Citizens Pet launches Unconditional, an air-dried dog food brand sold at major chains

What happened

Citizens Pet, a pet food maker in Fresno, California, has launched a new dog food brand called Unconditional. The company announced the brand in a press release dated August 11, 2026, and showed it at the SuperZoo trade show. Retail sales started in September.

The release names PetSmart, Petco, Pet Supplies Plus, independent pet retailers and the brand's own website as places to buy it. Citizens Pet already makes the Plato and Furry Republic brands. The release says the company has over 25 years of experience with air drying.

Avrum Elmakis, owner and CEO of Citizens Pet and founder of Unconditional, said in the release that "better nutrition shouldn't be reserved for a select few."

What is in the range

The line comes in three formats. The first is 100% air-dried complete diets. The second is kibble blends: regular kibble mixed with air-dried pieces. The third is meal toppers that go on top of another food.

PetSmart's brand page lists 11 products. There are two Air Dried recipes, beef and chicken. Prime Protein Blend and Protein Blend each come in beef, chicken and salmon. The three toppers are Immunity and Gut Support (beef), Mobility Support (chicken) and Skin and Coat (tuna). Every product on that page is labeled for adult dogs. We found no puppy or all life stages recipe.

The brand says every recipe lists meat as the first ingredient, is grain-free, and has no artificial preservatives, fillers, byproducts or rendered meals. It also says the food is "air-dried slowly to preserve nutrients without the heat used in conventional kibble." Those are the brand's claims. The names of the toppers describe what the brand intends them for. They are not proof of a health effect.

Price and the 80% protein label

The release says Unconditional costs about 40% less than other air-dried brands. It does not say which brands it compared against or how it worked out the figure. Shelf prices vary by bag size and retailer, so we cannot confirm that claim.

PetSmart puts "80% Protein" on the air-dried recipes. From the material we read, it is unclear what that number measures. It might be the share of the recipe that comes from meat, organs and bone, or something else. It is not the crude protein figure printed in the guaranteed analysis. To compare protein between foods, use the guaranteed analysis on the bag.

What it means if you are thinking about it

Unconditional is a new name, but the maker is not new. If your dog already eats Plato or Furry Republic, this food comes from the same company and the same Fresno plant, according to the release.

The three formats are very different products. A 100% air-dried diet is dense and usually fed in much smaller portions than kibble. A blend is mostly kibble with some air-dried pieces mixed in. A topper is not meant to be a complete meal. Feeding amounts and cost per day will vary a lot between them, even within the same protein.

What to check on the bag

First, check the format. Make sure the bag says Air Dried, Prime Protein Blend, Protein Blend or topper, because the names and proteins overlap. Second, find the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement. It tells you whether the food is complete and balanced and for which life stage. Toppers usually are not. Third, read the full ingredient list past the first ingredient, especially if your dog has a known protein sensitivity. Finally, read the guaranteed analysis and the feeding guide, and switch foods gradually.