ITV is investing in pet health and wellness company PitPat and adding the company to its Media for Equity portfolio in its second investment of 2023.

As part of ITV Adventures Invest, its Media for Equity investment fund, ITV has agreed to invest up to £4 million of advertising inventory across ITV’s channels and ITVX in return for a minority equity stake in the Company. It follows ITV’s recent Media for Equity investment in architectural design company Resi announced earlier this year.

PitPat helps pet parents keep their dogs happy, healthy and safe with their subscription-free GPS tracker, award-winning dog activity monitor and perfectly-portioned dog food. The company is disrupting the traditional pet industry worth over $250 billion globally with its innovative technology, unrivalled data and super-personalised services.

ITV’s investment will help PitPat build mass market brand awareness by bringing the brand to millions of viewers.

Sheena Amin, Director of ITV AdVentures, said “PitPat is a truly innovative, customer centric brand bringing the insights of data, monitoring and tracking to help pet owners and I’m thrilled that the company is becoming part of ITV’s Media for Equity investment portfolio.

PitPat is at an important inflection point in its scaling journey, having created a market-leading product for both dog activity monitors and GPS trackers. We know that ITV viewers index highly as pet owners and I’m confident that we can help drive category awareness for pet GPS trackers and put PitPat on the map at the same time. I’ve always been thoroughly impressed by Andy and his team and have full faith in their ability to go after a huge market opportunity and win in this space.”

Founder & CEO of PitPat, Andy Nowell, said “We're delighted to welcome ITV AdVentures as an investor at this exciting growth stage for the business. Their extensive viewership and strategic media expertise will enable us to reach a nation of dog lovers and drive significant category awareness, cementing PitPat as the go-to brand for pet parents. We have been thoroughly impressed by their collaborative approach and are confident they will be an instrumental partner in our growth.”

PitPat’s complete Dog Care Platform is changing the way humans approach pet care - because guesswork and the current one-size-fits-all approach lead to unhealthy pets, expensive vet treatments and excessively high insurance premiums. With rich data and insights from over a hundred thousand dogs, PitPat is at the forefront of pet tech, creating products that help pet parents take away the guesswork and provide the best possible care for their individual pets. Based in Cambridge, the company has a multidisciplinary team of technologists, vets and dog-lovers and delivers its services to dog owners directly and through partnerships with leading pet insurers, food brands and other pet businesses.

Launched in 2021, ITV AdVentures Invest is a Media for Equity programme which sees ITV take minority stakes in early stage digital and direct-to-consumer businesses, alongside venture capital investment, in return for advertising inventory across ITV’s range of market-leading channels and ITVX. The initiative represents an innovative opportunity for consumer businesses seeking to build scale through TV advertising, alongside a strategic media partner. ITV’s diverse portfolio of successful Media for Equity investments include location app what3words, online menswear brand Spoke, wellness brand Feel and Europe’s biggest new car buying marketplace Carwow.

Lancashire-based VetPlus has revealed that its sales in the Indian region have more than doubled following action from the Department of Business and Trade.

VetPlus is a family-owned business founded in 1995 in Lytham, Lancashire. A global leader in veterinary nutraceuticals, the company has distributors in over 40 countries and a presence on every continent, with more than 90% of its products produced in-house at its facility in Lytham.

VetPlus’ pet feed supplements were able to continue being sold in India after a bureaucratic trade barrier blocking exports of British pet feed supplements to India was lifted. The resolution of the barrier was estimated £1.4 million in sales to the company over the next five years in 2022.

Market research firm Market Decipher estimate that the Indian pet food industry was worth $498 million in 2021 and is one of the fastest-growing markets globally, expected to grow by an average of 19% each year over the next decade.

VetPlus is now well placed to meet demands for its products from the growth in global pet ownership. According to Pet Secure, there are approximately 10.2 million pet dogs and an expected 2.4 million pet cats in India, so ensuring that uninterrupted availability of VetPlus’ nutraceuticals – which form part of multi-modal treatment plans for a range of companion animal conditions – is important.

