Since their launch in October last year, Din Dins pet supplements have become very popular among owners looking for an easy way to get raw and healthy foods in their pet’s diet. The products’ reach has been growing ever since and is set to grow even quicker with news that Pets Corner is the latest retail chain to stock them. This week the two women behind Din Dins – Alison Daniel and Keri Perkins – spoke about their journey so far…

The idea for Din Dins came to pet nutritionist Alison Daniel on a sunny morning in Sydney, 2007. Originally from the (not so sunny) West Midlands, Alison had spent the last few years working as a clinical nutritionist.

A mad dog lover, she was fostering dogs and helping out at the local shelter.  Some of the dogs were in a right old state. Problems like mange, and skin allergies were common, so she started to think about how she could help these health issues through nutrition.

At the same time she was getting increasingly annoyed with the poor pet food on the market, piled with junk ingredients that were probably causing lots of the problems in the first place.

As a nutritionist, she knew any dog dining solely on processed packaged food couldn’t be good. Every species needs fresh, raw food in their diet right?

Whilst the dogs in Alison’s care were getting healthier, she wanted to improve the diet of even more dogs and cats too. So she came up with the idea of creating healthy raw food and nutritional supplements that every pet owner could use, adding the vitality lost in heavily packaged food and helping health issues.

She also decided that it was important to make people aware of what was in their pet food, so they could make informed decisions and choose a better packaged pet food or better still have the confidence to feed fresh food.

After returning to London a year later, Alison was having coffee with her friend Keri Perkins in Coffee Plant on the Portobello Road. “It happens to be the best place to hang out with your dog and serves the best cappuccino in Notting Hill,” said Keri.

Alison talked passionately about her idea and Keri was immediately inspired. Keri, also a massive animal lover, had been working in brand and PR for the past ten years.  She thought that if the products worked and she could get her cat Mimi, the fussiest cat on the planet to eat it, then it sounded like a winner!

Going back since secondary school the two best mates, couldn’t think of anything better than joining forces and launching Din Dins together. 

Alison worked on product development, distribution and sales while Keri concentrated on business and brand. The rest as they say is history.

For more information visit www.dindins.co.uk or email hello@dindins.co.uk

Din Din's nutritious, vet approved pet supplements are bursting with tasty, 100% natural ingredients like cranberry, flaxseed and Seagreens®, essential for strong immunity and top to tail health.

However, not only are Din Dins supplements a fantastic and easy way to get raw and healthy foods (not often found in ordinary convenience pet food) in your pet’s diet, our clever formulations help lots of health issues too.

Think smelly breath and other wicked whiffs, poor digestion, sore joints, and an itch that just can’t be scratched.

Our smart blends created by our pet nutritionist and vet approved deliver just the right amount of each ingredient to sort out specific issues and contain trace vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fatty acids and enzymes essential for good health.

In a nutshell Din Dins supplements:

• Optimise pet health, immunity and wellbeing.
• Help pet problems such as bad breath, food intolerances, and poor digestion.
• Improve skin and coat condition.
• Contain only natural and organic ingredients.
• Add enzymes, fatty acids, trace vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants to your pet’s food.
• Formulated by a pet nutritionist and vet approved
• Are good value, easy and safe to use.
• Can be added to your pet’s daily food whether convenience pet food or a raw (BARF) diet.

Wickedly Raw Superfoods for dogs and Wickedly Raw Superfoods for cats

A natural and organic blend of superfoods, Seagreens® prebiotics and probiotics*. Containing enzymes, phytonutrients (plant nutrients), amino acids, antioxidants, and fatty acids.

Carefully sourced dried and powdered, this hassle free supplement helps poor digestion, bad breath and odours, fur balls and skin conditions. Great for immunity, healthy skin and coat.

Add to your pet’s daily pet food (dried or wet). Mix well. Also suitable for a raw food or BARF diet (www.ba barfworld.com).

RRP £13 50g/£22 100g (dog only)

Get up and Go Glucosamine for dogs

A unique blend of naturally occurring, sulphur-rich MSM working in synergy with glucosamine and chondroitin. Seagreens® Ascophyllum adds in all of the trace vitamins and minerals for bone health. Rosehips, commonly used in arthritis and Vitamin C maintain flexible joints. Helps stiff, sore joints and ligaments, aiding in agility and vitality. Suitable for all ages.

