Pet Business

June 2009

A New Breed

In the not-so-distant future, the pet industry may find itself selling to a dwindling audience. While industry studies continue to…

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—SeaYu Enterprises has signed on as a corporate sponsor of Romeo the Cat, a new online fundraising effort for animal welfare and rescue.Romeo the Cat (www.romeothecat.com) chooses a new animal welfare organization each month to receive the funds raised via the corporate sponsors and individual donations made by members…

AUSTIN, Texas—PetzMD.com, a popular source of free online pet health information, has launched a new consumer friendly feature, FIND-A-VET. "Once our site launched last year, we got hundreds of comments and suggestions from users about particular features they would like to see added to the site," says Tina Cannon, President…

WOLCOTT, N.Y.—Marshall Pet Products has redesigned its food packaging to better reflect the brand and highlight the company’s focus on quality, without compromising current brand recognition. For more information, visit www.marshallpet.com.

GUANGZHOU, China—The 13th China International Pet Show (CIPS’09) will be held Nov. 16-19 at the China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou, China and will showcase exhibitors from across the globe. As of March, 85 percent of booth space was sold out, with more than 400 exhibitors signed…

STERLING, Ill.—Wahl Clipper Corporation celebrated its 90th anniversary with employees and customers at the 2009 International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago on March 22. Founded in 1919, Wahl continues to bring quality and innovation to both professional and home groomers. Over the past nine decades, Wahl has grown and…

ROCKAWAY, N.J.—Sherpa Pet Group has signed a licensing agreement with PEZ for the creation of a new brand–Pez for Pets. The license agreement includes the rights to use the PEZ logo, font, the unique dispenser design, and the shape, color and flavors of the briquette candies. Pez for Pets takes…

ST. CHARLES, Ill.—Aquascape, Inc. has set the date and theme for the 10th anniversary of Pondemonium, the water garden industry’s premiere business and networking event. From July 16-19, distributors, contractors and retailers will come together for the event designed to help grow their water garden businesses. According to Ed Beaulieu,…

FERNDALE, Wash.—CareFRESH, part of Absorption Corp. and a leading brand of small pet bedding and food, has launched a new, interactive website.The site includes information about caring for small pets and choosing the right pet, as well as a forum for exchanging information.A password-protected section for retailers will include information…

Howard Deardorff, long-time PIJAC employee, passed away March 29, 2009 at his home in Stevensville, Md. He was 80 years old. Deardorff served in the Navy in World War II and graduated from Lafayette College in 1956 with a degree in government studies. After a short stint in the dairy…

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas—Richell USA has partnered with Unleashed Indoor Dog Parks, indoor, off-leash play parks created especially for dogs and their pet parents. The flagship facility opened its doors on March 28, 2009, in Dallas, Texas, with grand opening festivities co-sponsored by Richell. In addition, Richell has pledged product donations…

STEPHEN, Minn.—D&D Commodities Ltd. has named Orscheln Farm & Home as its 2008 Multi-Store Retailer of the Year; Family Center Farm & Home for the 2008 Independent Retailer of the Year; Cherree Theisen Sales Assoc., Inc. for the 2008 Broker of the Year; and Mills Fleet Farm as the 2008…

GREENWICH, Conn.—The American Pet Products Association (APPA) has named Michael Farmer chairman of the board; Roger Morgan vice chairman; and Paul D. Cooke secretary/treasurer. Additionally, Diane Peterson of Mulligan Stew has been newly elected to the Board of Directors.As chairman, Farmer presides over all meetings of the Board of Directors,…

SAN FRANCISCO—SeaYu Enterprises, makers of Clean+Green, the eco-friendly aerosol pet cleaning products, recently conducted a survey on consumer’s perception of, and commitment to, living an eco-friendly lifestyle. The survey reveled that 78 percent of respondents have said they are willing to pay more for eco-friendly products and 56 percent ranked…

