Beyond this Smokey Paws want to get their masks into places like sanctuaries, kennels, catteries and anywhere where multiple animals are. There is still a long way to go for Smokey Paws and their pet lifesaving mission.

Smokey Paws has recently welcomed Emma Johnson, a fundraiser to the team and she hopes to help Smokey Paws succeed in their mission.

Emma said: "It is incredible how much public support Smokey Paws has had so far and I am very happy to be joining the team in helping to save more pets lives."

Emma and The Smokey Paws team are urging more members of the public and businesses to get in touch with them about how you can help them on their pet lifesaving mission.

Contact  emma@smokeypaws.co.uk today or call 07340754408 to find out how you can help. For more information visit: www.smokeypaws.co.uk

was the former club captain and notably led his teammates into the Sussex League for the first time in the club’s history.

A spokesperson for the club said: “The whole club is in a state of shock and our hearts go out to his family, especially his son and our team mate Jack, at this extremely sad time.

“Tim also played in Aldershot as a youth and in Durban, South Africa as well as locally with Wisborough Green.

“He led both Wisborough Green and West Chiltington into the County League and will be sorely missed by both his local clubs and many opponents who relished the challenge he set but also enjoyed his company on and off the field.”

Industry research conducted by dog toy brand Chuckit! has revealed that over 80% of pet retailers in the UK have experienced an increase in dog toy sales since the dangers of sticks being highlighted in 2015.

A massive 92% of retailers also said that the launchers and balls are the best overall range from Chuckit! – further highlighting the growing demand for alternatives to stick retrieval on walks.  

Questioning visitors at the Pedigree Trade Show 2017, Chuckit! quizzed a variety of retailers from across the country to discover the latest trends from the pet retail industry, as well as harvest insight into how they feel about the Chuckit! brand.

With almost 60% of those questioned revealing their customers already walk in to store looking for the Chuckit! brand, over 69% of retailers also said customers are increasingly choosing to invest in better quality toys that will stand the test of time — showing that durable, quality toys are more of a priority for the consumer than ever before.

Looking to how retailers have evolved their connection with their customers, 85% of those surveyed cited investing heavily in Facebook as a core channel focus. But it seems there is still even greater support manufactures can supply, with half of those quizzed calling for greater levels of marketing support. 

 
Will Baggaley, Brand Manager for Chuckit!, comments: “The Pedigree Trade Show is a huge date in our diary every year as it’s such a great opportunity to connect with retailers and discover how their customer trends can influence the  products that we sell and the ways in which we support them.

“The results of the survey meet the trends we’ve noted too, and it’s exciting for us that we are hitting the right notes with our marketing activity — with our annual Chuckit! Challenge competition we run on Facebook giving retailers the opportunity to get collaboratively involved.”

New research reveals there are fewer pets in UK classrooms than in previous generations.

More than half of the parents surveyed by Pets at Home (51%) had a class pet as a child, compared to 46% of children today - and nearly 1 in 5 (17%) of children currently do not have the opportunity to look after a pet either at home or at school.

Non-traditional animals such as chickens, tadpoles, caterpillars and stick insects are becoming increasingly popular alternatives as classroom pets. Fish are currently the most common class pet (24%), followed by hamsters (18%) and guinea pigs (13%).

91% of parents say they would like their child to have a class pet in order to learn about responsibility, particularly because two fifths of parents (40%) do not have “enough time” to take care of a family pet.

Despite this, parents acknowledge that the benefits of learning to look after a pet are significant. 88% think a pet is important for a child’s development and 87% believe a pet can help a child’s social skills.

Over a third (37%) of the primary-school aged children questioned said their favourite thing about having a pet at home would be the cuddles they share, whereas the top reason for wanting a pet in the classroom would be learning to look after something (31%). 

Mark Smith, Pet Operations Manager at Pets at Home, said: “Whether it’s a hamster or a stick insect, it’s really important for children to learn the level of responsibility and time required to look after a pet.

“If your child has a pet or even if they don’t but just love animals, they can join your local Pets at Home store that will be holding a series of summer workshops over the school holidays. The free My Pet Pals sessions are designed to educate the next generation of pet owners about the responsibility of owning a pet, and your child can even get up close and personal with the pets in-store!”

The My Pet Pals Summer workshops will run at more than 430 Pets at Home stores across the UK using fun, interactive activities to educate the next generation of pet owners on how to care for small furry animals and fish responsibly.

Children can expect to find out about the fascinating world of each pet, learning about the five welfare needs – shelter, food and water, good health, appropriate company and the right living environment – and even getting the chance to interact with some pets in-store. 

To find out more about My Pet Pals Summer workshops and book your place in your nearest store, visit petsathome.com/workshops

 
The pet retailer offers a unique omni-channel experience for pet owners, including a large network of stores, brand websites, innovative and exclusive products, and pet services through vet practices and grooming salons.

