Our Mission

The Hotel Welcome
Every Dog Deserves

We give traveling dogs the arrival moment they deserve — and make sure every order goes right back to the local rescue shelters working every day to give animals a second chance.

The story

How Sustainable Barks Came to Be

Kale and Mandy spent their weekends volunteering at animal rescue shelters across New Jersey — walking dogs, watching them wait, falling in love with the teams working tirelessly to care for them. Around the same time, they adopted Piper — found abandoned in a dumpster in Texas, rescued off the streets, and transported north to find her family. What they saw inside those shelters never left them: extraordinary dedication, and never enough funding to match it.

Then came the hotel trip with Piper. They'd specifically chosen a place advertising itself as "pet-friendly" — paid the fee, packed her favorite toy, pulled up excited. They got to the room. Nothing. No bed, no treat, no welcome of any kind. Just a surcharge on the bill and a laminated note about not leaving the dog unattended.

If you've ever traveled with your dog, you know that feeling. You want them treated like the family member they are. And if you've ever walked the kennels at a rescue shelter, you know the other side too. Sustainable Barks was built to fix both — curated dog welcome bundles for hotels, sourced from our rescue shelter partners, with 100% of profits going right back to the shelters doing the hard work.

Kale and Mandy, founders of Sustainable Barks, with their rescue dog Piper at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park

Kale, Mandy & Piper — Central Park, NYC

Zero-Waste Philosophy

We give toys and treats a second life, diverting them from landfills and putting them where they'll be loved.

Hyper-Local Impact

We focus on the NYC metro so every dollar goes to shelters in the same community as the hotels we serve.

True Partnerships

We build lasting relationships with shelters, hotels, and the community — not just one-time transactions.

Radical Transparency

100% of profits to shelters. Not "a portion." Not "up to." All of it, every time.

By the numbers

Our Impact

Growing every month as more hotels join the mission.

100%
Profits donated to shelters
$0
Admin or overhead fee
0
Toys wasted
Dogs made happy
How we're different

The Sustainable Barks Model

Circular Economy

Community donations and shelter inventory become hotel welcome bundles. Toys get second lives. Nothing goes to waste.

Aligned Incentives

Hotels get tax deductions and better reviews. Shelters get funding. Guests get moments. Donors feel good. Everyone wins.

Community-First

We stay local intentionally. NYC hotels, NYC shelters, NYC community. The impact is concentrated, traceable, and real.

"We want every dog to walk into a hotel and feel like the guest of honor. And we want every dollar behind that moment going right back to the shelter dogs still waiting for their family to find them."

— Kale, Mandy & Piper

Small terrier dog on hotel bed with Sustainable Barks welcome bundle
Two Yorkies playing with rope toy from Sustainable Barks bundle in luxury hotel room
Australian Cattle Dog on hotel bed with Sustainable Barks welcome bundle
The story behind the mission

When PiperCame Home.

Found abandoned in a dumpster in Texas, rescued off the streets, and transported north to find her family. This is the moment she did.

Piper's adoption day — the moment that started everything.

For Hotel Partners

Fully tax-deductible bundles that create unforgettable guest experiences and fund local animal rescue shelters.

Partner With Us

For Dog Lovers

Have extra toys or treats? Donate them and give them a second life in a hotel welcome bundle.

Donate Toys