Two British companies – Litter Kwitter and Baggee Ltd – exhibiting at Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Florida, as part of a UK group organised by the PetQuip association, found themselves on the show's daily TV news feed...

Litter Kwitter's Jo Lapidge told the Global Pet Expo TV reporter: "This is where all the buyers are. You can't afford to miss it."



And Conal Cunningham, from Baggee & Doggee, said: "We thought we'd have a stab at going to America and see what the reaction would be to our new product."

The TV footage is now available on YouTube. Click here to see the interviews.



In total eleven British petcare product firms travelled to Florida to exhibit at Global Pet Expo with PetQuip.

The companies - Animology, Baggee Ltd, Byotrol Pet Care, Classic Pet Products, Dog Rocks, Hilton Herbs, Hing Designs, Litter Kwitter, Pet Rebellion, Profleece and Scruffs - showed off a range of grooming, feeding, pet supplements, rugs and mats, beds, toilet training and waste disposal items.

Global Pet Expo is the largest North American trade show for the pet care sector, and attracts independent retailers, distributors and mass-market buyers.

The PetQuip group of UK exhibitors at Global Pet Expo gave the giant trade show a massive thumbs up as they flew back across the Atlantic with new deals and relationships secured.

Eleven companies in total exhibited at the event as a result of a trip organised by PetQuip, and all agreed that it had been a successful operation.

Hilton Herbs have exhibited at Global Pet Expo four times in the past and described this year's event as the "best US show we have ever had." In their view this was the year they had made the breakthrough. They had made contacts with US retailers, some of which could ultimately become distributors in America. The company also saw potential customers from Taiwan, South Korea, Chile, Ireland and Germany.

Stephen Turner of Animology described the show as a triumph. With the stand being so busy on the first morning, the show had exceeded his expectations by around 1.15pm. Many of the contacts were new, but Animology also benefitted by having previously seen some companies when taking part in previously organised PetQuip groups at Interzoo and Zoomark. Stephen believed the continuity of being seen by key buyers at different international shows was part of their success and plans to be at Global Pet Expo again next year.

"Incredibly successful" was how Mike Dixon of Hing Designs described the show. He is now hopeful he has found a partner that will provide the distribution network they need in the US.

Carina Evans at Dog Rocks described the quality of leads as incredible while Jo Lapidge at Litter Kwitter was really pleased with the response to her products from potential customers from Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Mexico and Venezuela.

Profleece's Bob Forster and Conal Cunningham of Baggee Ltd were both impressed with the quality of the buyers at the show, and were confident their meetings would lead to overseas orders.



Conal said: "We came to America to introduce our product, the Doggee, to a new market and found ourselves talking immediately to some of the biggest players. We feel that we really made an impact and are very excited with some of the prospective deals currently now in discussion."

The four other companies in Petquip's UK contingent – Classic Pet products, Pet Rebellion, Byotrol and Scruffs – all reported securing decent leads and contacts.

Classic Pet Products found the show to be very useful for gaining market intelligence and gaining ways for the company to approach the US market with its specialist small animal drinking bottles.

"Global Pet Expo may not attract the same huge numbers of visitors as an Interzoo or the big consumer shows, but the visitors are all pre-qualified trade buyers, so the vast majority of conversations are with key retailers and distributors," said Charlie Parker, PetQuip's Commercial Manager.

"The show is also very international with attendees from across North, Central and South America and beyond."

PetQuip plans to take a British group to the next edition of Global Pet Expo, which will take place from 12-14 March 2014 in Orlando.

For more information on PetQuip visit www.petquip.com

Pet shops in Derby have reacted angrily to news that their annual animal welfare licence charges will rise by up to 200% as part of a city council overhaul of fees.

The changes will affect the city's nine shops that sell animals, and any new business that wants to do the same.

They currently pay £110 to get or renew a licence but will now find the costs rise to up to £330.

The city council says the move is to bring the licence-to-operate fees for pet shops in line with the true amount they cost the authority to process.

But pet shop owners have said the move could not have come at a worse time as their businesses are being hit by the economic downturn.

Gavin Chambers, owner of Chambers Pet Centre, in London Road, Alvaston, called the charges another stealth tax.

He said: "200% just isn't realistic. Right now most retailers are really struggling with costs rising across the board.

"This will put other people off opening a pet shop as well so it's not good for the city's economy."

Helen Tomlinson, joint-owner and manager of Supapet, Osmaston Road, said she was disappointed the council had not contacted her about the changes.

She said: "It's some increase. Animal welfare is our top priority and the cost of looking after them properly is rising. This is not the time for this."

The licence fee changes were confirmed at a meeting of the city council's general licensing committee last week. Animal boarding and horse riding centres will also be hit by the same increase.

Councillor Barbara Jackson, chairman of the licensing committee, said that any licences related to animal welfare had previously been subject to "an inflationary increase only."

