Two pet food entrepreneurs who stole the hearts of TV viewers when they appeared on Dragons’ Den earlier this month have chosen to exhibit at PATS Telford in September.

Husband-and-wife team Jack Walker and Aneisha Soobroyen, who founded the dog and cat food brand Scrumbles a year ago, were invited onto the hit BBC2 show after researchers heard them on Radio Leicester.

The duo were angling for cash from animal-loving Dragon Deborah Meaden. She was very interested in what they had to say, but demanded a 20 per cent cut of the business in return for investing £60,000.

In the end the savvy duo turned the offer down – much to the surprise of viewers and of Aneisha, who thought her husband was going to accept it!

But Jack said: “We are big admirers of Deborah and have no doubt she would add a huge amount of value to the company but the deal wasn’t right for us and our supporters on the day.

“It was edited to look like Aneisha and I didn’t agree, but that was all for TV. It was certainly entertaining!”

The couple could not believe the reaction to the programme and the amount of exposure it brought them, with editorial from The Sun and Daily Mail, radio breakfast shows and more media appearances in the pipeline.

“It’s given us an amazing platform to introduce the brand to millions more customers. What’s been most heart-warming has been the support we’ve seen from our existing customers and the Scrumbles community – we have the best customers!” said Jack.

With such a buzz around the brand, it was a no-brainer to choose PATS - the UK’s No 1 pet industry exhibition – to help capitalise on all the recent publicity.

Jack said: “We attended PATS Telford when we first launched, and visited Sandown, as we always like to keep ahead of the latest trends and innovations in the industry.

“We decided to exhibit at PATS this year as it’s the best way to reach the hundreds of fantastic independent businesses that make up the backbone of the pet industry. As a team of two, we can’t always reach as many customers as we’d wish on the road or on the phone, and PATS brings everybody under one roof. It’s a great place to be!”

Jack and Aneisha both previously had careers outside the pet industry. They chose to launch their new brand following their own experiences of trying to source suitable food for their cat Boo, who suffered a series of tummy upsets.

Aneisha said: “It was about three years ago when Boo had issues. This led us to discover the power of probiotics and the importance of gut health, which sewed the seed for what was to become Scrumbles.

“We’ve both worked within food and consumer goods across sales, marketing and operations. We’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredibly innovative and ethical businesses such as Innocent drinks and Bear Nibbles. Our experience has helped us understand the challenges that may be ahead.”

The duo will be bringing their entire Scrumbles range for dogs and cats to PATS Telford 2019, where they will be launching their new wet food and treats. The range specialises in healthy, gut-friendly treats and probiotic food tailored to breeds and life stage, with everything made in the UK. 

Jack said: “We’re really looking forward to attending PATS and doing business there. We understand pet businesses come in all shapes and sizes so this year we have split our offering into two. For groomers, boutiques and smaller pet businesses we’re running an introductory deal on our cat and dog treats, so businesses needn’t worry about large orders and delivery costs. For more established businesses we have a starter deal to give them a great deal on a comprehensive offering of food and treats.”

A full and up-to-date list of exhibitors is available on the website www.patshow.co.uk together with information on how to reach the venue and regularly updated show news.

Danish Design will be switching to a 100% recycled fibre filling for its pet bedding from September 1.

Billions of plastic bottles are thrown away every year with only a small percentage (around 9%) of this being recycled causing huge concern across the world as to the environmental harm.

This huge amount of plastic waste is filling up landfill sites at an alarming rate and bottles can take 450 years to decompose. There are concerns that by mid-century, the oceans could contain more plastic waste than fish!

Danish Design are moving to using a 100% recycled PET bottle flake to produce pet bedding fibre fill from September this year.

"PET flake is produced by shredding plastic bottles, they are then cleansed and heated to produce a liquid that is forced through a sieve to produce a thread that forms a fibre once coole," said Rob Newsome, Director of Sales & Operations.

"We can process the fibre through our carding machine in the Danish Design factory in Leeds to produce a luxurious super soft thermal filling for our pet bedding.

