Sales of Pet Products Are Going One Way: Up

Wednesday, December 29th

Sales of Pet Products Are Going One Way: Up

Pet products are big business.

In a recent issue of Forbes magazine, it was revealed that U.S. consumers annually spend more on pet products than they do on children's toys, by a whopping difference of $14 billion a year.

This figure would be no surprise to Suzanne Merritt, owner of Benson's Canine Cookies Inc., in Lakeland, who sees firsthand just how much pet owners are willing to spend on their dogs or cats. Merritt originally built her business on selling healthy organic pet food and treats, and has since expanded to carry upscale pet products in addition to health food products, Chinese herbs, and vegetarian pet cookies.

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Lou on 12.29.04 @ 02:53 PM EST [link]

Tuesday, December 28th

Fish tank firm targets USA

The Norfolk company that makes hi-tech BiOrb fish bowls has taken giant strides across 'The Pond' to meet growing demand from customers in America.

Reef One, of Horsham St Faith, near Norwich, has also launched a new range of products to build on the success of the BiOrb, including a giant BiOrb and a tube-shaped tank.

Following its launch in the USA earlier this year, the 30-litre BiOrb, which boasts its own filtration system and interchangeable lids and bases, was named Best in Show at the American Pet Product Manufacturers' Association trade show in New Orleans and was an "editor's choice" in Pet Product News.

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Lou on 12.28.04 @ 08:55 AM EST [link]

First Cloned-to-Order Pet Hits the Market

The world's first commercially cloned pet, a nine-week-old kitten, was delivered to a woman who paid $50,000 for a copy of her beloved dead cat, said U.S. company Genetic Savings and Clone on Thursday.

Little Nicky: was handed over to a Texas woman known only as Julie on Dec. 10, making her the first paying client to receive a genetically-cloned pet, Genetic Savings and Clone said.

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Lou on 12.28.04 @ 08:53 AM EST [link]

"Extinct" Vipers, Other Reptiles Uncovered in Iran

Two expeditions in 2000 and 2002 did not disappoint. In addition to finding ten more lizards and snakes, the scientists were thrilled to find an isolated population of vipers (Vipera latifii). Zoologists had feared that the species had gone extinct when a new dam had flooded the viper's habitat in the late 1970s.

Today the scientists continue to analyze the data and specimens they collected. Funded in part by a grant from the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration, the research will piece together a better picture of Iran's herpetofauna (the diversity of amphibians and reptiles) to help ensure its future protection. While 20 percent of the reptiles in Iran may still be undiscovered, some species may have already gone extinct.

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Lou on 12.28.04 @ 08:48 AM EST [link]

Friday, December 24th

Pet cloning: delightful or evil?

Readers respond to the question: Would you clone your favorite pet? Do you think it's wrong or frivolous to clone an animal?

I could never afford to clone a pet, but I certainly understand the depth of attachment to a companion animal that would motivate a pet owner to do so, and I have no objections to the practice.

-- J.W. Hughes, Bremerton

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Anyone who has $50,000 to pay to clone a pet has way too many dollars and not near enough sense. They could have adopted a couple of thousand animals from the Humane Society for that wasted money. Once a pet dies, while sad, it is something that happens and is a part of life. Deal with it. This has to be one of the most frivolous, wasteful things I have ever heard of.

-- Eric Strandberg, Everett

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Lou on 12.24.04 @ 02:22 PM EST [link]

Pet industry calls for puppy mill crackdown

FREDERICTON — A puppy mill bust in northern New Brunswick has prompted many in the pet industry to demand tougher laws protecting animals and owners.

The police and SPCA confiscated up to 65 dogs from a home in St. Hiliare, New Brunswick this week.

SPCA inspectors knew about the puppy mill, but could do nothing until someone complained about it. The only law the breeder allegedly broke was to keep the dogs in unsanitary conditions – not a serious offence.

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Lou on 12.24.04 @ 02:21 PM EST [link]

Thursday, December 23rd

First cloned pet revives ethical debate

The first cloned-to-order pet has been delivered by a US company, reigniting

debate over the ethics of commercial cloning.

The 9-week-old kitten, named Little Nicky, was cloned for a woman in Texas, to replace a 17-year-old pet cat called Nicky, which died in 2003. She paid for $50,000 for her new pet.