Removing obstacles to UK companies selling their products around the world is a top priority for Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, with recent analysis revealing barriers to markets worth more than £2.2 billion to UK businesses were knocked down in her first 200 days in the job – equivalent to over £11 million every day.

The Business and Trade secretary has committed to unlocking 100 unnecessary barriers to trade to help businesses across the UK sell more, grow more, create new jobs and pay higher wages.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “India is a massive market for UK companies and I am delighted to see VetPlus reaping the rewards after decisive action from the Department meant their pet feed supplements could be stocked on Indian shelves.

“As we remove barriers to trade around the world, we create more opportunities for British businesses to export their excellent products, create more jobs, and unlock billions for the UK economy.”

Founder and Chairman of VetPlus David Haythornthwaite said: “As an international business operating on every continent, it’s important that we can uphold the varied regulatory and compliance requirements in place across our markets.

“It has been great to work with the Department for Business and Trade to meet the change in requirements for the Indian market which meant that we could ensure the consistent supply and availability of our products for pet owners through their veterinary practices.”

The UK is currently in talks with India on a new Free Trade Agreement to boost our current trading relationship, already worth £36 billion in 2022.

UK businesses sold goods and services worth around £15 billion to India in 2022. A trade deal could bring down even more barriers to trading with India, like high tariffs and red tape, and make it easier for UK companies such as VetPlus to sell into India’s market of 1.4 billion people.

Lily’s Kitchen is recalling batches of its Fishy Fish Pie and Chicken and Turkey Casserole because they may contain pieces of plastic. 

In a food alert on the Food Standards Agency website, a statement reads: The possible presence of plastic makes the products unsafe to eat for your pets and presents a potential choking hazard.

The affected products are:

Lily’s Kitchen Fishy Fish Pie

Pack size: 400g (Grain Free Wet Adult Dog Food Multipack 24 x 400g cans)

Batch code: 1028F

Best before: 1 September 2024

Lily’s Kitchen Chicken & Turkey Casserole

Pack size: 400g (Classic Wet Adult Dog Food Multipack 24 x 400g cans)

Batch code: 1032F

Best before: 1 September 2024

The risk statement said: “These products may contain small pieces of plastic which makes them unsafe to eat for your pets and presents a potential choking hazard.”

Lily’s Kitchen is recalling the above products from customers. The company has also issued a recall notice to its customers. These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tells them what to do if they have bought the products. Please see the attached notice.

Under its Customer Notifications alert, Lily’s Kitchen said the affected products were exclusively sold in Pets at Home stores as part of the Grain Free Wet Adult Dog Food Multipack 24 x 400g cans and Classic Wet Adult Dog Multipack 24x400g cans). The recall only affects products sold as part of these multipacks, and does not affect 400g cans sold singly or as part of any other multipack.

The full alert can be found on the Food Standards Agency website at https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-13-2023

At the front of the store is the popular packaging-free natural treats section from hairy rabbit ears, which can be a natural de-wormer, to long-lasting chews, which are great for dental health. 

Beside all those treats are high meat foods including frozen raw, freeze dried raw, high meat kibble and wet foods with brands Including Cotswold Raw, Orijen, Acana and Cooper & Co.

Brand manager Tom Maltby said: “We have some incredible products in store from local brands to household names like Barbour and Le Chameau but we recognise pet health and wellbeing is also about what we don’t sell. So you won’t find rawhide, pet corrector sprays and more in store – we’ve got plenty of healthier alternatives to offer customers.”

The centre of the store is full of dog fashion, accessories and toys from specialist items for gun dogs to Chuckit! Ultra Balls which are known to be both fun and long-lasting for any tough chewers. There’s also a variety of harnesses from Barbour for country wear to Twiggy Tags for adventure walks to CocoPup for instrammable photos.

Managing director, Paul Lewis said: “All our teams are trained in force-free harness fitting and we love to see customers with their pets in stores, team members are always happy to help pick out and try on a new harness, offer nutritional or training advice and more.” 