"By switching to PET recycled fibre we can ensure that around 8 million plastic bottles a year are stopped from reaching landfill, our natural environment and the oceans."

A petition calling for the allowance of bereavement leave following the death of a pet has nearly reached 10,000 signatures. Emma McNulty started the petition after being sacked from her job for missing work after the death of her beloved dog Millie.

In the UK all employees have the right to take time off to deal with an emergency concerning a dependant. This can apply to spouses, parents, grandparents, children or someone who depends on you for care, but it is unlikely that this benefit would include the death of a pet. However, is this fair?

More and more families are seeing their furry friends as loved family members rather than owned pets. Research from Front of The Pack found that: 

• 85% of millennials agree that dogs should be treated like a part of the family
• 53% of millennials agree that companies should offer employees pet-ernity leave (paid leave to spend time with new pets)
• 46% of millennials think of themselves as a pet parent rather than a pet owner

Dr. Steph Wenban (pictured), Front of The Pack's vet and pet wellbeing expert, offers the following commentary:

"For many homes, pets constitute as family members and are treated with the same love and care as a relative. Therefore, the loss of a pet is extremely saddening and can affect the owners ability to function just as the bereavement of a normal family member. Employers should recognise this, compassionate leave should be granted on emotional attachment and subsequent loss, not black and white guidelines that are hugely subjective from person to person as to what constitutes as loss."

Beaphar UK has made it easier than ever for pet owners to choose the right products to get rid of fleas with the launch of their new video ‘How to get rid of fleas... for good’.

“Fleas are one of the most common pet parasites for pet owners to deal with,” says Dr Sue Huggett, UK Business Manager. “Not only is fighting a flea infestation hard work, but it can be confusing for pet owners to know which products to choose. This why we’ve broken the process down into three simple steps, making it easier for pet owners to understand fleas and how to tackle them.”

The full video can be watched here: https://vimeo.com/beaphar/how-to-get-rid-of-fleas

The video has been crafted to link with Beaphar’s recent shelf barker, which answered visually the common consumer question ‘which flea control product do I need?’, and then directed them to the most suitable Beaphar flea product.

“We chose to build on our shelf baker messaging following positive feedback from our retailers, who found it a really clear and easy way for consumers to choose which Beaphar flea product best suited their current flea situation,” said Dr Sue Huggett.

“This new video not only helps pets owners identify what they need to do to get rid of fleas, but also which Beaphar products they need to use and when.”

The video reminds consumers of the importance of not only treating their pet, but also treating their home, as this is where 95% of a flea’s life cycle takes place. It breaks it down in 3 steps, which are:

1. Treat your home – using a household flea treatment such as Beaphar FLEAtec Household Flea Spray.
2. Treat your pet – using an on-animal flea treatment that kills adult fleas, such as Beaphar FIPROtec® Spot-On.
3. Keep them protected – once the fleas are under control there’s an easier way to stay flea free. Choose a combination flea treatment, such as Beaphar FIPROtec COMBO, which works both on your pet and in your home.

Alongside sharing the video on their social media platforms, retailers can further aid their customers with their flea problems through Beaphar’s Training Zone – beaphar-training.co.uk.

The dedicated platform has two flea modules – one focussing on fleas on cats and dogs and the other on environmental flea control – both of which are AMTRA-accredited and together are worth 12 CPD points.

For more information about the Beaphar Flea Range, contact your local Sales Executive, call our award winning Customer Services Team on 0333 0066236 or email info@uk.beaphar.com.

Baked has long been reported to be best by Betty Miller, which is why the UK based pet treat brand has extended its selection of baked treats to include a new grain free range, allowing even more dogs to enjoy the company’s great recipes.

The introduction of the new range comes following demand from customers as managing director, Alex Baker, explains: “Over the last year, we have had many customers ask if we can make a treat that does not contain grain. They understand the benefits of baked treats and want to feed them to their dog but also find that their pet struggles to digest grain.

“Working with our nutritionist, we set about designing a new Grain Free range, which would be every bit as healthy, nutritious and palatable as our Everyday and Wheat Free ranges and came up with a selection of six new flavours.”

