Roxi & Co becomes South Dakota’s first BBB international winner
Bottom line
Version 1 — Brief
Sioux Falls-based Roxi & Co has been named a 2026 Better Business Bureau International Torch Award for Ethics winner, becoming the first business from South Dakota to earn the international honor. The locally owned company, which operates both a pet retail business and a dog waste cleanup service, won in the 11-99 employee category. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus said winners are judged on leadership character, workplace culture, customer relationships, and community impact, and noted that this year’s field included more than 130 entries from prior local Torch Award recipients. (bbb.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the story is less about a single award and more about the kind of local pet-business ecosystem that shapes client trust. Roxi & Co’s recognition highlights how independent pet retailers and service providers are increasingly being evaluated not just on products, but on transparency, team culture, and community engagement, including support for local shelters and rescues. That can matter to clinics looking for credible referral partners, retail collaborators, or community outreach allies in their markets. (bbb.org)
What to watch: Watch whether Roxi & Co uses the national visibility to expand partnerships with shelters, rescues, and other pet-care businesses in the Sioux Falls market. (bbb.org)
Version 2 — Full analysis
Roxi & Co, a Sioux Falls pet retailer and dog waste cleanup company, has been named a 2026 winner of the Better Business Bureau’s International Torch Award for Ethics, making it the first South Dakota business to receive the international recognition. The award places the company alongside winners from architecture, banking, and grocery retail, and gives unusual national visibility to an independent pet business in a category often dominated by larger regional brands. (bbb.org)
The honor comes through a multi-step process. To qualify for the international competition, a business must first win a local BBB Torch Award. BBB says the international program has been presented annually since 1996 and is open only to prior local winners that meet eligibility requirements, including at least three years in business and a BBB rating of at least B. In 2026, Roxi & Co was also listed among BBB Midwest Plains award recipients, which positioned it to advance to the international stage. (bbb.org)
According to the International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Roxi & Co won in Category 2, for businesses with 11 to 99 employees. BBB said more than 130 entries were submitted this year, with judging centered on four criteria: leadership character, authentic culture, transparent customer relationships, and community impact. The organization described Roxi & Co as a locally owned pet retailer and pet services company focused on high-quality pet food and supplies, professional dog waste cleanup, team investment, and support for local animal rescues and community groups. Winners were honored at a September 16, 2026 event in Denver. (bbb.org)
Roxi & Co’s own public materials reinforce that positioning. The company markets itself as a community-driven Sioux Falls pet store and service business, and its donation policy says it prioritizes requests benefiting local animal shelters, rescues, and other pet-related causes in the area. Outside coverage also shows the company participating in rescue support efforts, including a large pet food donation initiative tied to local shelters and rescue organizations. (roxiandco.com)
Public expert commentary on Roxi & Co specifically appears limited so far, but BBB framed the award as a recognition of organizations that make integrity, transparency, and accountability part of their operating model. In the BBB announcement, interim CEO Jonathan Liebert said the winners demonstrate that business success and strong values can go hand in hand. That language is standard for award programs, but in this case it also reflects a broader shift in how pet-facing businesses are being judged by consumers and community partners, especially in local markets where reputation travels quickly. (bbb.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a useful signal about the growing influence of adjacent pet-care businesses in client relationships. Independent retailers, nutrition sellers, pickup-and-delivery services, and waste removal companies often have frequent contact with pet parents, sometimes more often than clinics do between visits. When one of those businesses earns a high-profile ethics award, it can strengthen its standing as a referral partner or community collaborator. For practices, that may create opportunities around shared education, rescue support, nutrition conversations, or local events, but it also raises the bar for choosing partners whose values and messaging align with clinical standards. (bbb.org)
The story also speaks to a wider business reality in animal health and pet services: trust has become a competitive asset. BBB’s judging framework explicitly emphasizes culture, customer transparency, and community impact, not just financial performance. In a pet-care market where pet parents are scrutinizing recommendations, sourcing, and service quality more closely, those factors can influence where clients shop, whom they believe, and which local businesses they see as credible extensions of their care network. That’s relevant for clinics navigating retail competition, online misinformation, and rising expectations around service experience. (bbb.org)
What to watch: The next question is whether Roxi & Co turns the award into broader market leverage, through expanded rescue partnerships, stronger regional brand recognition, or deeper collaboration with other pet-care providers. For veterinary teams, it’s worth watching whether this kind of recognition starts showing up more often among independent pet businesses, because it may become another shorthand pet parents use when deciding whom to trust. (bbb.org)