Add to your pet’s everyday pet food (dried or wet). Mix well. Also suitable for a raw food or BARF diet.

RRP £23 100g 

For more information visit www.dindins.co.uk or email hello@dindins.co.uk

A former pet shop proprietor in Harrow, North West London, hopes his criminal conviction will be quashed after a second court case against him collapsed.

Stuart Wood, who used to own Sylvester’s Pet Shop in Long Elmes, Harrow Weald, and a second branch in Hanwell, Ealing, was convicted and fined in March 2012 for 18 offences under the Pet Animals Act which included buying puppies from unlicensed breeders in breach of his Harrow Council-issued licence.

It was the same original complainant who sparked a second prosecution by Harrow and Brent Trading Standards under the Unfair Trading Regulations that was thrown out at Harrow Crown Court in mid-June when the prosecution offered no evidence.

Mr Wood was awarded legal costs of £50,000.

The married 40-year-old, of Hawthorne Avenue, Kenton, said: “The whole thing was about pedigree certificates.

“Most of the dogs were bred exclusively for us so we had a pool of breeders we would source from.

“We would get a certificate from the breeder saying a dog was pure breed and we re-registered that dog with a club that holds a database, the Canine Registration Club UK.

“Trading Standards said I couldn’t prove that the certificates were accurate and people were feeling misled.

“Originally there was only one complainant but then the council got five more when they sent out a survey to all our customers they found when they seized my animal register with all my customers’ names and contact details.”

Mr Wood’s 2012 sentence included a ban on owning a pet shop for 15 years which is why his two stores went into liquidation last year and he is now an employee at an Ealing pet shop.

He said: “My conviction is going to the Criminal Cases Review Commission because the same processes were used by the council and my barrister is very confident my conviction will be overturned.

“I’ve been destroyed by it. They raided my houses and both my businesses.

“We had sold about 2,000 puppies since 2011 and the complaints totalled less than one per cent of transactions.”

A Harrow Council’s spokeswoman said: “Some concerns were raised relating to the validity of some of the witness statements during this trial.

“The recorder noted that this was due to a staff training issue and Harrow and Brent Trading Standards will be working to ensure that all staff are fully trained to make sure that procedures are followed correctly in future.”

The Pet Industry Federation has announced the sponsors for its Forum & Awards event on October 17-18 at Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth. The lead sponsors are confirmed as Crown Petfoods, Mars Petcare, Nestlé Purina and Positive Petcare.

Andy Reed, Royal Canin Sales & Marketing Director, said: "We are committed to securing the future of the UK pet industry for the benefit of everyone involved. There is so much more that pet specialists can achieve, and this Forum and the Awards are one way of ensuring the industry continues to grow."

Mars Petcare said: ‘Mars Petcare UK are excited to be a lead sponsor for the Pet Industry Forum and Awards event. Supporting the Pet Industry Forum this year is an example of the high regard we hold for our trade partners, who work with us tirelessly to showcase Mars Petcare brands to the consumer. Support from our partners on upcoming projects such as the Pedigree Feeding Brighter Futures campaign, which aims to feed one million meals to dogs in rescue homes nationwide, means together we work hard to build a better world and future for pets. What we take from the event will help us to continually improve our service and working relationships with our trade partners in the pet industry’.

James Titmuss, Retail Sales Director Specialist, Nestlé Purina added: “Nestlé Purina is delighted to sponsor this year’s Pet Industry Federation Forum and Awards. Our involvement reflects our unwavering commitment to the Specialist channel where we continue to focus significant resources and investment. Given the current market environment, it is important we spend time together to consider the future of the channel. Improving our ability to win together in the market will be critical to ensuring long term, sustainable success for the industry.”

And Holly Jordan, spokesperson for Positive Petcare said: ‘Positive Petcare are excited to be a lead sponsor at the Pet Industry Forum & Awards in October, 2013. A newcomer in the UK, we offer a range of revolutionary products and are committed to excellence in both production and service. We support the PIF and share the ethos of delivering the highest standards of animal welfare and customer care.’

Sponsors for the Pet Industry Awards have been confirmed as Burgess Petcare (pre-dinner drinks reception); Pedigree Wholesale (table wine during the Awards dinner); Beaphar UK (Retailer of the Year category sponsor); PATS (Manufacturer of the Year category sponsor) and Compton Hall (entertainment sponsor). The event’s media sponsor is pbwnews.

