Now in its sixth year there is no doubt that Bring Your Dog To Work Day has captured the imagination of our dog loving nation.

It has become a highlight in the UK calendar - people love taking their best friend to work with them, it's great fun and there are some seriously positive mental health benefits of having four-legged co-workers at work. 

Celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Lorraine Kelly, and many more including dog lover Peter Egan, all promote the event through their twitter feeds. 

Top media outlets, like the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and broadcasters have dogs on their radio and TV programmes and also tweet about it. The hashtag #BringYourDogToWork always trends at number one and last year reached millions of users.  Even the Disney company made a special animated tweet of all the famous Disney Dogs.

The time to get involved is now, put a big red circle on the calendar to make sure your company doesn't miss out on Britain's favourite doggie charity day.

If you're the boss take a look at the HR guidelines and the Media Success Pack 2018 , and if you're an employee and want to persuade your boss to have dogs at work on Bring Your Dog To Work Day download the Info Pack to help make the day run as smoothly and enjoyably as possible.

Bring Your Dog To Work Day is raising money this year for two animal welfare charities: All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia. Official event sponsors can also choose to raise funds for their own animal welfare charities.  Bring Your Dog To Work Day was founded by multi-award winning pet care brand HOWND and has raised thousands of pounds for animal welfare charities over the past five years.

In return for a business making a minimum £100 donation, its company logo and website link will be displayed on the homepage, and it will receive a thank you shout out on social media from the organisers and the two charities.  The organisers will share all Bring Your Dog To Work Day official sponsors in-house fundraising events, competitions and activities in its social feeds.  All companies have to do is use the hashtag #Bringyourdogtoworkday.

Jo Amit, co-owner of HOWND and founder and organiser of Bring Your Dog To Work Day says: "Having dogs around the office has so many benefits. It is well known that the presence of dogs can help reduce stress levels and blood pressure and it's great for staff morale. It is not too early to start planning for 21st June - this "pawtastic" day out for our furry friends and their owners with thousands of companies taking part throughout the UK. We love the response the event gets each year - it's a real highlight for us to see so many happy dogs and owners at work together."

Sponsorship is open to any business. Previous sponsors have included a diverse range of businesses from across the UK and Europe, with high profile brands from the pet sector, white goods companies, law firms, hospitality, private jet companies, luxury sectors, TV shows, comedians, and more taking part.  

For dog owners, a "pooch selfie" of a dog at work in the home or office, in the shop, in the cab of a lorry, or wherever it is safe to have a dog in the workplace, can be uploaded to the "Dog With A Job Hall of Fame" for a minimum £10 donation.  Anyone that donates £10 or more will be automatically be entered into our Bring Your Dog To Work Day annual prize draw with a chance to win £100s worth of goodies from the official business sponsors. See competition page.

www.bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk

twitter: @BringDog2WorkUK

The latest in the highly successful ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events organised by the Gardenex and PetQuip associations will take place at the Federation’s head office in Brasted, Kent on Wednesday, March 27.

The buyers that have been invited to take part in one-to-one business discussions with British suppliers will be seeking to source a wide range of garden, leisure and pet products.

The garden product buyers include a German mail order/online sales company, a Swedish online store and importer/distributor and a Spanish franchise group of 44 garden centres.  Also from the garden sector will be a Dutch buying organisation that services a retail franchise of 27 garden centres and a retail organisation that supports 120 independent Dutch and Belgian garden centres.

Seeking to source a range of pet products will be a buyer from a leading Lithuanian retail chain of 73 stores that is also an importer/wholesaler supplying over 700 retailers and veterinary practices.  A buyer from a leading pet food and accessories distributor based in Dubai will complete the line-up in the latest event organised by Gardenex and PetQuip.

 To ensure that you don’t miss out on the opportunity to apply for 25 minute one-to-one meetings with any of the buyers on 27 March, or to find out more about future ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events for both the garden and pet sectors, please contact theresa@gardenex.com as soon as possible.  

For further information on Gardenex or PetQuip, the trade associations that works on behalf of British companies to help them increase sales worldwide, contact telephone +44 (0) 1959 565 995 or email: info@petquip.com or info@gardenex.com

TOMRA Food, the leading manufacturer of sensor-based sorting machines for the food industry, has become the first to provide advanced sorting solutions for pet food producers.

By developing four new sorting applications of its proven technologies, TOMRA has made it possible for pet food manufacturers to easily remove even very small particles of foreign materials from dry meat and bone meal, ground frozen meat, biscuits residue, and dry kibble.

