Purina signed Robbie Williams to record a new song to promote its cat food brand Felix. The new song 'It’s Great To Be a Cat’ premiered at 5pm yesterday (Wednesday) on FelixandRobbie.com. 

The internationally acclaimed recording artist unveiled the new exclusive track written and recorded specifically for a new Europe-wide Felix advertising campaign, ‘It’s Great To Be a Cat’.   

Taking inspiration from Robbie’s own adored cats, as well as the mischievous antics of Felix, the global superstar wrote and created an iconic track especially for Felix, celebrating the glorious life of cats. 

The musician took a theatrical turn when he co-starred in a short film alongside (who some might say is the real start of the show) the infamous cat, Felix. The cheeky duo is captured getting up to mischief as they team up for the grand premiere of their new collaboration.  In the film, Robbie plays second fiddle to Felix as he tries to record the CATchy earworm, with an accompanying orchestra.    

Robbie Williams said: “The cat is out of the bag, I’m the new voice of Felix. I’ve been a long-time fan of cats, I’ve had many feline friends over the years and after studying their fascinating behaviour, I can confidently say, It’s Great To Be a Cat.”  

The new track shines a light on how cats really do live their best lives, just like the one and only Felix. Focusing on their independence, cheekiness and ability to always land on their feet, the song will be available to stream on Spotify from tomorrow (Friday).   

Fabio Degli Esposti, Group Marketing Director at Purina, said: “Combining our much-loved FELIX food and treasured Felix-the-cat character, with the one-and-only Robbie Williams, gives us our best recipe yet. The two being mischievous together in their very own film premiere, shows exactly why they’re the perfect fit”.   

Rebecca Marshall, Senior Brand Manager at Purina UK&I, said: “I’m so excited to be launching our latest It’s Great To Be a Cat campaign with Robbie Williams. The two truly are the pURRfect match and the new track is one that will definitely get everyone in a playful mood.”  

To find out more and to stream Felix and Robbie William’s new song head over to FelixandRobbie.com. 

UK pet wellness brand HOWND appeared on TalkTV featuring an item on how the cost-of-living crisis was affecting the nation’s pet owners.

Jo Amit, product and brand director of HOWND, discussed with host Vanessa Feltz how nutritionally complete plant-based dog food like the brand’s Superfood can reduce vet bills during challenging financial times.

The show claimed that a third of owners feared the crisis was threatening their ability to care for pets.

You can watch Jo’s interview with Vanessa by  clicking on the following link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr5dtolI_CI&t=44s

UK pet companies are gearing up for 2023 with plans to unveil their new product launches at the industry’s Spring pet industry exhibition, PATS Sandown, in Esher, Surrey on Sunday 26th March and Monday 27th March.

Stands at the Spring showcase event have been selling out fast with more than 130 companies and brands having already booked their space.

“We are almost sold out, which is great news and proof that the UK pet industry is fully behind an event where manufacturers and suppliers can meet up face to face with retailers under one roof at a major venue,” said organiser Gordon Thomas.

“We also know that visitors to PATS value the opportunity to touch and feel new products, which is a huge consideration when buying stock for the new season.”

It’s for these very reasons that leading companies and brands like Burns Pet Nutrition, Cotswold Raw, Danish Design, AATU, Just 6, Barking & Meowing Heads, Johnson’s Veterinary Products, Pet Trade Innovations, Su-Bridge Pet Supplies, Trixie, and we.pet choose to exhibit at PATS. A number of businesses, including Earthbound, Long Paws, Proflax and Westland Pet, are also returning to the Sandown exhibition after a short break in order to take full advantage of what the show has to offer.

PATS Sandown 2023 has also attracted almost 40 new exhibitors.

The Animal People Recruitment Company is excited to be exhibiting for the first time at PATS throughout 2023. Chris Whatling, the MD and founder, has been visiting the show for the past few years as his company recruits for many brands within the pet industry.

Chris said: “PATS is such a great show for us, it’s a chance for us to meet with our clients, new and existing, and to keep ourselves up to date on all the products within the industry that we love so much.

“The pet industry is where it all started at The Animal People, and it will always be my first love. The people who work within this industry are amazing. We feel lucky to be a part of these companies and to be surrounded by the talented people who care just as much as we do. Together with our clients we are part of an industry that is bettering the lives of our pets every single day.”

Another first-time exhibitor looking forward to showcasing its products at PATS Sandown is PetFocus. The company’s Libo Zhou commented: “Our brand is currently focusing on cat corrugated-cardboard scratchers. Our aim at the show is to expand our business from online (Amazon) to retailers, wholesalers, as well as importers.”

PATS Sandown is also attracting international exhibitors like Belgian company Coucour, whose founder Robert Huygh discovered the idea of healthy dog treats on a trip to the Himalayas. He noticed the Sherpas and locals were chewing on something hard and small throughout the trip. Further investigation revealed they were cheese bones, which he then developed into all-natural pet treats.