Steve Fowler, MD of PamPurred Pets and PIF Event Committee Chairman said: ‘We are very grateful to all those companies who have agreed to sponsor this year’s Pet Industry Forum & Awards, without whom this event would not be possible. They have lent their support to the Forum & Awards event in recognition of its aims to strengthen links, raise standards and celebrate success in the industry’.

Further details about the event, including ticket prices and how to enter your business into the Pet Industry Awards are available from www.piffa.co.uk.

All the lead sponsor packages have now been sold, and there are just a few remaining sponsorship packages. Interested businesses are encouraged to contact alexandra.baker@petfederation.co.uk on 01234 273933 as soon as possible for further information.

The seminars are free to attend on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 11am on both days of AQUA 2013 – October 9-10 – at the International Centre in Telford.

Each of the five sessions lasts no more than 30 minutes and there are repeats on the second day although the times vary. Full timings for both days can be found on AQUA 2013’s dedicated website.

The laws surrounding the rights of consumers when goods or services are sold are about to change. These changes currently being considered in Parliament will impact all businesses selling to the public. They will cover dry goods and live animals (they for the purpose of this legislation are just another product line). Consumers may be given greater rights to full refunds on faulty goods – including the right to reject goods after one attempt to repair them. As ever this legislation is included in hundreds of pages of information and legal texts and Keith Davenport of OATA intends to cut through the morass of detail and identify key issues for traders.

David Fairhurst, as Intelligent Retail’s head of online marketing and a specialist in search engine optimisation, will show ways of how to get more customers from Google and other social media.

Jeremy Gay, the editor of both Practical Fish Keeping and Pet Product Marketing, takes to the podium to give his insight in how he sees the aquatics trade developing in the coming years.

Independent marketing consultant Davinia Hamilton-Maddox will outline 10 marketing and promotional ideas to drive businesses forward while Dave Perry of Peregrine of Peregrine Livefoods will concentrate on reptile products in the retail environment for both established outlets who want to get more from the offerings and companies seeking to start up or expand into this very specialist sector of the market.

As well as the seminar programme, visitors can look forward to free entry, a free catalogue, a free lunch and tea or coffee on both days, a free by-invitation seat at the relaxing Indian Buffet dinner on October 9 and a whole array of new products on display on Stand J11 as well as an exciting array of special show offers around the halls.

Full timings of the seminars and advance registration for both the show and the buffet dinner can be made by logging on to www.aquatelford.co.uk

For more information please contact Annie Dyke at OATA Impact Exhibitions Ltd on 01892 862848.

• Free goody bag for all visitors (while stocks lasted)
• Free chance to win a Biorb Life 60 and accessories worth over £300
• Free children's colouring in competition to win a starter aquarium
• Free face painting with fishy themes
• Free balloons
• Cutting of the fish cake
• Special offers!

Scruffs Hilton orthopaedic pet beds are new for 2013 and are predominantly aimed at larger breeds or pets that require more support for their joints, back or body.

The beds are filled with crumb memory foam, these dense particles mould to the shape of the pet to achieve the ultimate level of support.

The cover features a hard-wearing faux hessian chenille top fabric with faux leather side walls, these are trimmed with a contrasting piping and embroidered logo’s.

An inner water resistant liner helps protect the beds memory fill against the ingress of water and odour. As with all Scruffs® beds, the outer cover can be removed for machine washing and is fitted with a non-slip base.

These beds are available in two sizes a 100x70x6cm (5.5kg fill) or 120x75x8cm (8.2kg fill) mattress, with three colours: chocolate, tan & burgundy in each size.

For further information about Scruffs Hilton orthopaedic beds and their comprehensive pet bedding collection call their sales office on 0161 702 5060 or visit www.petslovescruffs.com

Natural Instinct has annouced today further expansion with the appointment of several new key members of staff.

Natural Instinct will now be led by Chairman Karl Brackhaus who since the early days of Natural Instinct has been financing and supporting the company’s rapid growth. As owner, Karl has a track record for building successful global businesses and is excited about bringing Natural Instinct’s healthy, premium pet food to even more dogs and cats in the UK.

Kate Brooks joins as Sales and Marketing Manager. Kate has 10 years experience working in the sales and marketing field. Her passion for the pet food industry stems back to her university studies in animal behaviour and nutrition as part of her BCS Hons degree in Biological Sciences at London University. Kate is a real animal lover and owns two working dog Labradors and a cat, all fed on the BARF diet. With her family she also runs a small holding farm and has a mother who is a leading U.K. veterinary surgeon, and also a firm believer in the BARF diet.  