All four new sorting applications have been validated over the last two years at TOMRA facilities as well as in real-world working conditions at pet food manufacturing plants in Europe and the United States. By recalibrating sorting machines originally designed to ensure the purity of food for human consumption, extensive tests have identified the best TOMRA equipment for specific pet food sorting tasks and have arrived at the optimal configurations for sorting efficiency and product yield.

Contamination risk can be high in pet food because of the nature of the raw materials. Dry meat and bone meal, derived from offal (animal by-products) collected at slaughterhouses, can contain all kinds of foreign bodies. Ground frozen meat for wet pet food is also derived from offal.

Biscuits residue, an ingredient for dry kibble, can contain plastic or cardboard from wrappers and boxes. And if dry kibble storage silos are not completely emptied before refilling, there can be cross-contamination of Stock Keeping Units (product types).

All TOMRA’s in-line pet food sorting solutions can handle the high throughputs that are necessary in the pet food processing industry. With TOMRA’s wide range of mechanical platforms and optical sensors, it has been possible to tailor sorting solutions for the specific challenges of creating pet food with frozen ground meat, dry meat, bone meal, and dry kibble.

The sorting machines are very robust and can deal with harsh, wet or dry and dusty environments. The optical sensors which inspect the product streams have diverse capabilities and differentiate between the good product and the foreign material or cross-contamination based on color, structure or composition. Air-valves on the platforms remove undesired material with precise and powerful air bursts, keeping the processor’s yield to an absolute maximum. A video of one of the new applications, for dry meat and bone meal sorting, can be viewed here.

TOMRA’s in-line pet food sorting solutions take away the need for rework. They run at the same consistency for 24 hours per day and seven days per week and make manual inspection superfluous.

Because these highly efficient optical sorters enhance the quality of the product, they can significantly reduce claims and product recalls in a highly competitive industry. More than this, TOMRA’s advanced sorting solutions bring brand protection to the pet food industry and will be a cornerstone in driving brand loyalty.

Bjorn Thumas, Business Development Director at TOMRA Food, commented: “As the humanization and premiumization of pet food shows, customers have increasingly high expectations about pet food quality. New applications of TOMRA’s sorting technologies now make it possible for pet food producers to easily and reliably meet the demands for higher quality and product safety. TOMRA’s sorting solutions are well-proven with numerous food types, such as potatoes, nuts, vegetables, and fruit, and applying our technologies to pet food is a logical progression.”

The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association has appointed Greg Van Praagh, MD of Benyfit Natural, as Vice Chairman to work alongside current Chairman, Tony Parkinson, of Town & Country.

Mr Van Praagh has been actively involved in PFMA committees for a number of years, including the Executive and Communications Committees and the Commercial Raw Producers Working Group.   

Mr Van Praagh said: “I have represented the commercial raw pet food sector and the eleven companies within PFMA membership at the Executive Committee over the past two years. I am excited and honoured to take up this new role shaping the way forward for the raw sector and the industry as a whole."

Michael Bellingham added: “PFMA has changed dramatically in the fifteen years I have been on board – membership has doubled from 40 to 85 members and we now have a series of dedicated sector groups such as the group for commercial raw producers. This reflects how the sector continues to innovate and grow; Greg comes on board at an exciting time as we continue our Pet Food Vision journey and plan for our 50-year anniversary celebrations in 2020.”

Greg Van Praagh on the Benyfit Natural stand at Crufts.

James Kennedy, new Sales Director for Forthglade natural pet food, has been enjoying his first few months working within the pet food sector, taking the lead at events such as PATS and Crufts.

James joins the Devon-based natural pet food company with 20 years of commercial sales experience across the FMCG sector, supporting brands including Wrigley’s, Mars and Thatcher’s Cider. 

James oversees a 10-strong national sales team, covering all areas of the trade as well as international sales.

He said: “The pet food sector is proving an incredibly exciting sector to work in - it’s such a dynamic category.

"Joining Forthglade, a company that has such a strong reputation for quality has been a real privilege.

"The past few months have been a very busy time for us. With the launch of the newly built Devon factory production has been a key focus.

"Whilst the factory’s been bedded in, there’s also been a huge increase in sales, however, it’s great that our production is now higher than it’s ever been before and at a level required to catch up with our orders. We’ve been hugely grateful for the trade’s patience whilst production has needed to increase - availability remains our priority”.