Coucour’s sales manager Jorge Aguilera said: “Coucour is exhibiting at PATS because we believe the UK market is more progressive than the EU continental market – it’s often three years ahead. We believe it’s the best place to launch new products. We will be introducing two new products at PATS, where we will be able to get direct feedback.”

Here’s a quick summary of popular visitor attractions at PATS Sandown:

• The biggest and best showcase of new pet products
• The opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with suppliers
• Unrivalled show offers and competitions
• Top groomers giving insightful demonstrations, workshops and talks
• Free parking, free entry, free show catalogue

You can register online at www.patshow.co.uk where you’ll also find a full list of exhibitors and information on how to reach the venue.

Three leading industry organisations – iPET Nework, The Groomers Spotlight and BIGA – are teaming up to promote courses offering high quality training to people working in the animal care and veterinary science sector with initial focus on the pet grooming sector.

The move aims to give existing groomers opportunities to access continuous professional development to enhance existing skills and learn new ones. As iPET Network are an Ofqual regulated Awarding Organisation, learners can be assured of the quality mark to continue their learning journey on the job.

Having the three leading organisations in the pet grooming industry combine forces in this way is unprecedented and groundbreaking, and demonstrates a clear mission by the industry to strive for excellence by uniting together.

Heidi Anderton of BIGA hailed the partnership, she said: "It is so wonderful to see this unity in the industry, supporting qualifications and awards.

"BIGA will be assisting in creating these programmes and offering them to all members. The important thing is that the courses are delivered in bitesize chunks, which can be done alongside existing work.

I love how innovative, forward thinking, progressive and inclusive iPET Network is, and from BIGA's point of view it is so important that people who aren't qualified to have this kind of access to courses."

Julie Harris of The Groomers Spotlight, said: "The Groomers Spotlight is an online search engine  to enable pet owners to find a qualified dog groomer,  founded in 2017,  The Groomers Spotlight has always supported education and the promotion of professionalism in the dog grooming industry, we are pleased to encourage, support and highlight any form of formal training for dog groomers."

Sarah Mackay and Fern Gresty of the iPET Network added: "We are so thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking partnership, which shows our core commitment to developing skills within our brilliant grooming industry.

"By offering this scheme, the deep knowledge that groomers have developed over the years can be recognised across different areas, and this helps with public confidence in the work that we all do."

Jollyes, the nationwide pet superstore, has issued a warning against buying a bunny just because Sunday (22 January) marked the start of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbit. 

As millions of people around the world prepare to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, Jollyes is urging people to think twice about buying a pet bunny on impulse. 

Instead, it wants them to think hard about why they want a pet and to think about what they will need to make a pet comfortable and how much time they can devote to it. 

It follows Jollyes’ move in previous years to stop selling rabbits over Easter and prevent the risk of unwanted bunnies being abandoned. 

Jollyes’ Phil Turner-Naylor said: “Rabbits are one of the country’s most popular pets, but people should be prepared to look after them for life and shouldn’t be tempted to get one just because they’re in the news. 

“They make wonderful pets, but they can live for more than a decade, so would-be owners should read up on what’s involved and be prepared for the commitment of looking after them.” 

Jollyes top tips for looking after rabbits include: 

• They need room to hop, stretch, play and exercise 
• Feed them a healthy diet and make sure they have fresh, clean water 
• Rabbits are sociable animals and need the right kind of company 
• Check their bedding every day and clean regularly 
• Give them something safe to nibble on to keep their teeth healthy. 
• In each Jollyes’ store that has rabbits for sale, colleagues spend time each morning giving each of them a bunny cuddle ahead of opening.

Trixie has unveiled a new small animal feeding station made of wood, which contains an integrated toilet.

The convenient combination of food bar, hay rack and toilet, helps with cleanliness for rabbits and guinea pigs due to their special digestion. 

Two stainless steel bowls, one hay rack and additional openings for twigs as well as vegetables make the food intake into a varied experience for rodents. 

The removable plastic toilet tub allows keeping the food area clean and hygienic. Easy to mount and to clean. 

For more details visit www.trixie.de

Nutriment has negotiated leaner raw material pricing for key products to provide instant savings to customers.

The pet food industry has not been immune to the raw ingredient, manufacturing, distribution, and operation cost hikes most industries have experienced in recent months. Unfortunately, some of these costs have had to be passed on to customers, with particular raw ingredient pricing increases being more intense than others.

Nutriment’s Core range Chicken Formula, for example, has recently seen unprecedented raw ingredient pricing increases due to a combination of factors directly effecting the poultry industry.

Strong supply relationships and transparency up and down the supply chain have both been crucial to the success of the Nutriment Raw brand to date. With that considered, raw ingredient pricing negotiations have been secured in order to improve customer pricing for the Chicken Formula – which is a long-standing favourite and best-seller in the Nutriment portfolio.