Betty Miller’s new Grain Free Range includes:

• Original Big Bones
• Peanut Butter Big Bones
• Duck and orange Bones
• Banana, Apple and Blueberry Bones
• Cheese Little Bones
• Garlic Chicken Paws

Alex continues: “So far the new treats have been hugely popular, with many pet shops reporting to us that they are selling well, while sales on our own website are also strong. At Betty Miller we really do believe that baked is best which is why we oven bake every single treat we make. By doing so, it preserves all of the goodness of the ingredients, meaning the treats are better for dogs.”

Betty Miller has also extended its Everyday range which now includes:

• Original Big Bones
• Milky Little Bones
• Cheese Little Bones
• Mixed Big Bones
• Charcoal Little Bones
• Charcoal Big Bones
• Charcoal Bones
• Liver Bones
• Cheese Fantails and Petites

To view the full Betty Miller product range visit www.bettymiller.com

Lost Dog is an innovative play of puppetry and object theatre from Spanish theatre company Cal y Canto that will be performed for the first time in the UK this autumn as part of Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival.

Without words, this touching, thought-provoking story is told by actors from the perspective of a wandering, abandoned dog, enabling a small and intimate audience to experience life on the streets through an animal’s eyes.

Set in a large shanty doghouse constructed from recycled materials and with benches for audience seating, the play follows a disarmingly lifelike puppet dog and his many adventures as a stray.

The upbeat and entertaining tale with a serious message at its heart has been striking a chord with audiences across Europe and will premiere in the UK at the Tunbridge Wells festival on Saturday 12 October.

Featuring incredible puppets and striking visual storytelling, there’s a happy ending for the dog in this story, but it also raises the point that many animals aren’t so lucky. In a journey that sees the dog meet homeless people along the way who sadly have nowhere to go at the end of the piece, the play also highlights the wider issue of homelessness.

“Puppets can be very effective at getting across serious messages and the puppet in Lost Dog is incredibly lifelike,” says Linda Lewis, Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival creator.

“With no text, this is a universally watchable play, enabling the audience to really immerse themselves in the story and understand the issues of abandonment and homelessness from the animal’s perspective. The show premiered in Spain in 2015 but has never been performed in the UK until now, and we’re delighted to have it as part of our line-up this year,” she adds.

Lost Dog joins a packed programme of UK and international talent who will be performing at the third biennial Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival. Taking place between 11 and 13 October in venues across the town, the popular Kent event continues to grow in size and ambition each time, and this year’s three-day festival is brimming with moving, funny and brilliant puppetry for all ages.

For more information on Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival visit https://twpuppetryfestival.org. For more information on Lost Dog and to book tickets visit https://twpuppetryfestival.org/events/cal-y-canto-the-lost-dog/.

Can you spot the puppy amongst the dogs in the image above? A brand-new brainteaser is making Brits go ‘barking’ mad, with the average person taking 21.2 seconds to find the adorable puppy packed in amongst the dogs.

The graphic has been created by Natures Menu, the UK’s number one for raw pet food and Europe’s leading expert for raw and natural food for dogs, to celebrate National Dog Day on August 26.

With over 37 years in the business, Natures Menu is certainly not short of having fed wholesome and natural food to a puppy or two!

Craig Taylor, Managing Director of Natures Menu said: “As the leading dog and cat food expert, we wanted to celebrate National Dog Day with a bit of fun, by challenging dog lovers with a puzzling mind-muddler. The current record set is an impressive 15 seconds, which may take some beating – are you up to the task? Our only tip when completing the puzzle is to not get distracted by any furry friends you may have at home!”

Natures Menu specialises in raw and natural dog food made with fully traceable quality meats and fish, blended vegetables, fruits and healthy carbohydrates - and uses British suppliers and ethical product sources wherever possible.

To find out more about Natures Menu or to order visit www.naturesmenu.co.uk/country-hunter 

Following the re-launch of The Vet Bristol, which offers state-of-the-art veterinary facilities while providing pets and their humans with a relaxed and stress-free environment, the centre has launched an exciting competition.

