has previously been recognised by the pet industry, but winning Gift of the Year really meant a lot. We’re all about creating fun, engaging experiences that are giftable — so to have the judges understand that, and love it, meant the world.
What does winning this award mean to you and your business?
As a young brand, winning Gift of the Year instantly boosted our credibility, especially with new stockists. We’re confident in our products, but when retailers see that we’ve been recognised by experts in the gifting world, it opens doors and builds trust much faster.
Tell us the story behind your winning product—what inspired it?
I grew up in California, always surrounded by dogs. On hot days, my brothers and I would cool down with homemade fruit shakes — and our dogs would beg for a taste. My mum started blending up frozen fruit and veggie treats just for them. Nothing as cute as the paw prints we offer today, of course!
To me, there’s nothing more fulfilling than showing love through food. Preparing and sharing treats is a rich experience — and of course, our dogs deserve to be part of that.
Plus, who doesn’t love ice cream?
What makes your product stand out in the market?
Honestly this product is totally unique.
Shared Experience: We use 100% natural, human-grade ingredients, so dogs and their people can enjoy it together.
Effortless Fun: Simply add water, mix, freeze, and enjoy. So easy kids can make it.
Real Ingredients: No preservatives, no additives, no nonsense. Just things you can pronounce and trust.
Eco-Friendly: Each kit includes a reusable silicone mould — freezer and oven safe — for endless batches.
Giftable: At under £10, it’s a perfect treat for any dog lover.
What kind of feedback have you received from customers about this product?
We’ve had such positive responses from customers and stockists alike. People are getting creative — adding their dog’s favourite treats, little bits of meat or fish — and the dogs absolutely love it.
We especially love seeing all the videos people share. There’s something joyful about watching a dog devour an ice cream they helped make.
Can you share a fun or surprising moment from the product development journey?
I love chocolate chips in my ice cream — but since chocolate is a no-go for dogs, we tried to make dog-friendly carob chips instead. Total disaster. Every attempt failed: too gooey, too soft, melted too fast...
It’s a tough balance creating something delicious, dog-safe, and shelf-stable. We haven’t cracked it yet — but we’re not giving up.
Who was involved in bringing this product to life, and how did you celebrate with your team?
Who has time to celebrate? We had one morning of patting ourselves on the back and gushing about the award, but then it was straight back to: how do we get this out there? How do we find more dog lovers who want to make magical memories with their pets?
How do you plan to leverage your Gift of the Year win in your marketing or future plans?
It’s front and centre in all our marketing. It’s already gone into our buyer literature, and we’re working on adding it to our displays as well. It’s a great shorthand for what we stand for — quality, fun, and gifting with heart.
What’s next for your brand—any exciting projects or launches on the horizon?
Most of our range uses peanuts - they are high in protein and dogs love the taste. But some people have nut allergies (rare for dogs), so we’re working on a new line of pumpkin-based products.
Pumpkin is amazing for dogs, it’s a gentle prebiotic, easy to digest and great for dogs’ tummies. We’ll soon be launching a pumpkin-based tummy topper and a new treat mix. Like everything we do, they’ll be natural, wholesome, and delicious — for dogs and their people.
Find out more about this winning product and explore Dog & Bond here.
