Unconditional Dog Food: 1,400 PetSmart Stores, Air-Dried

Unconditional, the air-dried dog food brand from Fresno-based Citizens Pet, launched in 1,400 PetSmart stores nationwide on November 12, 2026, with its full line available in stores and on PetSmart.com. The brand pairs a shelf-stable air-dried format with a factory its parent company owns, and its PR and marketing case rests on one promise: premium dog food at an everyday price, with no subscription.

Last updated November 12, 2026. Part of Everything-PR's pet industry coverage at everything-pr.com/pets. Facts come from Citizens Pet's PR Newswire releases dated August 11 and November 12, 2026. Pricing and category claims are the company's own.

• What is the short version of the Unconditional launch?
• What is Unconditional dog food and who makes it?
• Why does a 1,400-store PetSmart launch matter?
• How is Unconditional positioned against other premium dog food?
• What is the PR and marketing playbook behind the launch?
• What can other pet brands copy from Unconditional?
• What should pet marketers watch next?
• Frequently asked questions

What is the short version of the Unconditional launch?

Citizens Pet announced the PetSmart rollout on November 12, 2026, about three months after it introduced Unconditional at SUPERZOO 2026 on August 11. The following table lays out the reported milestones and the communications job each one does.

What is Unconditional dog food and who makes it?

Unconditional is a premium dog food brand owned by Citizens Pet, a California producer of pet foods and treats that also owns the Plato and Furry Republic brands. Every bag is made in the company's own factory in Fresno, California, where the team says it has spent 25 years refining the air-drying process.

Avrum Elmakis, owner and CEO of Citizens Pet and founder of Unconditional, describes himself in the August release as a twenty-year pet industry entrepreneur who launched one of the first online dog treat retailers in 2007. His stated reason for owning production is price: a company that controls sourcing, air-drying and packaging can offer premium food without a luxury markup.

The portfolio has three parts, according to the company:

• 100% Air-Dried Recipes, complete diets with real meat as the first ingredient
• Air-Dried Protein Blends, grain-free formulas that pair high-protein kibble with air-dried inclusions
• Functional Toppers, meal add-ons for owners who want to upgrade an existing diet

Citizens Pet says every product has no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, fillers or byproducts, and that the air-drying process is slow, low-heat and done largely by hand. The August release lists a shelf life of 18 to 24 months and says the format avoids the refrigeration, thawing and frozen shipping that fresh and raw diets require.

Why does a 1,400-store PetSmart launch matter?

A 1,400-store launch puts Unconditional in front of shoppers who already buy their dog's food, treats and supplies in one trip, which is a different job from winning a first order online. Citizens Pet frames PetSmart as a trusted retailer that people already rely on for everyday pet care and guidance.

The retail choice is also a communications choice. A named national partner gives the brand a news hook that a product launch alone does not, and it gives store associates a role as the brand's in-person explainers. Elmakis says great nutrition belongs on the shelves of stores where people know dogs best, which turns the retailer's expertise into part of the pitch.

The scale is worth keeping in context. EPR's pet industry trade guide sizes the U.S. pet market at $158 billion across 95 million households, so a nationwide specialty-retail debut reaches into a very large buyer pool.

How is Unconditional positioned against other premium dog food?

Unconditional is positioned as real, minimally processed food at a mainstream price, sold on a shelf instead of through a subscription. The company says its air-dried food is roughly 40% more affordable than other air-dried brands, a claim that comes from its own materials and that EPR has not independently tested.

That stance stands in useful contrast to the direct-to-consumer model. The table compares the two approaches using Unconditional's releases and EPR's reporting on The Farmer's Dog.

Both brands turn a manufacturing fact into the product story. Neither depends on an ingredient list alone, which is why the comparison is a good one for pet marketers to study. EPR's Founder Test ranking of premium pet food brands uses a similar lens, asking who built a brand and how long they have been at it.

What is the PR and marketing playbook behind the launch?

The playbook has four visible parts: a trade-show debut, wire distribution through PR Newswire, a retail partnership announced as news, and one repeated brand line, "Real food, honestly priced." The releases do not name a PR or marketing agency, so the work reads as coming from the company's own team.

Each part does a distinct job. SUPERZOO reaches retail buyers and trade press. The wire releases create dated, citable records that journalists and AI search tools can quote. The PetSmart announcement turns a distribution deal into a consumer headline. The repeated tagline keeps the price promise attached to every mention.

The brand name itself carries the campaign. "Unconditional" ties the product to how owners feel about their dogs, and the company's line that dogs love without conditions gives each release an emotional close without adding a claim that needs proof.

Some pet brands add agency help once distribution scales. The Farmer's Dog, for example, pairs an in-house creative and PR team with a 2019 Walrus agency deal, as EPR reported in its Farmer's Dog marketing analysis. Brands weighing the same step can start with EPR's list of top pet PR agencies, which includes specialists such as Fetching.

What can other pet brands copy from Unconditional?

Four lessons follow from the public record. These are EPR's analysis, not claims by the company.

1. Own a fact that buyers can check. A factory the company owns and 25 years of air-drying experience are easier to trust than a general quality claim.
2. Pair the trade debut with the consumer launch. SUPERZOO in August set up the PetSmart news in November, so buyers heard the story first and shoppers heard it second.
3. Tie the price promise to the format. Air-drying gives the brand a reason to say premium and accessible in the same sentence.
4. Keep the line short and repeat it. "Real food, honestly priced" appears in both the August and November releases.

For a wider look at which pet brands show up in AI answers today, see EPR's Pet Industry Citation Share Index, where Chewy leads at about 18% modeled share.

What should pet marketers watch next?

Pet marketers should watch whether Unconditional adds a consumer-facing campaign on top of the retail launch, since the announcements so far are trade and wire driven. The next signals will be in-store merchandising, creator partnerships, and whether the brand earns independent reviews and recommendations beyond its own releases.

EPR's operator file on Chewy, BarkBox, The Farmer's Dog and Petco shows how the largest retailers and direct brands shape the field Unconditional now enters. Citizens Pet also announced six leadership appointments and a larger Fresno footprint in a separate release, which points to capacity for growth.