The savings on RRP are 30p per 500g tray (from £2.59 to £2.29); 60p per 1kg chubb pack (from £4.79 to £4.19) and 80p on 1.4kg chubbs (from £5.79 to £4.99).

“We think it’s really important for our loyal customers to know that we continuously assess our pricing (and the wider marketplace) and are committed to supporting raw feeders with high-quality products during more financially difficult times,” said Ryan Winwright, Hhead of commercial at Nutriment.

Nutriment has also recently launched their products in convenient new 1kg chubb packaging, in response to consumer feedback. Nutriment now offers their key raw food products in 500g trays, 1kg chubbs and 1.4kg chubbs to suit all dog sizes, feeding frequencies, storage facilities and packaging preferences.

UK Pet Food has announced a new online Pet Food and Nutrition Course, which runs 21 February-2 March 2023. The webinar series has been organised following the success of previous events and is open to all pet care professionals interested in pet nutrition and pet food production.

The course is designed to suit busy professionals with three half- day virtual sessions per week. The first week focuses on pet nutrition and the second looks at the legislative and manufacturing aspects of pet food production. A range of tickets and discounts are available and attendees can sign up for specific sessions or the entire two-week course.

Sarah Hormozi, UK Pet Food’s Head of Science & Education explains: “We are excited to be holding our first 2023 online pet food and nutrition course, following the success of the previous four webinar series since 2020. In fact, following our last course, 100% of attendees confirmed they would recommend the course to others. “

“Registration is now open to our members in addition to all pet care professionals.  We offer discounts for our members and certain groups – for example those from pet welfare charities and students.  Our aim is to make this training as accessible as possible to all those who can benefit. You can find out more and sign up on our website. ”

Feedback from previous attendees includes: “I love the online format because you can go back and watch again in case you missed or misunderstood something.” On the half day sessions: “It makes it easier to keep up with the day job when you only take a few hours at a time.”

The Animal Nutrition (21-23 February) webinars include:

• Sessions dedicated to different pet species (dog, cat, small mammals, birds, fish)
• Clinical Cat & Dog nutrition
• Pet Obesity

The Pet Food Legislation, Marketing & Manufacturing (28 Feb-2 Mar) webinars include:

• UK / EU Legislation, Animal By-Products Regulation, Additives & Feed Materials
• Palatability & Marketing Regulations
• Manufacturing Safety & Quality, Wet, Semi-moist, Raw and Dry products

Sarah Hormozi adds: “We have an impressive range of speakers from top industry consultants such as Dr John Lowe and Dr Christine Huggett to leading veterinarians and academics such as Dr Marge Chandler and Professor Alex German, delivering our CPD certified Course.  The full two-week course provides approximately 20 hours of CPD. 

To read more about the course content, speakers and to book your place visit

https://www.ukpetfood.org/events-and-training/training-webinar-series-pet-food-nutrition.html?&utm_campaign=Pet%2BFood%2B%2526%2BNutrition%2BCourse%2BMember%2BAnnouncement&utm_medium=email

PAIKKA is a multi-awarded dog clothing and accessories start-up from Finland known for its human-grade quality standards and highly innovative materials.

PAIKKA is run by two strong Finnish women, Tea Kainu and Bee Backlund, with backgrounds and degrees in fashion and physiotherapy combined with special interest in dogs’ anatomy and biomechanics.

“We believe every product designed for your dog should be designed as well and profoundly as quality products for human beings,” says CEO Tea Kainu. 

PAIKKA was born in 2019 from the need for products being designed from the dog’s perspective – and being long-lasting even in the hardest seasonal conditions of the Finnish nature.

“Our mission is to create only meaningful products for our customers and their human companions. As an example, our fully reflective raincoats keep dogs safe and visible in the dark,” added Tea Kainu.

It is important for PAIKKA also to respect our shared environment. Hence, each PAIKKA design is created with the best and most durable materials together with respected partners famed for outdoor apparel, fashion and awarded designs for humans. 

PAIKKA’s mission is to re-invent important daily moments in dogs’ lives through inventive sustainable products which are safe to use and equipped with uncompromised ergonomic and functional features. 

The PAIKKA collection consists of home and outdoor products for all seasons to improve the lives of dogs and their human companions.

PAIKKA is exhibiting at PATS Sandown on 26-27 March 2023 on stand S3 in the Esher Hall.

For more information visit https://paikka.pet/

Wilsons, the fast-growing Scottish pet food company, has further extended its product range with the launch of four brand new nutritious treats for dogs.

The range offers four different products, Baltic Sprats 100g, Beef Jerky 100g, Chicken Jerky 100g and Pigs Ears available in pouches of two pieces. Over recent years, the consumer demand for high quality, healthy dog food has impacted the evolution of the pet food industry significantly and has seen the increase in dehydrated pet treats.

Just like their range of cold pressed and raw food, Wilsons Premium treats provide the very best for dogs.

