The ORANGE DOT AWARD 2026 officially began accepting applications on June 1! At this year’s kickoff, we introduced the annual theme: “Innovation for Pet Welfare”: a call to the pet industry to champion innovation that lead with compassion, purpose, and progress.
ORANGE DOT AWARD 2026 Timeline:
What is the ORANGE DOT AWARD?
The ORANGE DOT AWARD is a global recognition of innovation in the pet sector, honoring products, technologies, and services that combine scientific rigor with emotional intelligence. From nutrition and health to smart living and sustainability, we celebrate the best ideas that shape the future of pet care.
2026 Theme: “Innovation for Pet Welfare”
One of the winning entries 2025, dogGPT, reflects this spirit perfectly. Designed as a Large Language Model-based tool, dogGPT helps dog owners better understand the nuances of their pets’ behavior by drawing from validated, expert-backed sources like the Good Owners Guide to Dogs. While it does not replace professional trainers, it provides a framework for understanding and communicating more thoughtfully with experts. This kind of innovation, accessible, science-driven, and purposefully limited to what it can responsibly offer, showcases exactly the kind of empathetic intelligence the Orange Dot Award seeks to highlight.
This year’s theme was unveiled by our global advisory board during the Pet Innovation Forum in Orlando. It calls for a new kind of pet industry product: one that balances technical sophistication with emotional resonance, and bold ambition with real-world usability.
2026 Entry Categories:
Application Tips
-Narrative matters: Share why and how your innovation came to life.
-Show it clearly: First impressions count: choose a visual that captures what makes your product or service stand out.
Start your application today.
For more information, including FAQs, jury details, and past winners, visit our official website or contact pd@orange-dot.org.