“This year we’re also increasing our focus on new POS and in-store support. Newly designed floor standing displays are in production along with shelf strips, barkers and promotional header cards which we look forward to sharing soon.

"There’s also additional POS available to help promote our popular new mini treats and our other new products such as the new complete grain-free recipes chicken & Liver and Sardines plus our new gourmet meal. It’s been an exciting time for us with new recipes launched”.

“I’m really looking forward to the next PATS event, as it proves such a great opportunity to meet more of our customers face to face. Independent retailers have such a unique opportunity to engage with pet owners first hand, we’re really keen to offer as much support as we can in 2019 to help highlight all the health benefits of feeding a Forthglade diet."

For all Forthglade trade enquiries contact trade@forthglade.com

PetLove has released its new Furzz range of plush dog toys.

Designed with practicality in mind the new range is made from a durable material that contains no stuffing meaning ‘less mess’ for dog owners.

The range comprises four wild animals (a bear, fox, racoon, and beaver) in a choice of medium and large sizes, each contains a squeaker in their heads for added enjoyment.

http://www.interpet.co.uk/brands/petlove/

Passionate About Pet Food Limited, sole importers to the UK of one of Germany’s leading dog food brand Josera, has launched Loopies a healthy low-calorie training snack for dogs. 

Consumers love to give their dogs a tasty treat – but too many goodies can cause weight gain and health problems.

New from Josera, Loopies are the perfect snack for owners concerned about diet and nutrition as they are also below 9kcal per Loopie so you can measure your dog’s energy intake to prevent obesity.

Grain free and meaty, Loopies are available in Beef, Lamb and Poultry flavours and contain 30% dried meat protein.  The poultry variety is made with sweet potato.

The treats have less than 9%  fat so are also ideal for dogs suffering from Pancreatitis. They contain visible chunks of fruit and vegetables and are totally free from artificial colours and flavourings as with all Josera foods.  They are easily divisible so great for rewarding your dog during training.

Loopies are available in handy 150g bags which can either be contained in a counter top display tray (as pictured) that holds 11 packs or hung on a hook strip as each packet has a hanging tag. They have a 12-month shelf life and retail for £2.49 per bag.

For information on Josera pet foods and how to become a stockist visit www.passionataboutpetfood.co.uk or email hello@passionateaboutpetfood.co.uk

Leading figures from the UK pet supply industry were among the delegates and speakers at the conference on The Future for International Trade, held in Stratford upon Avon. The event was organised by leading trade associations, PetQuip, Gardenex, and BHETA.

One of the successful businesses that gave an export case study presentation was pet care hygiene product manufacturer Group55, a long-standing member of PetQuip. 

The company’s managing director, Stephen Turner, gave an inspiring presentation on how Group55 had developed international sales to the position today where its products are now sold in over 50 channels in over 50 countries.   

In his advice on ‘preparing to export’, Stephen emphasised the importance of using every available research resource, being organisationally prepared and gaining awareness of regulations and the possible need for product alignment in different markets. 

During the day the packed audience enjoyed a number of highly informative presentations that investigated the possible paths that the convoluted Brexit negotiations could take and their effects on British exporters.  

The opening speaker was John Arnold, a Government lobbyist with an in-depth knowledge of government and the political scene, who provided a fascinating and entertaining backdrop to the current political situation.  There were then incisive and illuminating presentations from international trade consultant Strong and Herd, Rathbone Investment Management and the director of legal advisors Dechert LLP, which has a top international trade for business department.

Richard Tauwhare of Dechert commented after the event: “I thought it was a really first-class event, with a great line up of speakers, lively discussion, excellent networking opportunities, some very interesting experts available for consultation and highly efficient administration.  I enjoyed meeting some of the delegates, from a fascinating range of backgrounds, and learning from the other presenters, particularly the case studies, which really help to bring the issues to life.

Moving the focus to the long term future opportunities in export, Euromonitor explored global megatrends and the effect they have in shaping product design and retail developments in consumer markets worldwide.  

Further guidance and in-depth export information and advice was provided throughout the one-day conference by a wide range of experienced export service providers and experts specialising in translations, logistics, trend analysis, business travel and research grants among many. Representatives from the DiT and trade exhibitions were also on hand, and Glee was the event’s industry sponsor.

