Cocoa shells are a byproduct of the chocolate-making process and as a result, contain many of the same ingredients as chocolate and other cocoa products. One of those compounds is theobromine, a naturally-occurring substance similar to caffeine that is not safe for pets to eat. If an animal ingests large amounts of theobromine, it could suffer adverse health effects.
In the ten years that National Cocoa Shell Distribution, Inc. has been in business, we have sold millions of bags of cocoa shell mulch. In that time, we have never had a single report of any pet getting seriously ill from eating our mulch.
While cocoa shell mulch is a natural substance that creates excellent results in the garden, it is not something you want your pet to eat. Pet owners should never feed their animal cocoa products, including cocoa shell. The bags that contain our mulch are clearly labeled that it is not intended for human or animal consumption. If you have a curious pet that will eat almost anything, you will want to keep a close eye on it if it has easy access to cocoa shell mulch in your yard. While the initial chocolate scent may attract some pets, the smell does fade in a matter of a few weeks, making the mulch less attractive to animals.