But experts warn that cloning will never produce a perfect replica of any animal is also associated with health problems in later life. US Animal welfare groups have also criticised pet cloning, noting that that thousands of unwanted cats and dogs have to be euthanised every year.

Little Nicky was cloned by Genetic Savings and Clone, based in Sausalito, California, US, which produced the first ever clone of a domestic cat in December 2001. The company hopes to have produced a cloned-to-order dog by May 2005.

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Lou on 12.23.04 @ 02:10 PM EST [link]

Monday, December 20th

Blaze destroys pet store

A fire ripped through a well-known pet store in West Islip yesterday, destroying the building and killing all but four of the hundreds of animals inside.

Bill Niehoff, the co-owner of BTJ's Jungle Pets & Aquarium, looked defeated yesterday as he watched more than 30 years of work and memories reduced to rubble. The shop, on the north service road of Sunrise Highway, was a family business for decades, one he and his brothers Tom and John had run since the early '90s.

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Lou on 12.20.04 @ 05:58 PM EST [link]

Friday, December 17th

Vet says illegal pet sales threaten human health

The English and French bulldog puppies advertised on Michael Rego's Web site so enticed a Boston man that he drove to Rego's house in Rhode Island to buy one, he told investigators. The man said he paid Rego $2,300. The puppy had diarrhea and began to vomit that day. The next morning, the dog was dead.

A woman told Rhode Island state investigators that she bought an English bulldog puppy from Rego for $2,000, after seeing Rego's classified ad in The Providence Journal. The puppy had diarrhea and was vomiting from the start, she said; it died 11 days later of canine parvovirus - a highly contagious, infectious disease that is usually fatal to puppies if left untreated.

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Lou on 12.17.04 @ 11:49 AM EST [link]

Froogle turns to Web for product reviews

In the weeks before Christmas, Google has quietly added third-party product reviews to its comparison shopping engine, Froogle.

In a move to make its site a one-stop online shopping service, Google has started taking snippets of editorial and consumer reviews from sites such as Bizrate.com, Circuit City and CNET, and pairing them with select electronics such as Apple Computer's iPod and Canon's Powershot. CNET is the publisher of News.com.

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Lou on 12.17.04 @ 11:45 AM EST [link]

Froogle turns to Web for product reviews

Wednesday, December 15th

Colgate pays for pet sitters, perks

NEW YORK - Colgate-Palmolive Co., which announced Tuesday it is eliminating 4,400 jobs, disclosed in a regulatory filing that many of its top executives and officers are given allowances of up to $11,500 a year to spend on things such as pet sitters, running shoes, karate lessons and movie rentals.

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Lou on 12.15.04 @ 01:53 PM EST [link]

10 percent of birds will be extinct by 2100 :

World News > Washington, Dec 14 : A new futuristic study by researchers at the University of Stanford is predicting that by the time the next century rolls around, a number of bird species that we take for granted today will become mere pictures in bird books, as a whopping 10 percent of all bird species face extinction by the year 2100.

Their study showed that the main causes of this loss in bird population would be habitat loss, disease, climate change, competition from introduced species and exploitation for food or the pet trade.

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Lou on 12.15.04 @ 01:45 PM EST [link]

Monday, December 13th

Keep pets safe during holiday season

The holidays can unleash hazards that put pets in peril, an Iowa State University veterinarian says.

"A busy holiday household can place companion animals at risk for injury and illness. Even death," said Dr. Kim Langholz, a veterinarian at Iowa State's Small Animal Clinic.

Decorations, lights, gift wrap and holiday food can breed mishaps. Relatives can also create stress for a pet that is not used to a house that is suddenly full of relatives.

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Lou on 12.13.04 @ 03:51 PM EST [link]

Reptiles 'fascinating' pets

Not all pets are warm and fuzzy and curl up with you at bedtime.

Just ask Rich Ihle of Mesa, who has owned, bred and exhibited reptiles since he was a teenager.

"There are certain benefits to owning a snake," the 52-year-old said, "especially with the lifestyles people lead today."