Selected for their wholesome, natural ingredients, the range of tempting treats boast health benefits and support overall wellbeing. The premium treats offer a range of benefits to dogs ranging from quality protein to support muscle and tissue repair, a rich source of omega 3 and 6 and immune support. The range is 100% natural and contains zero additives or preservatives.

As part of the company’s ‘planet positive’ approach, the pouch is made from a biobased, renewable and biodegradable material which is made from starch purposed from renewable

plant resources. It is 100% plastic free, biodegradable, and compostable.

Wilsons new natural treats range follows the recent launch of their Scottish salmon oil to compliment the company’s extensive portfolio of cold pressed and raw frozen dog food.

For more in formation visit www.wilsonspetfood.co.uk

The nation's longest-running multi-service pet care brand, Petpals, is responding to the demand for award-winning pet services by launching in regions of the country previously untouched. 

Whilst growth is the plan for the year ahead, the brand's focus is also turning to the collective efforts its network can make to ensure it continues to be an environmentally responsible business that cares for both pets and the planet.

Petpals’ presence will continue to expand in 2023 to new locations in Milton Keynes and Crawley. Animal lover and owner of Petpals Crawley, James Callow, will employ his passion for pets to launch his own Petpals business in February and provide pet owners in Crawley the care he would want for his own four-legged friend.

“After a long career in an estate agency, as a former tennis coach and through my own experience of working long hours, I know that many struggle balancing work-life with caring for their much-loved pets,” said James.“ By launching Petpals in Crawley, I aim to ensure local pet owners have peace of mind that their pets are happy whilst at work and treat every pet as if they were my own. I’m so excited to get started with the backing of a national company that is recognised as the UK’s leading provider of pet care services.”

Nilay and Priyanka Sanghrajka, owners of Petpals Milton Keynes, could see the exceptional demand for quality pet services in their area.

“As pet parents ourselves, after moving to Milton Keynes three years ago, our search for reliable and trustworthy pet sitters in the area led us to discover Petpals,” explained Priyanka. “We could see the demand for exceptional pet care in our community, so Nilay and I decided to work together towards our common interest – animals. Growing up, we have always been around animals and could not imagine ourselves without a pet! We decided to leave our food and software industries behind, turn our true passion into a career, and operate a business through Petpals.”

Petpals acknowledges the significance of closely examining the improvements it can make to minimise waste and carbon emissions as awareness of the negative environmental effects of consumerism and harmful business practices rises.

“Since launching in 2001, we have grown to cover over 150 locations nationwide and how this number continues to grow in 2023 makes me incredibly proud,” said Kevin Thackrah, Director of Petpals. “I’m so pleased that our business offering remains popular with pet lovers looking to respond to the demand for specialist pet care services up and down the country.”

“At Petpals, we recognise how, as a business, we are responsible for ensuring that our practices always have the environment in mind. That’s why, with the launch of Petpals Milton Keynes, we have an additional electric van joining our growing fleet of electric vehicles, which is just one of many ways we are making efforts to minimise our carbon footprint.”

“From our electric vehicles to our paperless systems and recycled Petpals uniforms, we are ensuring that care is at the heart of everything we do, from the pets we look after to the planet and the environment as a whole.”

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Demand for pets has returned to similar levels experienced pre-pandemic, according to new research.

Pets4Homes, which claims to be the UK’s largest free online pet marketplace, believes the current pet market is stable but more and more pets are now left looking for a forever home.

In its UK Pet Industry Report, Pets4Homes said: “The demand in the pet industry greatly represents similarities with the demand experienced in 2019. In 2022, the UK began to face the cost-of-living crisis, which significantly impacted the demand for a pet. There has been a greater demand for breeders to meet buyer needs, despite buyer research and knowledge remaining relatively low.”

The report states:

• Demand stabilises to pre-pandemic rates with 2m weekly visitors and 80 potential buyers per pet, compared to 420 buyers per pet in the pandemic. 
• The cost-of-living crisis has resulted in many pet owners (25%) being unable to meet veterinarian costs. Despite the raise in inflation and living costs, 80% of pet owners mentioned in a user study that they would put pets first, despite the cost of living crisis.
• In 2019, 22% of rescue centres had 100% occupancy compared to 2022, when 42% reached 100% occupancy. Due to financial hardships, there has been an increase of 26% in pets placed in rescue centres. 
• Prices of pets have declined by 52% for dogs and 28% for cats; however, these prices are still above the pre-pandemic cost for pets. 
• In 2022, 22% of sellers have been active breeders for four years, with licensed sellers increasing from 22.1% to 28% in December 2022. 
• Despite the increase in unethical sellers, Pets4Homes has used advanced technology and strategies to combat this, resulting in less than 1.0% of adverts being reported as fake or suspicious.

Pet owners are being urged to update their pet’s microchip contact details to maximise the chances of successful reunification should a pet be lost or stolen.

Microchip implantation is compulsory in dogs and the government is introducing legislation to require cats to be microchipped, however contact details need to be kept updated to be useful!