At the back of the store you’ll find quality bedding including memory foam, orthopedic dog beds from British brand George Barclay, there’s also a range of grooming products from brands such as TropiClean who’s 2 weeks dental trial kit is 99p in store when you sign up to Just for Perks, whilst stocks last (usually £6.99).

Store manager Matthew Cook said: “We’ve had an amazing opening weekend and we can’t wait to see customers and their pets again soon.”

Gallery of pictures below...

Nationwide pet retailer Jollyes will open its first Warrington store – its 90th in the UK – on Saturday (May 27).

The store, at Unit 1, Winwick Road, Warrington, WA2 8HQ will be officially opened by Ted and Chewy, two beautiful alpacas from Woodland Alpaca Farm in Thelwall who run regular educational walks to teach about Alpaca farming in support of Guillain-Barre Syndrome charity, Gain.

Joining the Jollyes team will be a very special guest – the real Felix the Cat mascot who’ll also help open the store at 10am. 

Weather permitting, on Saturday morning Jollyes will also launch its “Jumbo Pet” – a giant airship featuring a dog and cat that will be raised 150ft to tell Warrington that the store has opened.

The first 100 customers will receive a free goody-bag and every customer over the weekend will have the chance to spin Jollyes’ iconic ‘Wheel of Fur-tune’ to win prizes.

A face painter and stilt walkers round off the opening day entertainment.

On Sunday 28 May, Jollyes will be joined by Warrington Animal Welfare who will be raising money for their work to care for local pets.

Jollyes’ new Warrington store and its team of 10 will be led by Jason Chapman who’s joined from McColls and bring the ranges, service and pet care Jollyes is famous for, to town.

Its new store will provide pet parents in Warrington access to Jollyes’ raw food frozen ‘shop-in-shop’ alongside high quality private label pet food such as its own Lifestage, K9 and Rileys brands which offer a premium experience without a big brand price tag.

Powered by the expert advice from its colleagues, the new store will have a community pet clinic each Thursday from 1 June, part of a plan between now and the summer of 2024, to double the number of stores that offer vet-run clinics.

Vet-supervised dog and cat vaccinations in the clinic will start at just £14 and £13 for rabbits with primary course jabs for dogs and cats at £33. 

Microchipping, already compulsory for dogs and compulsory for cats from 2024, for cats, start at just £10, offering significant savings against average prices charged by formal vet practices.

“We’re starting work today getting the store ready for opening next week.” said regional manager Sarah Farrar.  “We’re looking forward to bringing the kind of value and service that’s already available at our nearby stores in Runcorn, St Helens and Eccles to the heart of Warrington.”

The opening of the new Warrington store is part of Jollyes’ ambitious expansion plans which will see it hit £100 million turnover in FY2023, employ 1,000 colleagues this year and have 100 stores within 18 months.

Jollyes will re-open its store in Newport on the Isle of Wight this Bank Holiday weekend after a major makeover.

The store is one of the first in the UK to have a frozen raw food ‘shop-in-shop’ providing an extensive range of high-quality, nutritious, raw meals that are simple and convenient for dog owners.

And the store is also introducing a brand new service for pet parents – one of its first ‘Wash & Go’ dog-wash booths which for just £5.00 can provide a full clean-up for mucky pups without the hassle of messing up a home bathroom.

On Saturday, over the bank holiday weekend and until 4 June, dogs can try out the wash booth for free in return for a donation to store charity partner Mountbatten which is changing the way people across the Isle of Wight receive end of life care and bereavement support.

Customers can also spin Jollyes’ iconic ‘wheel of fur-tune’ to win pet prizes and a face painter and stilt walkers will round off the entertainment when the store officially reopens at 10.00am on Saturday 27 May.

Jollyes Newport store has also recruited two new colleagues taking the team to eleven.

Later this summer it will also open a community pet clinic offering Vet-supervised dog and cat vaccinations in the clinic starting at just £14 and £13 for rabbits with primary course jabs for dogs and cats at £33.