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Lou on 12.13.04 @ 03:49 PM EST [link]

Saturday, December 11th

PETA DEMANDS JAIL TIME FOR HICKSVILLE ANIMAL ABUSER

Hicksville, N.Y. --- Today, PETA sent an urgent plea to Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon, urging him to vigorously prosecute Long Island Reptile Museum owner Steve Kates. Kates faces multiple charges stemming from authorities’ reported November 9 discovery of as many as 182 reptiles languishing without heat in the now-closed museum in Hicksville. The animals reportedly included two 7-foot alligators and three giant tortoises. News sources state that the rotting remains of a number of geckos and frogs were found inside murky tanks. Kates is scheduled to answer to these charges in court this Monday, December 13.

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Lou on 12.11.04 @ 08:51 PM EST [link]

Thursday, December 9th

Hero pet Vinnie saves owner

A Stourport man who had fallen into chilly waters of the River Severn was saved from drowning by his pet dog - who went to fetch help in true Lassie style.

Jimmy Price fell into the water while walking to his home in Sandy Lane, from The Angel pub. He feared he was going to drown but his collie dog Vinnie raised the alarm by barking outside a nearby house until a man came out.

The dog then led the man along the footpath where Jimmy was pulled to safety from the freezing water.

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Lou on 12.09.04 @ 10:38 PM EST [link]

Pet shops offer new toys for Hanukkah

Hanukkah has made it to pet stores across the country, where animal owners can buy stuffed menorah, puffy gefilte fish or kosher bones.

One dog owner says she gets her pet one gift for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah — much like the presents Jewish families give to children.

Pet shops have offered Christmas toys for decades, but have just started offering chewy Hanukkah toys in recent years. One rabbi says it’s an extension of Jewish tradition to honor creatures around them.

Store owners say so far it’s been very good business.

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Lou on 12.09.04 @ 10:37 PM EST [link]

Tuesday, December 7th

Central Garden and Pet reports record profits

Central Garden & Pet Co. said Thursday that its profits rose to record levels both in the fourth quarter and for the year.

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Lou on 12.07.04 @ 03:45 PM EST [link]

Owners, pets have strong connection, survey reveals

The American Animal Hospital Association has just released the results of its 14th annual National Survey of People and Pet Relationships.

To try and find out more about the interactions between pets and their humans (a scary thought), they surveyed 1,238 pet owners who take their pets to AAHA veterinarians across the United States and Canada. Respondents were pet owners from 37 states and four Canadian provinces.

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Lou on 12.07.04 @ 02:17 PM EST [link]

Adopt-a-thon helps pets fins homes during the holidays

This holiday season is one of the busiest times for animal shelters.

"It's not like rush hour at the mall on Christmas Eve, but it is the time when we have the most animals adopted," said Utah County Sheriff's Lt. Grant Ferre, shelter director.

Ferre said the animal shelter wants people to adopt pets for Christmas, but wants the adopters to know what they are getting into.

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Lou on 12.07.04 @ 02:15 PM EST [link]

Saturday, December 4th

People and Pets Benefit from Exercising Together

Both people and pets are more likely to stay in a weight-loss program if they exercise together, according to the People and Pets Exercising Together study conducted by Northwestern Memorial Hospital and pet food manufacturer Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

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Lou on 12.04.04 @ 06:38 PM EST [link]

2004 Survey: Traveling with Pets on the Rise

More than half of pet owners report that they are spending more on their pets than they were three years ago, according to the 2004 Pet Owner Survey released by the American Animal Hospital Association today.

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Lou on 12.04.04 @ 09:49 AM EST [link]

Friday, December 3rd

Grandmother acquitted in dog mauling death

CLARION, Pa. -- A woman was acquitted of all charges except dog law violations stemming from the death of her 2-year-old granddaughter, who was mauled by two Rottweilers in the woods behind the woman's rural northwestern Pennsylvania home.

Link to Story
Lou on 12.03.04 @ 01:26 PM EST [link]

Top tips to give your pet a happy Christmas

Animal lovers are being urged to spare a thought for pets this Christmas as festive frivolities can often spell danger for cats and dogs.

In a bid to combat the dangers for pets at yuletide Sabrina Stroud of Bayer Animal Health highlighted top tips for a safe and happy pet-friendly Christmas.

Link to Story

Lou on 12.03.04 @ 01:25 PM EST [link]

Welcome to our Pet Industry News Section

We will be tracking the pet industry news, to bring you new news stories and information regarding the pet industry.
Lou on 12.03.04 @ 01:04 PM EST [link]