The PDSA PAW Report 2022 revealed that nearly 20 per cent of dog, cat and rabbit owners had changed contact details, but had not updated their microchip contact details, with 22 per cent of owners stating that they were not sure if their details were up to date or not.  This equates to 1.8million pets (830,000 dogs, 970,000 cats and 47,000 rabbits).  Of those that had not updated their contact details, 30 per cent said that this was because they did not know how to get their details updated, 17 per cent stated that they had lost the paperwork about their pet’s microchip and 14 per cent commented that they did not know their pet’s microchip number.

identi , the pet protection expert, is launching identiday on Monday 20 March 2023, the first day of spring, to encourage pet owners to update their identi microchip contact details free of charge and competitions and promotions will be running on pet protection subscriptions.

Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at identi, comments: “While it is a legal requirement for dogs to be microchipped and the government is introducing legislation to require cats to be microchipped, it is futile if the pet’s microchip contact details are not kept up to date.  identiday will help encourage pet owners to update their pet’s microchip contact details to maximise the chances of successful reunification should a pet be lost or stolen.”

To update identi microchip contact details pet owners can visit www.identibase.co.uk.  If pet owners are not sure which database holds their pet’s details, they can enter their microchip number and identi will provide the relevant contact information.

For further information on identiday, please email admin@identibase.co.uk or call 0330 9128077.

Pet toy brand PetLove has collaborated with well-known manufacturer RESPLOOT to create Tuffles and Cuddlers, two new collections of dog toys made from 100% recycled materials. 

With sustainability at their core, the fabric used to make the collections is made from recycled PET (plastic) bottles, whilst their filling is created from recycled polyfill. The toys are supplied with minimal packaging, the majority of which is created from recycled paper and jute. 

As the name suggests the Tuffles collection has been created without compromising toughness and durability and is designed for dogs who like to play rough and tough. The collection comprises a choice of seven animal toys (Koala, Rhino, Penguin, Turtle, Dolphin, Elephant, and Sealion) which are made using multi-layers of double-stitched fabric, each contains a squeaker that is made from natural rubber, unlike the plastic versions that are commonly found in other dog toys.

The Cuddlers collection which is aimed at dogs who take a softer approach to their toys features an Elephant, Penguin, Rhino, Mink, Orangutan, Koala, and Red Panda. Again, each toy in the collection has been created from recycled materials and contains a natural rubber squeaker.  

All the animal species featured in the new collections fall into the World Wide Fund For Nature’s vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species category. RESPLOOT has partnered with WWF India to help in raising awareness of these declining species whilst donating part of the proceeds from the sale of these toys to assist in their conservation mission. The PetLove RESPLOOT Tuffles and Cuddlers toys fully comply with Global Recycling Standards

To support the instore merchandising of the new ‘Tuffles’ and ‘Cuddlers’ collections, PetLove has created an impactful FSDU POS display. This easy to assemble informative unit is available to order now alongside the new range via Interpet’s trade website here https://trade.interpet.co.uk/

Leading veterinary care provider IVC Evidensia has pledged that £250,000 will go directly into its EMS (Extra-Mural Studies) Bursary Programme for 2023, ensuring that one of the leading veterinary groups continues to support the vets of tomorrow.

This commitment will not only support students in their clinical development while on placement in practices all over the country, but also help remove financial barriers that may prevent them following their dreams and gaining the experience that they desire.

The bursaries will be released in three stages during 2023: the first in mid-February, the second at the end of April and the third at the end of June. This will allow for multiple application deadlines and ensure veterinary students have every opportunity to apply.

Edward Davies, Chair of the UK Small Animal Clinical Board and Clinical Director of Cheshire Pet, commented: “EMS is such an exciting part of veterinary education and experience. I remember the excitement of starting to see practice – real veterinary work – it was such a thrill to see people doing the things I aspired to do myself. 

“However, it has become abundantly clear how much has changed and how the huge financial pressures on veterinary students can make this time a concern, as travel and accommodation costs, amongst other things, are considered.

“This worry is such a pity if it starts to cause a shadow over such a rewarding networking opportunity. The offer of this bursary is such a wonderful way to offer a bit of help to these aspiring vets of the future.” 

An investment in the future of veterinary

IVC Evidensia is committed to empowering veterinary students to reach their potential. The allocation of £250,000 for the EMS Bursary Programme is just the first step in making it easier for veterinary students to pursue their dreams in 2023.

Ultimately, the aim is to support students in finding a practice where they can build a veterinary career, without them being impacted by financial constraints in the process. 

This is especially important during the current cost of living crisis, which threatens to throw up more obstacles that students face in their pursuit of breaking into the industry.

Gayle Hallowell, Director of Veterinary Professional Development at IVC Evidensia, commented: “In the current economic climate, it is fantastic that we can provide financial support to students, removing financial barriers such as travel and accommodation that can often be costly for students when they are looking for the right practice for them.