Natural Instinct’s Finance Department will be headed by Elle Matthews herself a dog lover whose role will include handling all the finance functions in terms of managing accounting for sales and expenditure for all areas of the business.

Sonja Kasalovic is Natural Instinct’s Supply Chain Manager whose role it is to implement a flowing ordering, manufacturing and dispatch service while monitoring stocking levels at all times. In addition, Sonja will be working closely with customer support and a highly skilled and knowledgeable team comprising of Paul Blackmore, Debbie Moynihan, Penny Lyndon and Andrea Blackmore. Penny and Andrea also run the hugely successful shop at Natural Intsinct’s Camberley offices

Longstanding members of Natural Instinct’s team, Anthony Smallman (Wholesale Manager) and Jo Taylor (Business Support Manager) are combining their wealth of expertise in the pet food industry and passion for the business to strengthen and increase successful links between Natural Instinct and their valued wholesale customers and retail outlets.  Also joining this formidable wholesale team is Christina Taylor. 

Finally Natural Instinct’s production team is to be led by Atilla Szeghalmi, Head of Packaging and Distribution and his brother, Janos Szeghalmi, who is Head of Butchering and Production. Both joined Natural Instinct in 2011.

According to Karl Brackhaus, Natural Instinct’s Chairman, “Nothing has changed at Natural Instinct in terms of delivering quality products and a great customer service. Natural Instinct is still a keen supporter of British farming and only uses meat from DEFRA-approved farms. We continue with our ethos and will NOT use chicken from battery farms or use meat from other intensely farmed animals. All the ingredients in our recipes are fully traceable from tried, tested and trusted suppliers.  We have implemented these changes in management to ensure that we continue to offer all our customers some of the best BARF Diet products on the market and that we offer a seamless service to all pet owners, wholesalers and retailers.”

Pictured: From left - Andrea Blackmore (NI Retail outlet/ Customer Service), Elle Matthews (Finance Manager), Sonja Kasalovic (Supply Chain Manager), Jo Taylor (Business Support Manager), Penny Lyndon (NI Retail outlet/ Customer Service), Kate Brooks (Sales and Marketing Manager). Ceentre - Karl Brackhaus (Chairman & Director), Paul Blackmore (Sales & Customer support), Debbie Moynihan (Sales & Customer support), Christina Taylor (Sales and Wholesale support) and Anthony Smallman (Wholesale Manager).

The categories of the awards will be:

1. UK Pet Retailer of the Year
2. International Pet Retailer of the Year
3. Groomer of the Year
4. Supplier of the Year
5. Wholesaler of the Year
6. Pet Product Innovation of the Year
7. Pet Product Exporter of the Year

Entry into the awards is free of charge and entrants can submit nominations in as many of the categories as they wish. Nominations can come direct from the entrant or be submitted by another party. The application needs to provide full contact details of the entrant and stipulate which category is being entered. Applications need to include brief information on the reason for the entry and why the particular company or person qualifies for an award.  Nominations need to be emailed to Pat Flynn, PetQuip’s trade association manager at pat@petquip.com by July 29.

The entries will be judged by an independent panel of judges during August, and the winners will be announced on September 15 at the awards and party night in the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate. Tickets will include dinner, wine, and a short professional awards ceremony followed by dancing to a live band. Email pat@petquip.com for a ticket booking form.

Commenting on the awards, Pat Flynn said: “Awards are a marvellous way of raising the awareness of a product or service and creating creditability for their future success. The pet sector is a vibrant industry with many successful operators, so recognition of these in the awards ceremony promises to be one of the highlights of the year for anyone involved”. 

Gordon Thomas, of Impact Exhibitions, the organisers of PATS, said: "It's great that PetQuip has decided to stage these new awards alongside our Harrogate exhibition. PATS Harrogate promises to be a brilliant show for the industry, a fact that can only help to enhance these awards."

A San Francisco-based start-up have created a range of neon LED collars that will help owners find your pets.

HALO Belt Company originally designed illuminated belts for late-night joggers, backpacks and skateboards, to help keep people safe while outside in the dark.

Funded entirely by Kickstarter in August 2012, the brand's goal is to 'merge safety, fashion, and culture into an essential everyday product', their tagline is 'be seen, be safe'.