COSTA MESA, Calif.—New SnooZZy OrthoAir Therapeutic Inflatable Pet Beds from Precision Pet Products help relieve and prevent muscle and joint discomfort in dogs of all ages, particularly older, arthritic, incontinent and post-operation dogs. Air-filled chambers provide support and adjustable comfort with internal I-Beam construction that provides support throughout the bed.…

Ohio House Bill 124, which also has a companion in the Senate (SB 95) sets licensing and insurance requirements for dog breeding kennels. The bills also provide pet store warranty provisions on dog sales.HB 124 is set to be heard before the House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources on…

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry amended a breeder kennel law (LD 964) to include a sales tax increase applicable only on pet foods. Maine’s existing five-percent sales tax would be increased by one percent on pet foods and treats. The funds would go to funding the State’s…

The Texas House of Representatives has passed legislation that would impose broad new restrictions on people breeding and selling pet animals. House Bill 3180 now moves on to the Senate where it will likely see swift passage if constituents do not make their elected officials aware of the serious problems…

Legislation regulating pet groomers has been introduced in Massachusetts. Almost identical legislation was proposed in 2007, but failed to become law. SB 186 defines a “pet groomer” as someone who “is licensed as a bather/brusher, all-breed basic groomer or all-breed master/teacher groomer engaged in the practice of pet grooming, who…

The New York Times recently ran a great article about social networking and how small businesses and entrepreneurs are leveraging online social networking sites to build their businesses. (www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/business/smallbusiness/04sbiz.html?_r=1&dlbk)The piece included some very interesting figures. It said that according to a recent study conducted for Sage North America:• 65% of…

Are puppies that also act as nightlights the next pet craze? For the sake of the long-term health of the industry, let’s hope not.At the end of April, I read several reports about a team of South Korean scientists who have apparently genetically engineered a litter of beagle puppies that…

I recently asked several retailers about topics they’d like to hear more about in the pages of Pet Business, and almost every one seemed to be interested in finding out creative new ways to market their businesses. Many have already done a lot in that arena. They’ve taken business cards…

A quick update on our April cover story, "5 Recession-Driven Opportunities": I just read an Advertising Age article in which Bernstein Research, a Wall Street investment research firm, predicts a 20 - 30 percent drop in television ad revenue in 2009. This is yet another sign of how the advertising…

At first I was a little apprehensive about the newest buzz in the social marketing world. Twitter is essentially a news feed, where users input a maximum of 140 characters (including spaces) at a time. What, I thought, could possibly be conveyed in 140 characters?But it’s all the rage, so…

My favorite pet store closed last week. At first I thought the closing might be a result of the weakened economy, but then I heard that the owner, with whom I’d had a friendly relationship for a few years, had passed away unexpectedly. It was very sad to hear of…

Nowadays, watching just a few minutes of the local nightly newscast can be enough to put a person into a full-blown depression. Even businesses and individuals who are doing relatively well during these tough economic times largely feel that a (negative) change in their fortunes may be inevitable. But it's…

A few months ago I visited my local pet store, where I’ve been shopping for about five years. I didn’t realize I had left my wallet on my dining room table. I spent 30 minutes in the store, picking up cat food, treats, litter and catnip toys. When I got…

I had the pleasure of meeting Pamela Stegeman, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council's (PIJAC) new president, at Global Pet Expo, and I came away quite impressed. Intelligent and engaging, with a strong background in marketing--including eight years with the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)--Pamela seems ideally suited for the task…

In November a furry little bundle of claws joined my household. Because this was my first kitten, this meant deciding everything from what food to feed her, to what litter to use. Fortunately, there is a small pet specialty retailer store about a block away from my apartment. Over the…

We just got back from Global Pet Expo in Orlando (Feb. 12-14), and I'm happy to report that it was, by all accounts, a resounding success. Any other year, this would come as no surprise--the show has been growing steadily since its inception five years ago--but this year, the show…

Now Playing: Bio-Groom Waterless Bath