“As we have a range of practices all over the UK and overseas, there should be one that will suit the aspirations of the individual student. 

“Whether they want to pursue a career in small animal, equine, farm, exotics, or at a referrals or GP practice, students should be given the opportunity to pursue their careers unimpeded and gain valuable clinical experience along the way. 

“We know that many students form strong relationships with practices that they undertake EMS at, and this gives them the chance to decide if that is the place to take that important first job.”

By making these EMS bursaries widely available, IVC Evidensia wants to encourage students to build a solid foundation of knowledge at the right practice for them, that will contribute towards long, successful veterinary careers.

Having more choices and opportunities while studying will allow students to explore all aspects of the veterinary profession and to discover what speaks to them and their long-term career goals. 

How to apply for EMS Bursaries

Applications will be open to all veterinary students undertaking clinical EMS, from third to final year, in an IVC Evidensia practice that is either already arranged or to be confirmed. Those demonstrating financial hardship will be prioritised for these bursaries.

Successful applicants will be able to choose more freely from practices across the UK and Northern Ireland, and as many students go on to work at practices they have visited for EMS, this funding is intended to broaden students' options for the future.

The bursaries are open to all veterinary students across IVC Evidensia clinical disciplines including daytime practice, Referrals, Equine and Farm. 

Owain Jenkins, Chair of the Farm Animal Clinical Board and Clinical Director for Delaware Veterinary Group, commented: “This is a fantastic initiative that aims to reduce the financial burden that EMS brings. This will allow students to see some of the fantastic practices IVC have up and down the country. 

“The opportunity will allow students to do EMS in Farm and Mixed Practices the Highlands of Scotland, West Wales, and Northern Ireland to name a few. This bursary will help students 'see practice' in spectacular parts of the country and broaden the availability of clinical EMS.

“Many of our vets employed over the years have done EMS at our practice and finding the right practice is an excellent springboard to start a veterinary career.”

The first deadline for closure of applications for EMS bursaries will be 14^th February 2023. If you would like to apply for an EMS Bursary, head over to the application page here.

For more information about the IVC Evidensia Graduate Academy, head over to the website here. 

The British Independent Retailers Association has urged shoppers to support the high street as the online retailer Amazon is hit by strikes.

Hundreds of staff at the Coventry warehouse have been the first to strike over pay, which has marked the retail giant's first experience of industrial action in the UK.

However BIRA, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, has said that although they support fair pay for workers, it has also highlighted where buyers should be thinking about spending their cash.

BIRA CEO Andrew Goodacre said: "We do believe that workers should get reasonable pay for the long hours they do. However we do also want shoppers to consider more now where they spend their money and to look closer to home for this.

"By shopping on your local high street this not only supports local businesses, but allows them to thrive and offer even better services and goods. Its a reason to trust and return to the high street and put your money into keeping it alive, rather than multinational companies who look at profit rather than people," he said.

Pets at Home is extending its community food donation points in stores across the UK to help support pets and owners as the cost of living continues to rise. 

In partnership with national pet charity Blue Cross, Pets at Home is seeking donations of dog, cat, puppy and kitten food, as well as food for small animals including rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters.

Donations will then be collected and distributed by Blue Cross to local food banks. 

The new initiative marks Pets at Home’s decade-long partnership with Blue Cross, which has seen the charity receive £471,703 through the retailer’s VIP Lifelines scheme. 

Lyssa McGowan, Pets at Home chief executive officer, said: “As the UK continues to experience a rapid rise in the cost of living, we know that pet owners will do everything they can to ensure their pets don’t miss out, but we also understand that some owners may be facing difficult choices as their finances become stretched. 

“Blue Cross and Pets at Home believe no-one should have to face the difficulty of struggling to feed their beloved pets, and we know that our customers are keen to help out wherever they can. This is why we are joining forces to install pet food donation points across all 450 Pets at Home stores in the coming months, working together to make sure no pet goes hungry and to help keep them at home where they belong, with their families.” 

Chris Burghes, Chief Executive Officer at Blue Cross, said: “Pets are part of the family and we’re really proud to have partnered with Pets at Home on this scheme to have a positive impact on the local community in Hartlepool.

"We first launched our first pet food bank at our Sheffield rehoming centre in 2020, and now have pet food collection points at 33 of our sites. Over the coming months, we’ll be expanding this to cover all our 68 sites, and by teaming up with Pets at Home we hope we can reach even more pet owners who are in need across the UK as possible and keep families and their companions together.”

CSJ’s owners Ceri and Phil Rundle took time away from their busy day-to-day running of the business to drive to the Cairngorms with support items for The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain Aviemore Sled Dog Rally.

As a sponsor of the rally, which is organised by the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain in conjunction with Forestry and Land Scotland, CSJ provides its ever popular ‘Goody Bags’ which this year include a pre-launch taster of an exciting new product due to hit the market very soon.