Microchipping, already compulsory for dogs and now in new government plans extended to be compulsory for cats, will start at just £10, offering significant savings against average prices charged by formal vet practices.

The store, on the River Way Industrial Estate, recently notched up its quarter century landmark and manager Mark White was looking forward to showing customers the changes.

“We’re proud to serve the pet parents of the whole island from our base here in Newport and are delighted to be raising money this weekend for our friends at Mountbatten.”

Pet specialist Kennelpak has launched its newest dog toy, DOGGI. This virtually indestructible dog toy is specifically designed for dogs who love to catch and carry. 

DOGGI toys are suitable for dogs of all sizes, offering mental and physical stimulation whilst meeting the needs of a dog’s want to play and chew. The unique design of DOGGI toys incorporates different textures that will keep dogs engaged and entertained for hours on end.

DOGGI is a 100% recyclable solution for pet owners who want a virtually indestructible toy that can withstand even the most enthusiastic chewers. Thanks to their durability, each DOGGI toy is great for dog dental health, too. 

Each toy has so many ways to play and comes in three sizes and three distinctive shapes: classic ball, rugby ball and a dumbbell. It's easy to clean, making it the perfect toy for pet parents who want to provide their dogs with a safe and fun way to play.

"We are excited to introduce the DOGGI range of toys to the market, as it addresses the needs of pet parents with dogs of all sizes who are looking for a fun, long-lasting toy for their dog," said Nigel Wright, Commercial Director at Kennelpak. 

“We had a fantastic response to the products when we launched them at PATS at the end of March.  Now they’re in store we’re also seeing the interest and excitement from customers who are attracted by the impactful merchandise unit which really showcases the benefits of the range.”

DOGGI toys are exclusively distributed in the UK by Kennelpak with retail prices starting from £5.99. 

For more information on DOGGI products, competitive pricing, and free marketing POS support contact sales@kennelpak.co.uk.

Up-and-coming pet food business Vale Pet Foods has added a new range of wet food recipes to its product selection.

Leicestershire-based Vale Pet Foods was founded by two dog trainers, husband and wife Luke and Mairi Chapman. As dog trainers they became very aware of the sensitivities and intolerances to food that many dogs had developed. They saw first-hand how diet can massively impact a dog’s behaviour, its appearance and also its development. 

Vale Dog Food was created to provide customers with a naturally wholesome diet, packed with a good healthy source of protein and the right oils and minerals to benefit skin and joints. They produce a range of grain and gluten free dry food recipes, raw food recipes and natural treats to which they have now added a wet food

All products only use meat sourced from the human food chain and the finest ingredients and packed with vital nutrients that are needed to contribute to great overall health. 

The new wet range comes in three varieties – Salmon with Sweet Potato and Vegetables, Chicken with Sweet Potato and Vegetables and Turkey with Sweet Potato and Vegetables. Each variety is packed full of nutrients to help with skin and coat with the added extra gut health. They are great as a complete meal or as a topper to dry food. Each pack size is 395g. RRP £2.49.

For further information please visit. www.valepetfoods.com

TV personality and entrepreneur Jess Wright, who appeared in ‘The Only Way is Essex’, has launched her debut pet collection. The range will be exclusively stocked in Poundland stores.

Designed and curated with her beloved Yorkshire Terrier Bella in mind, Jess has created an affordable collection of stylish and practical doggy essentials.

After searching for months to find the right kind of accessories for Bella; Jess decided to bring her own vision to life with an aesthetic and sense of fun that she just couldn't find anywhere else.

The 15-piece collection brings an air of sophistication; teaming neutral, understated tonal shades and subtle leopard print, to bring a sense of fun and femininity.

The quality range with quirky highlights including fun milestone cards - to celebrate those special dates in your canine calendar including birthdays and first grooming session, as well as dapper doggy slogan bandanas.

Other heroes include stylish padded dog leads with sleek metallic trims, super-soft squeaky toys - in the shape of a bone or fun 'puppuccino' cup, stylish melamine double dog bowls and a selection of luxurious grooming products. Prices start from just £1.50.