She said: "The licensing of animal welfare is neither straightforward nor simplistic and there is an increased level of officer involvement in terms of site visits before a licence or renewal of a licence can be issued in addition to spot checks which are conducted by officers throughout the period of a yearly licence. This is the reasoning for the recalculation of the fees within this area."

What's happening to licenses in your area? Let Pet Trade Xtra know by emailing neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk

An alarming number of puppies from Eastern Europe are now being sold in the UK with the spread of diseases now a grave concern. That’s the view of Peter Jones, president of the British Veterinary Association.

“We need to look at the enforcement of pet travel rules as vets across the country are reporting serious concerns about animals of unknown origin coming into their practices,” he said.

“The reported 400% rise in pet travel movements since the change in the rules suggests that people are exploiting the non-commercial routes for commercial gain.

“While the changes to the pet travel regulations were shown to keep our disease risk low, we are now witnessing the unintended consequence of large numbers of puppies being brought from Eastern Europe to be sold in the UK. And we do have grave concerns for the welfare of those puppies.

“Perhaps it’s a seed that we can plant in the minds of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee members as they think about the next big topic to tackle.”

The BVA president called for an inquiry into illegal imports of puppies for sale during his annual London dinner speech on Tuesday.

On companion animal issues Mr Jones called on all organisations to get behind the AWF/RSPCA puppy contract when it is reviewed later this year.

“We are grateful to both Defra and the Efra Committee for their support for the puppy contract. When it was launched last year it gained the support of almost all of the major dog welfare organisations. And when it is reviewed this year we very much hope that we can bring everyone on board.

“The key to tackling those ill-advised purchases is education so wouldn’t it be great if we could all sing from the same hymn sheet?”

The full speech is available here

Beaphar sold half a million bags of its Canac Premium Cat Litter last year...enough to fill Wembley Stadium up to waist height!

"Cat litter is big business," said the company's marketing manager Amy Hepworth. "Almost nine million domestic cats live in the UK, and each properly cared for cat requires 60 litres of cat litter per year. Are you providing your customers and their feline friends with the choice that they need?

"Customers will sometimes complain of a ‘naughty’ cat that persistently urinates or defecates outside of the litter tray. Cats failing to use their litter tray is one of the most common reasons causing cats to be sent to animal shelters. Unfortunately, this is almost always the fault of the owner – usually a dirty litter tray. 

"Cats are fastidious animals and demand the highest standards of cleanliness. Their sense of smell is also much more sensitive than a humans. Would we want to pick through our own waste to find a place to go the toilet?

"It is important to educate your customers on the importance of regular litter tray maintenance, and to help them find a cat litter that suits them, and most importantly, that suits their cat."

From wholesale sales data (Jan 2013), the market segments in value terms as follows:

• Wood-based 36%
• Mineral 36%
• Clumping 15%
• Paper 9%
• Silica 2%
• Anti Bacterial 1%
• Straw 0.5%
• Aloe Vera 0.5%

Pooch & Mutt is launching a new range of seven treats in March and will be using Crufts and PATS to showcase the products.

"It is difficult to innovate in such a mature market, but we think that we have come up with something that is different, new, exciting and that customers seem to love," said Pooch & Mutt’s director Guy Blaskey.

"As part of the development process we had to choose between black and white lids. We were getting different opinions from a lot of key people, so we decided to open it up to the public and put a picture on facebook.com/poochandmutt with both options and ask people to vote.

"To my personal disappointment the black lids won it, but what was amazing were the numbers of people who cared. Over 2,000 people voted within 24 hours. Over 1,500 voted for the black lids, so that is what we have gone with.

"People were phoning the office asking when they could get them, and that was on the basis of just one photo, so we can’t wait to actually release them at Crufts and PATS.”

The treats are all ethical, natural, low-calorie, hand-baked, gluten free mini-bones.

The range of treats builds on Pooch & Mutt’s nutritional knowledge from years of producing high quality health supplements.

Each treat has a range of active ingredients for a specific purpose.

Calm & Relaxed includes chamonile and l-Tryptophan. They are designed to be given before stressful situations such as visits to the vets, car journeys, fireworks, competitions, separation or just as a nice bedtime treat.

Brain & Train includes gingko biloba and medium chain triglycerides (from coconut oil). Designed to help memory and concentration, they are for both elderly dogs and dogs in training.

Digestion & Wind includes parsley, charcoal and chicory (a natural prebiotic) to help digestion, bloating and flatulence.

Active Mobility includes linseed, rose hip (rosa canina) and yucca. This can be fed on it’s own or in conjunction with glucosamine-based joint supplements like Pooch & Mutt’s Mobile Bones.

Fresh Breath includes peppermint, parsley and chicory. This combination of ingredients both gives the breath a fresh, minty scent and aids digestion, which can be the cause of bad breath.

Puppy Development includes linseed and chicory to provide omega 3 fatty acids to help brain development and trainability and a natural prebiotic to aid digestion.

Charity Chicken has no ‘active’ ingredients. It is simply a very high quality, natural, baked chicken treat. Pooch & Mutt has decided to donate the proceeds from Charity Chicken on a regular, ad-hoc basis to charity. 