Pet owners of Bristol have the opportunity to bag themselves 1 of 3 FREE Pet Health Plans for a year saving clients up to £184* per year, simply by sharing a picture revealing their furry friend’s unique ‘pet-sonality’. Entries will be showcased in an online gallery at thevet.co.uk/bristolpetsonality with the winners being announced at the end of August.

What’s more, to reward existing customers, The Vet is offering a £10 refer-a-friend benefit. This gives £10 credit to both the customer and their friend when they refer them to the centre.

With six consultation rooms, two operating theatres, x-ray, ultrasound, in-house laboratory and more, the new Bristol centre provides full care to keep pets happy and healthy throughout their life. With separate cat and dog waiting areas to minimise stress, there are also dedicated cat only consultation rooms and patients can benefit from the ease and convenience of walk-in and appointment services to suit any schedule.

The Vet Chief Commercial Officer, Jennifer Martin comments, “At The Vet, we do things differently and challenge the status quo when it comes to pet health. We believe in making a positive change to the pet health industry by offering our clients exceptional care and support, 7 days a week with fair and value pricing – and with our recent investment in our Bristol centre, we are able to provide our clients with quality, comfortable surroundings which are befitting of our state-of-the-art clinical facilities.”

Founded in Bristol 2013 by Chief Product Office, Jane Baldwin. The Vet’s ethos is simple; to deliver exceptional care and support for all. The Vet is not just the place you go to when your pet is unwell or has had an unexpected accident, through preventative healthcare, advice and support, the team offer a complete provision for all pet health needs.

To find our more visit TheVet.co.uk or email marketing@thevet.co.uk

Refer-a-friend Terms and Conditions:

Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Only valid for referral of new customers.

£10 referral valid for referrals and new customer registrations only. £10 credit for use in The Vet only – no cash value, not transferrable.

Pet Health Plans

*Savings may vary across The Vet Centres.

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Pet Trade Innovations has produced its first catalogue with Managing Director Steve Driver saying: "It's pretty exciting times for the business.

"Our range and sales are continuing to grow during tough trading times and we are excited about the future.

"We continue to bring new innovations and concepts into the UK market from all over the world."

For more information visit www.pettradeinnovations.com

Graham Hunter, of Ardene House Veterinary Practice, is to become Independent Vetcare’s first Equine Group Veterinary Advisor.

He will be tasked with providing expert support to the equine practices and businesses along with being responsible for clinical and business advice, surgical referral services, and involvement in equine product and equipment selection. He will also be involved in learning and development within the group, drawing on his extensive experience and knowledge.

John Dinsdale, Group Veterinary Advisor at IVC said: Graham’s expertise, experience and passion for the future of equine veterinary practice will ensure the practices we support are at the forefront of equine medicine.”

Graham Hunter joined Ardene House Veterinary Practice in 1990 after graduating from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

He rapidly discovered the equine department at Ardene was his passion and decided to direct his focus onto that. He was instrumental in the building of the veterinary hospital at Kingswells in 1997 that became the home to the equine and farm side of the business.

Graham is keen on expanding his knowledge and, during his 29 years at the practice, he has undertaken extra equine qualifications including a certificate in equine surgery and orthopaedics. He was also appointed as an RCVS Examiner for the Certificate in Equine Practice in 2009, continuing in this capacity for five years.

Although he is interested in all aspects of equine medicine, his focus in recent years has been on lameness, gait analysis and surgery cases.

Graham said: “I am eager to get started in my new role as the first Equine Group Veterinary Advisor, making sure our equine practices have the best medicines, equipment, CPD and support going forward, while still being on hand at Ardene House on a monthly basis.”

Although Graham’s new role will be taking up a lot of his time, he will be working at the practice on a regular monthly basis and will still be available to the team for advice.

London pet shop Primrose Hill Pets is hold a special dog training day on Sunday, September 8, with positive reinforcement dog trainer Jennifer Billot.