Jess says: "A dog collection is the perfect addition to my Poundland ranges and I couldn’t be happier about it. Bella is my little best friend and providing products that she, and others can use, makes me smile. 

"It’s affordable, fun, adorable and such good quality. I’m so excited for Bella by Jess Wright and I hope you guys love it too! 

"I want to help keep your furry friends happy, healthy and stylish all at the same time."

The full Bella by Jess Wright collection is available in Poundland stores nationwide.

PetQuip members will be able to utilise a valuable new service on renewal of their annual membership subscriptions.

In order to support companies with information about the numerous technical challenges involved in exporting round the world, the Federation has teamed up with a company that specialises in providing information, advice and practical answers on the wide range of export challenges and hurdles facing UK suppliers of gardening, horticultural supplies and pet products as well as growers and pet food suppliers.

As part of their annual subscription, PetQuip member companies will have access to a dedicated email ‘helpline’ which will provide valuable technical advice and information from a range of experts in exporting worldwide.

“We are aware that exporting rules and regulations have become more onerous for UK suppliers since Brexit and we are pleased to be introducing a new service that gives every member company practical support and information to help ease the process of export sales,” says Amanda Sizer Barrett, Director General of the Federation.

Further information on accessing this new service will be sent out to all member companies on renewal of their annual subscription.

For details of all the business advantages of PetQuip membership, please email info@petquip.com or visit www.petquip.com

Arden Grange is expanding its line-up of super premium dog treats to include its first-ever soft snacks.

The new range consists of four varieties of grain-free, dog training treats made with fresh meat and added superfoods.

They all contain potent natural supplements to support the joints and digestion, and also include a blend of nutrient-rich superfood ingredients which have been selected for their antioxidant properties.

The new products are available in 80g pouches.

For more information visit www.ardengrange.com

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A popular pet shop in Beccles, Norfolk, has announced it is closing down at the end of July due to retirement.

Cracks Pet Foods in Blyburgate, Beccles, informed customers on its Facebook page that 31 July would be its final day of trading.

“Cracks Pet Foods with be closing down due to retirement. We would like to thank all our customers for their support over the years and hope you can keep supporting us in our final two months,” said the social media post.

Customers responded on social media with comments like:

• “Sorry to lose you, hope you have a happy retirement.”
• “Another Beccles fav from my childhood going…”
• “Oh no, love this shop and staff are great, will be sad to see crack shop close.”
• “Nooooooo!!! Love shopping at Cracks.”
• “That’s sad, had my first ‘Saturday’ job there in the early 70s. Lovely owners to work for.”

Photograph taken from Google Maps (Streetview).

Susan Fairley has been appointed to the new role of Trade Federation Manager across Gardenex, PetQuip and the Commercial Horticultural Association (CHA) following the retirement of Pat Flynn.

Susan has worked in the garden and horticulture, pet, home and gift sectors for over 20 years, having been part of the team responsible for the marketing of Glee, Spring Fair and Autumn Fair through a large part of her career. 

She has additional experience in the automotive, transport and energy sectors, as well as understanding supplying and importing / exporting during her time at White Pebble, a distributor for North American companies launching into the UK and other European markets.

Susan has good contacts within the gardening, horticulture and pet sectors and has excellent experience of multi-channel campaign creation, programme planning, organisation and execution, as well as team leadership and stakeholder engagement, bringing to her new role multi-faceted skills alongside her creative marketing background.

She has a long-held enthusiasm for both the people and products in the garden and pet sectors, which continues in the rest of her life, as a keen garden, vegetable patch and dog owner.

“I’m looking forward to making new contacts and renewing connections with suppliers at gafa+spoga, Glee and at Four Oaks and to taking an active role in organising the prestigious PetQuip Awards and Dinner at the PATS exhibition in Telford this Autumn,” said Susan. 

Amanda Sizer Barrett, Director General of the Federation, commented: “Susan has always been a pleasure to work alongside and our team is looking forward to her bringing her industry knowledge, business experience and marketing skills to her role.’