The annual rally is the biggest and one of the most prestigious events in the British sled dog racing calendar, and on January 28-29, returns to the forests around Aviemore for the 39th time, after a year out due to the covid pandemic.

The race features teams of between two and eight dogs pulling their musher on a sled around a four to seven-mile trail. If there’s no snow at ground level for the event, the races still go on with mushers using a three-wheeled or four-wheeled rigs. 

There are eight adult classes and two children’s classes and mushers range from just 8 years old to over 60. Along with the Siberian Huskies, race dogs include Alaskan Malamutes, Samoyeds, Greenland Dogs and Canadian Eskimo Dogs – the pedigree breeds of dogs first bred to pull sleds in Arctic conditions hundreds of years ago.

The trail is a designated cross-country ski course and is clearly defined. The first part of the trail is demanding then runs along the loch side to the finish where fans of the sport alongside other mushers and competitors’ families are there to cheer them home.

There’s much more about the Siberian Husky Club at https://siberianhuskyclub.org.uk

and the CSJ story and products at www.csjk9.com.

Pop+Bark, a company organising social events for the nation’s dogs, has appeared on the BBC1 hit series Dragons’ Den where it received two investment offers before walking away with nothing.

The firm’s owners James Morgan and Anushka Fernando appeared on the show a week ago as they sought a £35,000 investment in return for 5% equity of the business.

Dragons Steven Bartlett and Touka Suleyman both made offers but asked for more equity in return – in Steven’s case 20% and Touka’s case 25%. But they withdrew their offers when James and Anushka tried to negotiate a better deal.

Pop+Bark markets its business as being off-lead experiences where dogs can explore and socialise with their fellow kind. 

It claims to be the creator of the world’s first mobile Pupuccino Bar for dogs – serving over 30,000 Pupuccinos. In 2023 it’s set to launch a new Pupcorn Bar.

The edition of Dragons’ Den featuring Pop+Bark can be viewed on BBC iPlayer by clicking here.

Nationwide pet retailer Jollyes has reported record Christmas sales driven by higher demand at existing stores, new store openings and online. 

Overall sales in the four weeks to 31 December hit a new high, up 31 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier as December sales set new company records for the second year in a row. 

The figures were lifted by new stores and acquisitions which meant Jollyes by the year end was trading from 84 stores over the period, against 67 previously. 

Even after excluding new stores, like for like revenues were 19 per cent higher than the previous year and 39 per cent higher than Christmas 2020.   

And that December like-for-like growth wasn’t driven by inflation – transactions grew by 9.6 per cent in December as Jollyes continues to build its appeal. 

As in previous years, to give colleagues a well-deserved break, stores were closed for three trading days in the period - Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 

Jollyes’ busiest day was Friday 23 December when it served 38,000 customers in store, equivalent to one sale every 75 seconds - an all-time high for the business.   

Owners pampered their pets and treated them to presents in line with findings from a comprehensive survey carried out by Jollyes ahead of Christmas. 

That showed Brits may have been planning to cut back on Christmas spending, but were spared from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Almost 70 per cent of pet owners put a present under the tree for their pets at Christmas with a surge in demand for gifts for dogs and cats including squeaky yetis, gonks, winter coats and cosy beds.  

The trend for treating furry companions like members of the family – highlighted during the pandemic which showed the mental health benefits of keeping pets – was stronger than ever. 

Other Christmas trading highlights included: 

• A four-fold increase in sales of Jollyes’ premium artisan Lifestage dog food as customers traded up for Christmas, with Angus beef topping the menu followed by venison and duck. 
• Significant sales of Jollyes’ new dog natural treats ranges, with buffalo ears growing exponentially alongside pig ears which remain a favourite Christmas snack for dogs. 
• Following significant investment in the range, provenance and quality of its products, half of all Jollyes customers now prefer its private label dog food to the brands, generating over 1,500 five star reviews.  
• Jollyes also made progress with private label cat food this holiday – for the first time Rileys became its best-selling cat food with almost a third of its wet food customers buying the brand in December. 
• Other winners include a doubling of sales on Jollyes’ new LF Millers’ hay for rabbits, and a doubling of sales of frozen raw dog food as more and more customers are attracted to Jollyes’ roll out of frozen raw shop-in-shops. 
• As it builds a compelling digital offer, Jollyes saw a 23 per cent rise in online traffic in December. 
• And stores did a great job supporting their communities too – they helped serve over 60,000 Xmas dinners through the donation of Lifestage Festive dog food Tins – and Jollyes plans to build on that by giving an additional 10,000 dog meals to local food banks in January and February. 
• The bumper seasonal sales followed a strong half year to 27 November when sales rose 23 per cent to £53.2 per cent and keeps Jollyes on track to reach its goals of £100 million turnover and 1,000 colleagues this year and 100 stores within 18 months.  