Pet shop founder Gail Levy said: "Between 11 am and 2.30 we have Jennifer giving free advice to dog owners on training and problems with their dogs.  I am very excited to be able to have Jennifer and her vast experience and knowledge in the shop offering free advice."

Jennifer Billot is a London-based positive reinforcement dog trainer and founder of the dog training company, Bon Ball Bark.

She received her Masters Degree in Canine Life Sciences in 2016 from Bergin University in California, the only school in the world to offer this specific degree.  She has been taught by some of the world’s most renowned dog trainers and animal psychologists and uses this knowledge and expertise in her training.

Jennifer has spent a number of years training Assistance Dogs for people with physical disabilities at orgnisations in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest of the United States before moving back to London to start her pet dog training company.  

Bone Ball Bark is all about looking at your dog as a whole, from the importance of nutrition and play, through to problem solving and training to make sure you and your dog lead happy confident lives.

A retired college lecturer who was honoured by the Queen for his voluntary work has been convicted of animal cruelty after he left his pet dog in his car for two hours during hot weather whilst he attended a community meeting.

David Kent, 63, was charged after police alerted by a worried member of the public found his Cockapoo rescue dog panting for breath and in a distressed state in the boot of the vehicle earlier in the summer.

Full story on the Manchester Evening News website, click here to read.

Pet food manufacturers have hit back at claims that 95% of dog foods don't reveal their exact ingredients.

The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association said its members are committed to providing pet owners with a clear understanding of what is in their pet’s food, which is why many pet food manufacturers provide full product information on company websites and have dedicated customer care lines to provide further support.

The PFMA was responding to new research from Paws.com which looked at over a thousand wet and dry dog foods across Britain's supermarkets and Amazon's bestseller list.

The research found:

• 95% of dog foods owned by big brands don't reveal their exact ingredients
• 85% of supermarket own-label dog food contains 'meat and animal derivatives'
• Over HALF of big brand dog food contains vegetable derivatives

However the PFMA said: “Many pet foods provide a full ingredients list on the label and these products are widely available. Alternatively, some manufacturers may label using category descriptions – e.g. ‘meat and animal derivatives’ or ‘vegetable derivatives’ – instead of listing individual ingredients.

“Using category descriptions means manufacturers can select ingredients based on supply without having the need to change labels constantly.  

“Whilst the word ‘derivatives’ may not sound pretty (the term is set by EU legislation), pet owners should not be put off as this provides a highly sustainable way of sourcing ingredients. A vital consideration given current sustainability challenges and future thinking.

“Regardless of the labelling format, all ingredients are subject to the same stringent legislation and any product labelled as ‘complete’ must by law provide all the nutrients a pet needs for healthy bodily function.”

The PFMA provide fact sheets on the following topics:

• Understanding pet food labels: https://www.pfma.org.uk/labelling-factsheet
• More information on pet food ingredients: https://www.pfma.org.uk/ingredients-factsheet 

Welsh firm Raw Treat Pet Food Ltd is recalling batches of frozen raw pet food because Salmonella has been found in the products. It follows another product recall reported by the Foods Standards Agency on July 30 because of fears that food contains Listeria monocytogenes...

In a risk statement issued on its website the Food Standards Agency said on Monday: "The presence of Salmonella in the products listed above. Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause illness in humans and animals. The product could therefore carry a potential risk, because of the presence of Salmonella, either through direct handling of the pet food, or indirectly, for example from pet feeding bowls, utensils or contact with the faeces of animals. In humans, symptoms caused by Salmonella usually include fever, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Infected animals may not necessarily display signs of illness, but symptoms can include diarrhoea.

“Raw Treat Pet Food Ltd is recalling the above products from their customers. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. Please see the attached notices.”

Its advice to consumers was:

“If you have bought any of the above products do not use them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund. 

“When handling and serving raw pet food it is always advised to clean utensils and feeding bowls after use and wash hands thoroughly after handling. Raw pet food should be stored separately from any food (especially ready to eat foods). Care should be taken when defrosting to avoid cross contamination of foods and surfaces.”