Commenting after the event, director general of PetQuip and Gardenex, Amanda Sizer Barrett said: “Our aim in organising the conference was to assure businesses in our product sectors that -- regardless of the outcome of the protracted discussions on our country’s departure from the European Union -- there is a raft of expert help and guidance available through our trade associations and our wide range of associate service providers to help smooth the path for continued export growth in the long term.  Trading internationally remains an important element of the majority of companies’ long term stability and success, and suppliers in the pet supplies sector can be assured that in PetQuip they have direct access to a dedicated team that is delivering essential advice, exclusive research, business information and international sales contacts that current member companies are turning into new business globally.

“New export initiatives we are delivering are hard on the conference’s heels: this month PetQuip is organising the British exhibitor group at Global Pet Expo in Florida and has arranged for pet buyers from Dubai and Lithuania to meet with UK suppliers at a ‘Meet the  International Buyers’ event on 27 March.  Then, at the beginning of May, the association will be organising the British pavilion at Zoomark in Bologna, Italy.”

The team at Haskins in Roundstone presented Wadars Animal Rescue with a cheque for £3,509. All money raised from events held at the Roundstone centre throughout 2018 and collected from Haskins’ ‘Wishing Well’ was donated to the charity.

Wadars Animal Rescue was the garden centre’s nominated ‘Charity of the Year’ in 2018 and the centre has chosen to continue its support for the charity throughout 2019 as well. The charity provides protection to animals and helps co-ordinate the rescue and rehoming of these animals.

Pictured: Nick Joad (Centre Manager at Haskins in Roundstone) and Tracy Cadman (Operations Manager at Wadars Animal Rescue).

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• Violence remains a key issue this year. On average, 115 retail employees were attacked every day
   
• The combined cost of spending on crime prevention and losses from crime to the industry is a staggering £1.9 billion,
   
• Over £700 million was lost to customer theft alone, a rise of 31% on the previous year.

The British Retail Consortium’s annual Retail Crime Survey has revealed the vast cost of crime to people and businesses up and down the country.

The total cost of crime and crime prevention for retailers was £1.9 billion last year, up 12% from the previous year (£1.7bn). This was made up of £900 million direct cost from retail crime, and £1 billion spent in efforts to prevent crime.

The direct costs of crime included a £700 million loss arising from customer theft, a 31% rise on the previous year. The total cost of crime, at £1.9bn, is equivalent to approximately 20% of the estimated profits of the entire retail industry.

The human cost of criminal enterprise was also laid bare as the survey revealed that 115 retail employees were attacked at work every day. The use of knives by assailants was pointed out as an issue of significant concern.

Approximately 70% of respondents described the police response to retail crime as poor or very poor. And while opinions showed the police response was generally better for violent incidents, as compared to customer theft or fraud, only 20% of respondents considered the response good or excellent.

Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

“Violence against employees remains one of the most pressing issues retailers face, yet once again we have seen an increase in the overall number of incidents. Such crimes harm not just hardworking employees, but also on their families and communities. No one should go to work fearing threats and abuse.
 

“The spiralling cost of retail crime – both in losses and the cost of prevention – are a huge burden to a retail sector that is already weighed down by the twin challenges of skyrocketing business costs and Brexit uncertainty.
 

“We hope this report will act as a catalyst for Police and Crime Commissioners around the country to take action. Retail crime should be explicitly addressed by Police and Crime Plans. Furthermore, Parliament must play its part in stemming this tide of crime by creating a specific criminal offence to protect retail employees from assault at work, as has been done for emergency workers.”

Retailers are spending 17% more on cyber-security than last year (£162 million), and nearly 80% of the retailers surveyed have seen an increase in the number of cyber attacks. 

Clare Gardiner, the National Cyber Security Centre’s Director of Engagement, said:

“The NCSC is committed to helping to improve the UK’s cyber security, which is why we have worked in partnership with the British Retail Consortium to produce the BRC Cyber Security Toolkit.
 

“Cyber attacks can have a huge impact, but to help potential victims pro-actively defend themselves we have published a range of easy-to-implement guidance on our website.
 

“Organisations can also share threat intelligence in a confidential way through the NCSC’s online Cyber Information Sharing Partnership (CiSP), which increases awareness to dangers and reduces the impact on UK businesses.”
 

The BRC is working with a number of organisations to campaign for greater protections for retail workers.

Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary said:

“Life on the frontline of retail can be pretty tough for many shopworkers and there is still a lot to do to help protect them. We launched our Freedom From Fear Campaign in the face of growing concerns amongst retail staff about violence, threats and abuse. The campaign works with employers to promote respect and make shops safer for staff.