New stores for 2022 included Edinburgh Hermiston Gait and Llanelli in December, Glenrothes and Stirling in Scotland, Wrexham in North Wales, Cookstown in Northern Ireland, Southport, Poole and Stockton-on-Tees, as well as the July acquisition of Penparc with five stores in the Midlands. 

Jollyes has six new stores lined up in the first half of 2023, starting with Peterborough on Saturday 28 January followed by Port Glasgow near Greenock at the end of February. 

Jollyes chief executive, Joe Wykes, said: “I want to give all our colleagues a massive thank you for their hard work serving customers this Christmas.   

"We had a record-breaking Christmas because we have the best people in pet retailing. 

"All our stores, whether they’re long established or newly opened, are well on the road to becoming go-to destinations for their local pet parents. 

“The service our colleagues provide in their communities is one of the secrets of our current success – and it’s clear from our record performance that the value for money we provide our customers, is resonating in the towns we trade.”

Dr Roger Mugford and his expert team of trainers at the Company of Animals Pet Centre have combined their 100-plus years of experience to launch a new training brand – Coachi.

In an industry first, Coachi unites the training and play categories to help owners bond with, celebrate and enhance the lives of pets. The range is designed to suit dogs of all life stages, sizes, weights, abilities, and motivations be it food, praise, or play! 

Introducing Coachi 

This NEW and exciting range of accessories has been expertly crafted to include fun, innovative and friendly designs. The easy-to-use training range is set to launch worldwide in October 2022 and while many may consider training to be a specialist category, Dr Roger and the team are on a mission to inject some fun and play to every pet’s learning journey.

Dr Roger Mugford said: “All dogs, regardless of age or breed, require training and here at the Company of Animals Pet Centre, we have seen over half a million dogs since 1979 and each one is, like humans, entirely different from the next. What is certain though, is training a dog will strengthen the bond between the pet and owner and ultimately ensure both parties can settle into a happy, harmonious life together. What’s more, play is of course an essential part of cognitive, emotional, and physical development and so, in the interest of animal welfare and happiness, it seemed only logical to combine the two for a positive, balanced, and happy approach to dog training.”

Making training easy, approachable and fun for all! 

COA has created a training range that was consumer friendly, simple to shop and most importantly easy to use and understand! Suitable or all puppies and dogs 8+ weeks, the Coachi range is perfect for tackling challenges presented to all new and existing dog owners, as well as providing new innovation for those more experienced, dog trainers and professionals. To support dog owners in their product choices, the range has been uniquely divided into 3 simple colour coded categories: Learn, Play and Fun & Tricks, to cover all stages of dog training and development.

Learn: Recall & Manners, is the first stage and focuses on learning the basics of social behaviour through positive and rewarding experiences.

Play: Play & Reward, is the second stage and focuses on engaging through play to develop a positive and happy relationship with our dogs. Play with a purpose.

Fun & Tricks: Tricks & Retrieval, is the last stage and is all about offering our pets extra fun, strengthening the bond between dog and owner, and building the relationship further, helping us all to raise confident dogs.

Transforming the training category

A recent global study commissioned by Company of Animals found that consumers prioritised humane training methods (68%) above all other training product needs, with effectiveness (65%), good quality (51%) and easy to use designs (45%) following suit.  As such, the Coachi team designed the range to directly adhere to these consumer desires and have created unique QR codes on packaging to offer dog owners further support. Each code directs to a dedicated online product guide and top tips to equip dog owners with the information they need to get the best from their purchase. Once complete, the packaging can be recycled in its entirety. 

Targeted ‘play’ category is great motivation

The Company of Animals Pet Centre experts know all too well that while treats may get some dogs working, many dogs remain unfocused or may be overstimulated by the offer of food. However, most dogs will engage in play. Despite the domestication of our four-legged friends, play will lend itself to a dog’s basic predatory instincts such to chase or retrieve. In contrast, the infantilising of our dogs means that Coachi, designed to help harness the power of play, can ensure dogs remain young at heart. By getting even the oldest or laziest engage in play, life will subsequently be richer, happier, and even longer. 

Great for gifting! 

In addition, a recent study found that 95% of dog owners purchase Christmas gifts for their pets and 61% purchase birthday gifts. Coachi not only provides distraction and eventual relief from undesirable behaviour but also builds a pet’s confidence and offers hours of fun, games, and create a loving bonding with their owners – the perfect gift for any four-legged friend!  

A pet shop is planning to move to new premises in a seaside town 10 miles away in a bid to boost footfall.

Frankie and Twinkles Pet Supplies has been based on Belford Industrial Estate in Northumberland for the past 18 months, but the owners now hope to transfer their business to a busier spot in Seahouses.

Ruth and Malcolm Riley plan to open the new shop by the spring.

Ruth told the Northumberland Gazette: “Hopefully Seahouses has more footfall and we will see more customers.”

The couple had looked to move from the industrial estate into premises in the high street of Belford but eventually decided on an empty unit in Seahouses.