The full FSA recall statement can be viewed at https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-38-2019

The pet store Kennelgate in Shrewsbury announces its transformation of becoming one of the most exciting new UK pet store brands; Pets & Friends. 

The store has recently completed its rebrand; offering a unique customer experience for pet owners to be able to truly care for their furry family members.

New store highlights include a brand new grooming salon, a self-service dog wash and a community hub for puppy training and pet advice.  

In addition, the new Pets & Friends store reveals its commitment towards protecting the environment by being the first retailer to stock the Project Blu range as the only pet bed products in store.  

The range features stylish dog and cat bed designs made from plastic recovered from the sea which not only look great, but each bed purchased prevents at least 40 plastic bottles from entering the ocean and polluting the planet.* 

The Project Blu beds are amongst a range of new zones and innovative pet products to be found in store. 

Speaking about the new store rebrand and link with Project Blu, Andy Jones, Chief Executive Officer at Kennelpak, said: “We’re passionate about pets and love to share our expertise.  

"The launch of our second Pets & Friends store here in Shrewsbury signifies a huge step forward for the business.  Our aim is to help customers and their pets live a healthier and happier life, and we certainly deliver against this through our new store experience.  In addition, thanks to Project Bluas our exclusive pet bed range in store, we are showing our commitment towards the environment and helping reduce plastics in the oceans.

"We really look forward to welcoming customers to our refreshed Shrewsbury store, and creating more Pets & Friends stores within the UK market in the near future.”

Geryn Evans, Founder and CEO of Project Blu said: “There is no simple fix for the complex threats that harm our natural environment. Plastic is a design failure and without action and awareness we will create irreparable damage that will affect future generations. Reducing the threat of ocean waste requires teamwork and bold action from every part of the supply chain. We are delighted to be working with Pets & Friends to offer our exclusive range of sustainable pet products to the UK market."

Supreme Petfoods has defended its record of supporting independent pet retailers despite criticism from an award-winning store.

Dawn Worton, Director of  Ingleby Pet Supplies crowned PIF Retailer of the Year in 2015, said: “I was interested to read about the Supreme Petfoods Survey results and think they should be challenged about how they are going to help and support the independents that are being let down by suppliers who sell on mass to chain stores and discounters.

“In my town centre Wilkinsons sell the Tiny Friends Farm range as do Home Bargains. Locally Morrisons Supermarket stock Tiny Friends Farm and the full Supreme small animal food range is sold in The Range. At the moment Wilkinsons are selling Harry Hamster 700g for £1.10. I cant compete with that – my cost price is 99p + VAT.

“Following their survey I would be interested to know if they are going to stand by the independents and pull back from selling to discounters and help drive business back into independent outlets who will, as they say, also benefit from the add on sales in the category.”

As reported in Pet Trade Xtra last week, Supreme Petfoods surveyed more than 500 independent pet retailers and found that over half (54%) report that in the small pet category they have experienced an adverse impact on sales as a result of brands moving into mass grocery channels. Stores that experienced the greatest decline in sales were those located close to mass grocery or discount stores.

In response to Dawn’s comment  Supreme Petfoods issued the following statement:

“We continue to support independent retailers with monthly deals direct from Supreme and via the wholesale channel, free samples, feeding programmes, money off coupons, loyalty scheme discounts, point of sale, FSDUs, and a plethora of other marketing support materials.

“We’ve also carried out research into how the small pet category is shopped and can advise independents on the best way to improve sales from the fixture. We are more than happy to visit stores and provide category audits to help them stock and merchandise the right products and provide ideas on improving the shopper’s experience.

“With regard to pricing, like any supplier we can only recommend retail prices and retailers take a view on what margin they are prepared to invest in bringing customers to store. 

“It’s obviously very challenging for independents competing with many diverse retail channels, more so when trading competitively against those where the whole household shop can be completed in one place.

“As a business we support outlets that have dedicated small pet sections, which allow us to remain competitive and able to produce high quality innovative products that the trade needs to flourish.”