Available in red, green and blue, the collars have reflective stitching and fully-recharchable batteries that last up to 75 hours.

The company said: "LED pet collars have been on the market for years, however, most of them are made using cheap nylon materials with LEDs that are just as bad.

"We have re-designed and created an ultra high quality illuminating collar using our custom patented illumination system.

"Just like our HALO BELT, each HALO MINI is designed to illuminate in bright neon colors.

"The purpose of the HALO MINI is to keep our loved ones safe when outside at night.'

The brand has already smashed its $10,000 target - 667 backers have pledged a total of $30,970 - and they still have nine days to go. A Kickstarter donation of $29 means you'll get the collar at a discounted rate. Once pledging is over the collars will retail for $45.

The number of scientific procedures carried out in Britain on animals rose by 8% in 2012, compared with the previous year, according to figures published by the Home Office on Tuesday.

The overall rise in use of animals comes despite the government's pledge to reduce their use in scientific research.

The number of procedures broke through four million for the first time, and animal welfare campaigners condemned the increase.

In a statement the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called the latest numbers alarming and said it was a wake-up call to all involved to find ways to replace and reduce the use of animals in research.

Gavin Grant, the RSPCA's chief executive, said of GM animals, which now account for more than 50% of procedures: "It's often stated that many procedures are simply [to do with] breeding animals. Let's be clear, breeding relates to the procedures used to create genetically altered animals, for example, hormone injections and surgery to implant embryos.

"Large numbers of animals also lose their lives as part of the process. All of these present very serious ethical and welfare issues, quite apart from the fact that when born, genetically altered animals may experience painful or distressing side-effects that can be hard to predict."

Judy MacArthur Clark, head of the Home Office's Animals in Science Regulation Unit, said that the 8% overall rise might sound dramatic: "But we know, within that, there's been a significant increase in the breeding of genetically altered animals and this [is] primarily mice and fish. That's a 22% increase that takes it up to nearly 2m animals in that category."

The number of procedures on animals in research rose by 317,200 to 4.11m last year, largely due to rising use of genetically modified animals, most of these being mice.

The number of non-human primates used in research was also up by 545 in 2012, a rise of 22%.

The number of procedures is higher than the number of animals used in UK laboratories because the breeding of a GM animal, for example, counts as a procedure in itself and an individual animal can undergo several procedures during the course of a research project.

Excluding the figures for breeding GM animals, MacArthur Clark said that there had been a 2% drop in the overall number of procedures carried out in 2012, compared with 2011. She also said that no animals had been used to test household products, cosmetics or tobacco, in the previous year.

The number of mice accounted for 74% of the animals used in 2012. Fish accounted for 12% of the total, rats were 7% and the bird tally came to 4%.

MacArthur Clark said that the rise in non-human primates was due to their use in pharmaceutical research and development, particularly development of "biologicals".

Following the release of the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report for 2012, the Kennel Club is disappointed to hear that there was an increase in the number of dogs being used in scientific experiments in 2012, but is pleased that the revised legislation maintains stricter UK standards and offers special protection for dogs, cats and horses.

The Home Office statistics released yesterday showed that while there was a decrease in the use of certain species in scientific procedures, the total number of dogs increased by 6% to 4,843 in 2012.

The number of living animals used in scientific procedures increased by 8% from 2011 to total 4.11 million animals in 2012. This rise was mainly attributed to an increased use of genetically modified animals and animals carrying harmful mutations.

The Kennel Club regularly attends the Animal Welfare and Alternatives Stakeholder meetings at the Home Office, where discussions have centred on guidance progress, operational issues and the revision of Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 Amendment Regulations 2012, which currently prohibits the disclosure of any information.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “We are disheartened to hear that there has been an increase in the number of dogs used, and will continue to lobby for the revised legislation to offer more protection for dogs and work towards maintaining the UK’s high level of welfare standards.

“The Kennel Club will continue to ensure that the welfare of dogs is represented in the Animal Welfare and Alternatives Stakeholder meetings and reflected in any decision made.”

EU Directive 2010/63/EU was finalised and came into force across the EU in November 2010, effectively as a revision of the UK’s current Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The UK and the rest of the Member States have had time to transpose the Directive into their respective national legislation and full implementation of the Directive in the UK began in January 2013.

For more information on the Home Office Statistics, click here