Susan joins us as Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager at PetQuip and CHA, has decided to retire at the end of May.

“We are very grateful for Pat’s enthusiasm and valuable contribution to the Federation over many years. Pat will be much missed by us all but the lure of foreign travel and exploring different countries with her retired husband, Paul, was too strong a pull for her,” added Amanda.

Helen Warren-Piper has been named Global Vice President, Strategic Initiatives for Mars Pet Nutrition. Helen was formerly the company’s Chief Growth Officer for Europe and prior to that was General Manager of the UK Pet Nutrition business.

Helen is a well-respected leader at Mars, and in her new role will build on her European experience to focus on strategic priorities across the enterprise. She will continue to be based in the UK, and will report to Ikdeep Singh, Global President, Mars Pet Nutrition.

Following Helen’s move, Melodie Nye has been named the new Chief Growth Officer for Mars Pet Nutrition in Europe. She joins the European team after 10 years at Mars.

In her most recent role for the company, she served as Global Innovation Lead based in Nashville, USA. The Mars Pet Nutrition portfolio features a line-up of iconic brands including PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA® and CESAR®. As Chief Growth Officer, Melodie will be responsible for ensuring that Mars Pet Nutrition continues to stay ahead of the curve to meet pet parents’ needs across Europe. Her focus on data-driven decision making will support this.

Deri Watkins, Regional President, Mars Pet Nutrition Europe, said: “I’d first like to thank Helen – her vision helped us transform our growth organisation in Europe. She set up a Digital Marketing Centre of Excellence, which created our first digital-first growth strategy to add value to our brands through innovation, sustainability, and purpose.

“As a manufacturer, ensuring our much-loved brands stay front and centre is essential in Europe’s competitive marketplace, so we are thrilled to have Melodie join the team.  She is a bold, purpose-driven leader committed to ensuring our brands deliver for pet parents. Families’ expectations for what to feed their pets and how they choose to shop is continually evolving so her background in innovation means she truly understands what’s needed as we look ahead to the next few years.”

TropiClean has teamed up with Kong to bring pet parents the ultimate dental health solution.

The innovative TropiClean Enticers X Kong Dental Ball includes a tube of TropiClean Enticers Smoked Beef Brisket Flavoured Gel for a delicious treat that cleans their teeth while they chew. The durable KONG ball is specifically textured to help scrub away plaque, while the gel works to remove bad breath-causing bacteria in the mouth. The Kong Dental ball includes a vivacious squeaker that keeps dogs engaged and coming back for more every time!

The TropiClean Enticers X Kong Dental Ball is now available to the pet trade from Pedigree Wholesale and available to the consumer through independent pet retail. 

It comes in three sizes – Small, Medium, and Large – making it perfect for dogs of all breeds and sizes. 

Also available is the TropiClean Enticers Teeth Cleaning Gel Refills, a 3 pack of delicious flavours including Hickory Smoked Bacon, Peanut Butter and Honey and Smoked Beef Brisket, all perfect accompaniments to the Kong Dental Ball.

Pedigree Wholesale has pulled together a list of its Top 5 picks for summer.

All for Paws Chill Out  

The All for Paws Chill Out range is full of toys and accessories perfect for summer playtime and provides pet parents with easy ways to keep their pets cool in the heat. The range features everything from easy-to-use cooling mats, bandanas, and vests to fun toys like the Chill Out Shark, Ice Bone and Frisbee. The range even features more practical cooling solutions for dogs, such as the Outdoor Water Fountain, Chill Out Bowl and brand-new for 2023, the Silicone Chill Bottle. 

Pawise Cooling  

Pawise cooling toys are great accessories for providing easy hydration solutions when the heat gets too much and are great for cars, camping and long walks. The Pawise No Spill Water Bowl and 2 in 1 Drinking Bottle are essential additions to ensure pets have everything they need while it's hot! Also new to the range is the Pawise Cool Mat in Medium and Large, making this a great cooling solution for dogs of all sizes and breeds. An adorable addition to the cooling range from Pawise are the Floating Dog Toys, including the Unicorn, Flamingo, Sea Horse, Star and Dolphin toys, some of which even include rope for those dogs who love to chew! 