“It is time for the Government to act by providing stiffer penalties for those who assault workers; a simple stand-alone offence that is widely recognised and understood by the public, police, CPS, the judiciary and most importantly criminals. Shopworkers are on the frontline of helping to keep our communities safe, they have a crucial role that must be valued and respected.”

Medical Detection Dogs, a charity which trains dogs to save lives using their incredible sense of smell, will increase its pawprint around the UK thanks to a significant amount of support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Medical Alert Assistance Dogs are trained to alert people with complex health conditions when they are in danger of having a potentially life-threatening episode so they can take the necessary action and prevent hospital admission.

People of all ages are partnered with the medical alert dogs and having them by their side gives them back their confidence, independence and quality of life.

Conditions such as diabetes, severe allergies, PoTs, unexplained hypoglycaemia and blackouts are among those that the dogs can be trained to detect and alert well before their human partner is aware that an episode is about to occur.

£250,000 has been awarded to the charity by Postcode Animal Trust, which will enable Medical Detection Dogs to carry out even more life-saving work nationally, funding instructors and support staff around the UK who will be able to offer more care for existing clients and help expand our service.

Medical Detection Dogs CEO, Dr Claire Guest, said: “We are extremely thankful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us further our work to train medical alert assistance dogs to save lives.

“The players’ kindness means we can better support our existing clients, increase the number of applications we can consider throughout the UK and raise awareness of our work.

“It also means that wherever you are in the UK, you can get involved with Medical Detection Dogs as we develop and grow our regional support groups.”

Medical Detection Dogs uses the amazing power of the dog’s nose to detect human diseases. 

The charity is also training bio dogs to detect diseases like cancer. Because dogs are able to detect tiny odour concentrations, around one part per trillion (the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic sized swimming pools), they can potentially detect diseases much earlier than is currently possible. This pioneering work could help to speed up the diagnosis process and impact on thousands of lives.

Medical Detection Dogs receives no government funding for its work and relies entirely on the generosity of donations from trusts and the public.

Lisa Belletty from the charities team at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “We are thrilled that players are able to support Medical Detection Dogs to reach more people with complex and life-threatening conditions. I’m looking forward to hearing about the partnerships that are formed between these amazing dogs and the people whose lives they are enriching.”

Brambles Pet and Wildlife are continuing to run Facebook giveaways where members of the public nominate their favourite wildlife rescue centre to be in with a chance of the rescue winning food and other essential supplies.

David Tracey commented “our last giveaway was for Brambles Hedgehog Food and Esbilac Milk Powder and generated over 2,500 comments which shows how passionate members of the public are about wildlife and their local rescue centre. We we’re delighted to announce the winner as Bernie’s Hedgehog Rescue in Durham who was delighted with the outcome. We will be continuing with these giveaways as it’s a great way to help these amazing people who are self-funded and often rely on donations.”

Brambles Wildlife foods are available from pet wholesalers and we’re proud to be suppliers to the RSPB and Woodland Trust.

Brambles Pet and Wildlife Ltd

www.bramblespaw.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/BramblesPAW/

https://twitter.com/BramblesPawLtd

https://www.instagram.com/bramblespaw/

hello@bramblespaw.co.uk

Tetra has launched Pond FilterStart Bacteria, a water conditioner which combines two types of natural, highly active bacteria to ensure optimal pond care.

By activating pond filters and reducing filter mud levels, the solution is able to boost effective biological filtration and eliminate ammonia and nitrite. This in turn not only improves the service life of your customer’s filter, but also makes ongoing pond maintenance and cleaning much easier.

A properly functioning filter is crucial to maintain a pond’s biological balance as beneficial and helpful filter bacteria collect in the filter materials to break down pollutants and organic substances. However, as most filter bacteria are lost through the regular cleaning required or after dormant periods, such as winter, Tetra’s Pond FilterStart is a perfect product to kick start pond season as the water temperatures rise above 10^oC¹, helping to replenish lost bacteria to restore biological balance in garden ponds.

Organic pollutants can build up in the pond filter due to fish waste, food remains and fallen leaves. The cleaning bacteria efficiently break down organic waste in the filter. In doing so, Tetra Pond FilterStart extends the intervals between cleaning and increases the filter’s service life. It also contains bacteria from Tetra’s own biofarm to break down harmful substances. These bacteria are responsible for breaking down ammonia and nitrite, which are toxic for fish. With its mix of natural bacteria, Tetra Pond FilterStart quickly restores the biological balance in your garden pond.

