Gelato for pets was created in 2014 at the La Botteghe di Leonardo shop in Naples, southern Italy, where a customer often took his dog, bought some ice cream, and shared it with the pooch. After getting repeated requests, the gelateria decided to create an exclusive recipe for dogs. The city of São Paulo was the first outside of Italy to have gelato for dogs on its menu.

From the beginning, the Le Botteghe team carried out studies, which were evaluated by veterinarians, to prepare the recipe, which takes natural organic white yogurt, a drop of honey (in place of sugar), and a fruit or vegetable that is in season (among others: bananas, mangoes, kiwis, apples, carrots, pears, oranges, papayas, and beets), all with balanced raw materials that animals tolerate well.

The gelato was named "Peppino," and is sold in the form of a popsicle. To be even more palatable for dogs, the stick is replaced by a mini leather bone. This also prevents the dog from getting hurt by gnawing on a wooden stick.

The name "PEPPINO" comes from the friendly mutt mascot that the gelateria’s owners adopted. The Le Botteghe di Leonardo gelateria transfers a monthly percentage of the sales of PEPPINO popsicles and organizes fundraising events for animal welfare organizations. Because lives are adopted!