With the Pets at Home website capturing some of the highest levels of web traffic in the pet care retail market, IBM is working with the brand to further evolve the digital experience and bring it to life in stores across the country. 

Previously, customers who were unable to secure the right products and services for their pets had to either go online or visit another store, however, the introduction of Sales Assist into Pets at Home stores means that store colleagues now have a fast way to access a wider range of insights and products to be able to convert these enquiries into sales on the spot. 

“At Pets at Home, we’re investing in innovative new technology to reinvent the retail experience for our customers. We want our consumers to be able to learn about and order the right products across every channel, and mobility is at the forefront of this transformation,“ said Chris Holyland, Ecommerce Director at Pets at Home.

“By customizing Sales Assist, in collaboration with IBM and Apple, we are providing our consumers with access to an even bigger range of goods regardless of location. The unique tool allows our colleagues to confidently show product information, ratings and reviews from the shop floor, opening up opportunities to foster higher brand engagement and ultimately provide our consumers with the experience they expect.”

Sales Assist is one of over 100 apps in the IBM MobileFirst for iOS portfolio that are changing the nature of work for retailers and global companies across industries by putting real-time data in the hands of employees. Using iPad, more than 3,000 Pets at Home store colleagues will have quick access to the retailer’s product databases while assisting customers to provide a more compelling in-store experience. 

For example, if a customer is interested in a product for their pet which forms part of a wider range of goods and services, the Pets at Home store colleague can use the app to showcase this extended range.

Bringing this digital interface into the interaction provides consumers with the convenience of choosing one of 440 stores to pick up their chosen purchases the very next day, or alternatively selecting delivery to their workplace or home address. The app is allowing colleagues across store locations to showcase, educate and meet the needs of a dynamic range of customers and make the shopping experience even faster and easier to complete. 

“Today, how retailers engage with customers -- whether online, in-store or a hybrid environment – is being disrupted driving a critical need for brands to create digital experiences that meet the evolving needs of the any-channel, always-on consumer compelling digital experiences, said Gareth Mackown, Europe Mobile and Apple Leader, IBM. “Mobile is leading the way for improving customer engagement.

By empowering Pets at Home’s colleagues with insight, product information and transactional capabilities through their Apple devices, Pets at Home is creating a stronger brand affinity with its consumers, blurring the boundaries between digital and physical consumption and working to ensure that each customer leaves the store with all of their pet care needs satisfied.” 

Pets at Home is using IBM Cloud to link Sales Assist with the company’s applications and data, enabling a high-performance, scalable and flexible hybrid cloud environment. 

The British designed crate covers come in 5 sizes (small, medium, large, X large and XX Large) and retail from £57. Available in a range of contemporary designs in modern, muted colour palettes, they are the perfect way to turn a crate into a proper ‘doggy den’. Ideal to use anywhere in the home as they simply wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Memory Bloom will also be making their Trade Show debut at PATS following their recent successful launch. Memory Bloom is the only product of its kind designed to offer a living, flowering memorial for deceased pets.

The compact Memory Bloom kits contain bio degradable containers, compost and seeds as well as a special story book and little notes and markers to personalise your own memorial.

The idea is that some of a pets ashes or small memento (name tag/collar) can be placed into the compost along with the seeds to provide a focal point for remembrance as the flowers – a mix of beautiful Anemones, Forget-me-nots, Californian Poppies and insect and bee friendly wildflowers - begin to grow and will continue to bloom each year thereafter from spring to late autumn.

Memory Bloom retails at £28.95 and free standing display units are also available in the same eye catching design as the packaging.

Johanna Buitelaar, Hidey Hidey’s founder and owner, said: ‘We really are very excited to be exhibiting at PATS.  Hidey Hidey is our second major launch this year and follows hot on the heels of Memory Bloom.

"The feedback for Memory Bloom has been amazing and now we can’t wait to unveil the Hidey Hidey range as well. We believe that both new brands are pretty unique in the trade and PATS Telford is giving us the perfect opportunity to showcase them to potential buyers and retailers.

"We’re looking forward to a very busy show but also to a bit of fun courtesy of our competition – with Prosecco prizes of course!’

The show is taking place at Telford’s International Centre and runs from Sunday, 24th September until Monday, 25th September 2017.

Memory Bloom can be found on stand G29. Don’t forget to keep a look out for the clues in Pet Trade Xtra and pop along to Hidey Hidey’s stand throughout the show for a chance of winning one of the prizes on offer.

Visitors to PATS Telford in September can expect a busy and exciting show as almost every stand at the two-day event has now been sold.

The exhibition hall at The Telford International Centre will be packed with stands showcasing new products. And there will be lots to see and talk about with over 200 companies exhibiting.

As well as meeting up with a long list of PATS regulars, visitors will be greeted by a host of new faces when the show takes place on Sunday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25, 2017.