Chuckit! Amphibious  

The Chuckit! Amphibious range is perfect for playing in lakes, rivers, pools, and even the beach. The range features the Amphibious Balls, Amphibious Mega Ball and Amphibious Bumper, all made with a lightweight foam core, making them unsinkable! These toys are ideal for water-loving dogs; they won’t pop or burst and are gentle on dogs’ mouths. The classic Chuckit! bright blue and orange also make these toys easy to see on land or in water! 

Sportspet Summer Smoothies  

Celebrate summer with this fresh and fruity-themed range! The Sportspet Summer Smoothie range comes in vibrant colours, is durable, and is made with natural rubber. These toys also float, giving the feeling of summer and making them easier to retrieve! Made with durable natural rubber and a thick core, the Sportspet Summer Smoothies are available in both the High Bounce and Tough Bounce varieties!  

Dexas Snack Duo 

The Dexas Snack Duo is perfect for keeping pets fed, hydrated and full of energy on longer walks and hikes. This handy accessory has two separate chambers for food and water and a detachable companion cup which collapses for convenience. The Snack Duo ensures extended time in the outdoors and is perfect for travelling. 

All these products and ranges are available now and are exclusive to Pedigree Wholesale.

Pawise is a brand based on reliability, affordability, and ease. Each Pawise product is designed to relieve stress around raising pets and provide solutions for pet parents.

New to the Pawise portfolio at Pedigree Wholesale is a full collection of summer cooling lines. The range includes some great accessories for providing easy hydration solutions when the heat gets too much and are great for cars, camping and long walks. The Pawise No Spill Water Bowl and 2 in 1 Drinking Bottle are great essential additions for making sure pets have everything they need too!

Also new to the range is the Pawise Cool Mat in Medium and Large, making this a great cooling solution for all dog sizes and breeds. An adorable addition to the cooling range from Pawise is the Floating Dog Toys, including the Unicorn, Flamingo, Sea Horse, Star and Dolphin toys, some of which even include rope for those dogs who love to chew!

Shop the range at petproducts.co.uk

Hundreds of customers and special guests attended the grand opening of a much-anticipated pet store as PetPlace unveiled its revamped 25,000 sq ft Llangefni site at the weekend.

There was plenty for curious canines and their two-legged friends to enjoy including an obstacle course, face painting, free ice cream, special offers, micro-chipping clinics, brand discounts and a host of games and activities.

World-renowned animal psychologist Roger Mugford - who trained the late Queen’s corgis – held free behaviour sessions, and the RSPCA and independent businesses and suppliers were on hand to share information and showcase unique products, centred on health, wellbeing, and safety.

PetPlace owners Sion Pritchard and Paul Penketh thanked everyone who came along for being part of the special day, and for supporting a raffle in aid of the company’s chosen charity, Hope House Hospice.

“We were overwhelmed by the response, from the minute the doors opened we were busy all day, it was incredible,” said Paul.

“For us it was about giving the pets and their owners a unique experience, and not just for one day, this was a flavour of the innovative and exciting developments we have in the pipeline for Llangefni and our other stores in the years ahead.”

Sion added: “In addition to the retail side of things we will be launching a new play park and coffee bar for dogs at Llangefni in the summer.

“This is another step forward for PetPlace as we align our sites under the new brand, and we would like to thank everyone who came along to our open day and all of our loyal customers for your continued support.”

As well as Llangefni, the company has stores in Abergele, Ruthin, Mold, Gledrid (Oswestry) and a headquarters in Kinmel Bay.

Among the representatives from independent firms celebrating the opening on Saturday were Gill Thomas-Jones from sustainable health and beauty range Mountain Garden Botanics, based in New Brighton, Wrexham, and Jo Parr, owner of Merseyside-based The Dog Bowl Deli.