For the third year running the KONG Classic has been voted winner of the 2012 Best Toy category by readers of Your Dog magazine.

"We are absolutely delighted with the award, which once again confirms the popularity, versatility and durability of our flagship product," said marketing manager Susanne Groves.

KONG were also Highly Commended in the Your Dog Best Toy category for KONG Airdog Squeakair Ball & KONG Wubba, and the Your Cat Products You Couldn't Live Without category for KONG ZoomGroom.

It is also the third year that both KONG Wubba and ZoomGroom have been highly commended in these categories.

"I fulfill all recruitment briefs personally so knowing and understanding the industry and having a huge network of contacts made over the last 30 years means that Pet Trade Solutions supplies a recruitment service which is fast, reliable and hassle free. The net result to clients is swift, insightful and objective selection of staff at all levels sourced from within or outside the pet trade.

"I look forward to every working day and expect to support the pet trade for many more exciting years to come."

You can contact Lynda by email at lyndaward@pettradesolutions.com

Business banker Kathryn Harland spent a day working with one of her Bradford clients to get ‘first hand’ experience about their requirements...

She swapped her office at Barclays bank for the shop floor at Greengates Pet Store where she worked with Ben Salfarlie who runs his business at Newline, Greengates.

Kathryn’s duties included learning about the various exotic animals Ben stocks, such as snakes, bearded dragons and chameleons, along with more common pets like rabbits, birds, fish and rats.

Kathryn said: “Barclays is committed to supporting the local economy and I am committed to finding out more about my client’s businesses to help them achieve their ambitions.

“The more we know and learn about our customers the better, enabling us to provide the right levels of support and advice when required. This initiative is taking place up and down the country and is one of a range of measures to support our business banking customers to achieve their goals.”

Illusionist Derren Brown is known for playing games with people’s minds – but this time he has played with our hearts after releasing a cute YouTube video of his pet bird solving a Lego puzzle.

The mentalist somehow managed to get bird brained Rasputin to operate a toy set in the video, which has more than 25,000 views.

Adding a touch of his trademark mystique, Brown refused to divulge any details – writing in a Twitter post: "I made a Lego toy for Rasputin and we filmed him… (I think this counts as procrastination)."

In the 46-second clip, the bird is seen lifting a lever which drops a weight down. It then picks it up and rests it on one of the Lego panels. This lifts a cashew nut and allows Rasputin to collect it.

The famed trickster added on Twitter: "Someone, somewhere, will insist my parrot is an actor."

To watch the YouTube video click here

Hard-pressed pet owners “cutting corners” on their animal’s vaccinations are behind a huge rise in fatal diseases, according to a leading veterinary chain.

Myerscough Vets, which has practices in North-West England, is running a ‘vaccine amnesty’ throughout March in a bid to reduce the likes of Parvo virus, distemper, viral cat flu and feline leukaemia.

Owners who haven’t vaccinated their pets for over 18 months will qualify for reduced-price boosters.

Claire Batty, head vet at Myerscough Vets, said: “Over the past 18 months we have seen a 70% upsurge in many preventable diseases such as Parvo and Feline Leukaemia, which have a high fatality rate.

“This has led to local outbreaks and the loss of beloved pets, so we want to offer something that is affordable for owners who have let the yearly vaccinations lapse.

“People are cutting corners with vaccinations. They will get their dog vaccinated as a puppy, and then not follow it up. It’s complete short-sightedness and leads to a lot of heartache and expense when animals become ill.”

It is estimated that only 62% of the UK dog population and 49% of the UK cat population are vaccinated.

Parvo virus is a contagious virus mainly affecting dogs, with symptoms including mucus or blood in faeces, tiredness and loss of appetite.

Leading UK price comparison website Confused.com will be making its first appearance at The Pet Show, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on July 20-21, signalling its move into the exhibitor market.

The move follows the successful launch of its multi-pet insurance comparison service last year. The service provides a user-friendly experience, with a quicker quote process and with a variety of insurers to choose from, meaning pet owners are armed with all the information needed to make an informed decision.

“People will know us for our online insurance comparison services but The Pet Show will provide us with a fantastic opportunity to meet consumers and explain more about the benefits of using our online service to obtain a quote/comparison," said Kate Rose, Head of Pet Insurance at Confused.com.

“Finding the right pet insurance policy can be a difficult and confusing task, so you want to be able to find a policy that covers your pet for everything it needs whilst also being cost effective. That's where Confused.com comes in.”

Confused.com will be taking a stand in The Kennels section of the show and with more varieties of animals, exhibitors and displays than any other multi-pet related event in the UK, the show is expecting to attract 20,000 visitors at its debut outing.

Show director Ian Sear said: “We're delighted that Confused.com have selected The Pet Show for their debut exhibition. We've got some great names on board already and space is filling up fast. With six dedicated sections to the show, it's set to be a great couple of days.”