A growing number of companies are choosing to exhibit for the first time as they see PATS as the perfect opportunity to showcase their products to retailers and overseas distributors.

And more international exhibitors are also using PATS as a platform to launch their products on to the UK market.

PATS Telford attracted a total of 2,009 visitors in 2016 – the second year in a row that the 2,000 barrier had been broken – and with so many exciting plans for 2017 it could easily be another record-breaking year.

New pet brand Hidey Hidey will be appearing at a PATS show for the first time and founder Johanna Buitelaar said: ‘We really are very excited to be exhibiting at PATS. Hidey Hidey is our second major launch this year and follows hot on the heels of Memory Bloom. The feedback for Memory Bloom has been amazing and now we can’t wait to unveil the Hidey Hidey range as well. We believe that both new brands are pretty unique in the trade and PATS Telford is giving us the perfect opportunity to showcase them to potential buyers and retailers.”

TropiClean, a manufacturer of grooming and oral care products, is also looking forward to its first ever PATS show. “We could not ask to be in a better place than PATS Telford to show the entire trade why TropiClean items are so unique and, more importantly, how proven all ranges are,” said the company’s Paul Mercer. “Our objective at September’s show is to further widen our customer base, as well as look to extend our offerings with current customers.”

One of PATS Telford’s most popular features is the New Product Showcase, which saw an impressive number of over 260 entries last year. Early indications suggest this figure will increase in 2017, and all items will be displayed prominently in the exhibition hall.

The Showcase entries will be judged by a panel of retailer judges for the New Product Awards on the first morning of the show, and the winners will receive their honours at the PetQuip Awards Dinner on the evening of the opening day.

Winning an award in the PATS New Product Showcase can be the launch pad to huge sales. That’s according to companies whose new products have been recognised at previous exhibitions.

For All Dogkind has won the Grooming Product Award at PATS in the past, and Laura Redstone said: "After winning the award we were overwhelmed by the trade enquiries we received from both the UK and overseas. The accolade gave DogKind a superb launch platform into the pet and grooming industry.”

To help make the visitor experience even more enjoyable and rewarding, visitors will receive free show entry, free parking, a free catalogue and many special offers. There will also be a full programme of free seminars and grooming demonstrations.

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Manufactured by Ethical Products, based in the US and under the Spot brand the range is separated into 5 sections with clear packaging differences. The toys are split for customers’ cats preference of game whether it is to hunt, chew, kick or scratch and there are also the glow items as play has no light constraints for our feline friends.

There is a toy for every pampered puss and for all budgets, from a simple catnip fish to the amazingly fun remote control mouse.

For more information contact Collarways Limited on 01747 832050 or visit the website www.collarways.com

 A charity has launched a food bank for animals to help people who are struggling financially.

Marjorie Summerfield started running the operation through Pet Rescue Welfare Association, which she runs along with a vets.

She said that austerity had caused a growth in the number of people needing help.

“If we can intervene before a pet has to be rehomed, surely that’s better for the animal and their owner,” she told the BBC.

“If you ring any rescue centre they’re getting at least four or five calls a day from people saying “I’m having to rehome my pet because I can’t afford to feed it.”

“Some might say, if they can’t afford to feed it then should they have a pet? But if you’ve had a pet for years but have had your hours dropped or lost your job or your home, what are you meant to do?’

Four out of five people who use food banks go hungry multiple times during the year, according to Oxford University.

While half of everyone who relies on them includes a disabled person in the family.

The Trussel Trust run hundreds of food banks across the country and welcome pet food donations.

They write: “A family pet is just that: part of the family – and a family should not be expected to part with their pet because of a short-term crisis.

“That’s why Trussell Trust foodbanks also welcome donations of pet food, so they’re able to support people in crisis with pets, helping the owner both financially and emotionally.”

People at Majorie’s food bank just need to show a utility bill and an address to get food for their pet.

People can drop off food for pets at the local Tesco stores as well as pet shops.

Royal Mail said that 65 of their workers have been injured since 2012 in the DT postcode area.

In 2016/17 there were 11 attacks, up from seven in 2015/16 – an increase of 57%.

With statistics showing the number of attacks is set to rise during the summer holidays, experts are pleading with dog owners to take precautions.

Robert Kelly, regional head of safety, health and environment for the Royal Mail, said changing trends are responsible for the increase in attack.

People are receiving fewer letters, but the rise in online shopping means postmen and women are more likely to have to knock on doors to get recipients to sign for parcels, increasing the risk of attack.

He said: “We are delivering more parcels, a lot more items that require customer signatures and what we are seeing is that risk increasing, because more customers have to open the door to receive or sign for their items. Most dogs can be fairly territorial if they are not secured away in another room.”

Dog attacks on postmen may sounds like a bad joke, but Mr Kelly said they can have serious consequences.