“We are a fun way of getting healthy treats into dogs, with a human twist as the treats are modelled on cakes, cookies, donuts and more while being completely natural, full of vegetables and fresh ingredients,” said Jo.

“We are already in the Abergele play park and look forward to being part of the new park here at Llangefni as we love working in partnership with PetPlace and congratulate them on today’s event.”

Gill added: “We have a long-standing relationship with PetPlace and are honoured to be here today at the revamped store.

“The team have always supported us as a local business and to be able to display our selection of handmade shampoos, soaps, deodorant bars, candles and other items – all palm oil, cruelty and plastic free – is huge for us. Well done to everyone here on a brilliant day and good luck for the future.”

Those words were reinforced by Roger, who says the PetPlace model should be followed by other retailers in the sector.

“The staff are friendly and approachable, the variety of stock is mind-boggling and all of it focused on the health and wellbeing of pets,” he said.

“I’ve said before that PetPlace is leading the world in supporting pets and their owners and this store has taken it to a whole new level.”

For more information on PetPlace, including the PetPlace Plus+ loyalty app, follow @petplaceUK on Facebook and Instagram or email sales@farmandpetplace.co.uk. The app is available on platforms including Google Play and The App Store. 

Paleo Ridge raw dog food is now available to purchase in 10 Sainsbury’s stores across the UK. The supermarket chain will stock a selection of the popular Paleo Plus, Classic and Essentials ranges, all available in 500g packs.

The raw dog food producers pride themselves on their high quality, high welfare ingredients as their vision of promoting healthy dogs to a wider audience continues to develop.

The additive-free, species appropriate meals are also available in many independent stores across the UK.

Paleo Ridge says it is committed to supporting its stockists and has created the ‘Paleo Pledge’ which includes guaranteed deals, promotions, and tools to support the business and show commitment and loyalty.

Gill Synnuck, Trade Account Manager (above), said: “Paleo Ridge has come a long way in the last five years and we are delighted with this new opportunity to reach more dog owners across the country and raise awareness of raw feeding. Our stockists are incredibly important to us and we will continue to support them in every way we can alongside the new partnership with Sainsbury’s”.

Will Green, Director of Sales and Marketing at Paleo Ridge, said: ‘We are thrilled by the growing popularity of Paleo Ridge and want to encourage more dog owners to make the switch to raw-feeding. We are incredibly proud to be trialled in Sainsbury’s stores, making our products more widely accessible for dog owners in the UK.’

To find out more about Paleo Ridge go to www.paleoridge.co.uk

‘Just add water and freeze’ is the slogan of aninnovative product developed by Life Of Riley Bakery Ltd – a dairy and grain free, 100% natural and nutritionist approved DIY dog ice cream mix.

Initially launching with three flavours – coconut, blueberry and carob ‘choc’ – the company plans on expanding the range and offering limited edition flavours to the mix, including peanut butter, strawberry and a special birthday cake flavour!

“Our stockists have gone crazy for it,” said Sarah Meredith, from Life Of Riley. “It appeals to everyone as it has been developed for sensitive tummies and dogs with intolerances, it also doesn’t require any freezer space as the mix is stored at room temperature with a 12-month shelf life. 

“Our customers have been so creative, freezing into moulds, kongs and lickmats – it has created so much user-generated content for us, it has been the most fun product launch to date!”

Each mix makes up to 350ml of ice cream, and doesn’t need to be all mixed and used at the same time – they retail at £4.95 so offer great value for a fun interactive treat!

The dog bakery is mainly B2B, with it making up over 85% of their turnover, they are well versed to dealing with the needs of their wholesale market – keeping things fresh and interesting!

“We have just launched a bulk bag mix also,” added Sarah. “So many of our stockists were decanting from the retail packaging, we thought we would offer them a more profitable solution where they could mix and freeze on demand for their customers.

“It is so easy to handle as holds its shape unlike traditional ice cream – meaning it can be portioned and scooped immediately after mixing and then frozen into individual pots which we also provide if required.”

More details can be found at www.lifeofrileyuk.com