“There’s a misconception that it’s an occupational hazard but it can be really distressing. There have been some significant injuries, puncture wounds to the neck, face or torso which may require stitches, for instance. Another common injury is fractures from when people have moved away from the dog and fallen over.”

It’s not just physical injuries workers have to suffer.

Mr Kelly added: “From a psychological perspective, if you have been attacked by a dog that’s always going to be in your head. It’s distressing for the owners as well, to have to deal with the aftermath.”

Nationally there were 2,400 dog attacks on postmen and women last year, down seven per cent on the previous year.

Dog owners are being urged to secure their dogs in another room if they need to open the door to receive mail or parcels. If children are in the house, make sure they know the risks and know not to open the door if a dog is loose.

Consider putting a basket over your letterbox on the inside of the door if your dog is aggressive, which will protect both the postman and the letters. If this isn’t suitable, consider getting a box to put on the outside of the house.

If the dog roams freely in the grounds, consider securing it away at times when the postman is likely to deliver mail.

Mr Kelly said: “Our number one priority is keeping our workers safe. We just want to get the message out there that simple things can make a huge difference.”

Experienced nutritionists at VetSpec have launched a new hypoallergenic cereal-grain-free range of super premium, complete dog foods.

The development of this superb range has incorporated findings from the latest international research carried out at universities and other associated facilities around the world.

All this work has enabled nutritionists to develop innovative ways of incorporating VetSpec’s high specification supplements into super premium, high-meat, dry dog foods without the micronutrient damage that can be caused by traditional high temperature manufacturing processes.

VetSpec has also developed two new ultra-low calorie, complete dog foods to help control the weight of dogs which tend to put on condition easily.

The range includes:

VetSpec Puppy & Junior Formula which contains highly specific supplements to ensure optimum growth and development of your young dog from four weeks of age to twelve months, at which point he can be transferred to VetSpec Healthy Dog Adult Formula.  VetSpec Puppy and Junior Formula is a cereal-grain-free, super premium dry dog food containing 60% chicken with added vegetables and herbs. The prebiotic fibre and herbal sources help maintain gut health. It is wheat gluten-free, and has no added colours, preservatives or artificial flavours.

VetSpec Healthy Dog Adult Formula is a cereal-grain-free, super premium dog food containing 60% chicken with added vegetables and herbs, superb for all dogs including show dogs and working dogs. The specialised supplements include biotin, and other associated nutrients to improve the coat and promote a supple skin for dogs that have problems in this area. The prebiotic fibre and herbal sources help maintain gut health. It is wheat gluten-free with no added artificial colours, preservatives or artificial flavours.

VetSpec Omega-3 Joint Mobility Formula is a cereal-grain-free, super premium dog food, rich in DHA and EPA (Omega-3s), glucosamine and chondroitin at levels only normally found in veterinary grade supplements. It is ideal for providing nutritional support to dogs with poor mobility or those which are in hard work, e.g. agility dogs or gun dogs. It includes biotin and other associated nutrients to greatly improve the coat and promote a supple skin. It is wheat gluten-free with no added colours, preservatives or artificial flavours.

VetSpec Calm and Focused Formula is a cereal-grain-free, super premium dog food, ideal for dogs that get anxious and over-excitable, suffer from separation anxiety or fear loud noises like fireworks. It is also very helpful when training young dogs to improve focus and obedience. Its formulation includes tryptophan, prebiotics and magnesium, together with biotin and other associated nutrients to greatly improve the coat and promote a supple skin. It is wheat gluten-free with no added colours, preservatives or artificial flavours.

VetSpec SuperLite Low Calorie Formula has all the benefits of VetSpec Healthy Dog Formula but is on a base food with 20% less calories if fed as directed. It is a cereal-grain-free, super premium dog food which contains 50% chicken with added vegetables and herbs, so you can still feed your dog a delicious feed, packed with high quality vitamins and minerals. It includes biotin and other associated nutrients to greatly improve the coat and promote a supple skin. The prebiotic fibre and herbal sources help maintain gut health. It is wheat gluten-free, with no added colours, preservatives or artificial flavours.

VetSpec SuperLite Senior Formula is designed to address the nutritional challenges that dogs face as they reach their more senior years. It is a cereal-grain-free, super premium dog food containing 50% chicken with added vegetables and herbs. Older dogs need optimum nutrition to support a healthy immune system which this provides. They are also often overweight because they are less likely to be as active and therefore need fewer calories on a daily basis, whilst needing more nutritional support to maintain healthy flexible joints. These complex requirements are all built into VetSpec SuperLite Senior Formula, together with prebiotic fibre and herbal sources to help maintain gut health. It also includes biotin and other associated nutrients to greatly improve the coat and promote a supple skin.

Telephone: 01845 565030  www.vetspec.com