Ashleigh Foster, Aquatics Marketing Manager at Tetra comments; ‘We’re excited to launch our new Pond FilterStart Bacteria water conditioner, which makes caring for ponds and fish even easier than before. Our solution, which includes bacteria from our very own biofarm, helps to break down harmful substances including organic pollutants that can build up in the pond filter during winter due to fish waste, food remains and foliage to ensure waters are biologically balanced.”

The Tetra Pond FilterStart Bacteria conditioner is available in 500ml and 1L bottles from February with an RRP of £16² and £26.70².

Tetra Pond FilterStart Bacteria at a glance

• NEW: 2in1 formula for effective biological filtration in garden ponds
• Includes highly active filter bacteria to combat ammonia and nitrite
• Efficient cleaning bacteria to fight against sediment and decay in the filter
• Extends the intervals between filter cleaning
• Purely biological effect

For more information about Tetra, visit www.tetra-fish.co.uk or join in the conversation with Tetra UK on Facebook.

¹ Tetra Pond FIlterStart should only be used once water temperatures rise above 10^OC.

² Pricing is at the sole discretion of the retailer

The Hatchwell company has launched a bowl specifically designed for hedgehogs.

It’s the perfect height and is sturdy and tough – suitable for all weather conditions.

Fully recyclable

Made in UK

RRP £2.99

Available from wholesalers now.

www.hatchwell.co.uk

info@hatchwell.co.uk

Dr Roger Mugford told Pet Trade Xtra at Crufts he is definitely NOT retiring, but is working on PupPod, a fun interactive high-tech gaming platform for dogs and pet parents, and is still an active animal psychologist and behavioural therapist.

"That's for sure. No no," he said on Sunday at Crufts.  "I can tell you I'm stopping as the CEO of Company of Animals because I've got a guy who can do a better job than me, he's called Paul Nolan, but I'm certainly not retiring. I'm a director, I'm the owner and actually we're doing new ventures, exciting new ventures, which are nothing to do with dogs pulling on the lead, it's about canine cognition or how dogs think. 

"I'm working with a Seattle based tech company, a little company called Microsoft, and others and we're developing a game that you can play with your dog that relies on communicating with your dog through your mobile phone setting complicated tasks, a bit like a Skinner box in the operant conditioning regime but all reward based and fun and I can watch what my dog is doing from the comfort of a beach or my shower or my office or the back of a taxi because it's all done through the wonders of the Internet and Wi-Fi.

"Of course it's all very reward based so we'll be launching PupPods into the UK. That will be a learning system. You can watch him on video and we call that video and you can interact with him and it will be a worldwide launch in 2019.

"What I'm interested in is making life more fun, more intellectually demanding for dogs and really utilising the intelligence of the dog and providing owners with an insight into 'My goodness that is really complicated, and he solved level five. Now let's move on to Level 6.' And we talk about a dog having to do tasks like press a button here, touch a button there, respond when a particular light comes on, respond to a particular sound, respond to my voice and perform certain tasks otherwise he doesn't get a reward. It's called the Internet of Things, it's linking everything together.

"We've even got a system where when the doorbell rings the animal will get a reward, so that when people come to the home and don't bark they will be given a reward if they do bark they don't get the reward. And so making the arrival of visitors good news rather than bad news. And then another system where if they don't bark for five minutes they get a reward. If they do bark within that five minutes they have to wait 20 minutes and dogs quickly learn their relationship and effectively I've been punished for barking and I'm paying the consequences I have to wait another 15 minutes for my next treat. So those are the ways that we're building up a system of dog enjoyment, dog pastimes, through technology, which all are all fun and will inspire and and amuse their owners. Humans at the moment feel very guilty that dogs are left alone for so long and not stimulated. Well you know here's the answer.

"And now everything is possible. We do a much better job in terms of animal psychiatry treatment because of the mobile phone. Everyone has a photograph or better film of their dog doing good things and doing bad things than they ever had. So now I can project into their homes their lifestyles and I don't have to sit on the M25 for half of my life going to them. We use Skype of course in conversations and the new media is opening up so many windows and opportunities that didn't exist before. Thank goodness we're living in the millennium."

https://puppod.com

The owners of an East London pet shop faced with the threat of closure have decided to keep the store open following an online fundraising campaign by the local community.

Back in December, Dogs Dinner Pet and Garden in Kirkdale Road, Leytonstone, said it was closing due to lack of trade.

A statement of Facebook at the time announced: "As costs have risen over the years, and the move to internet buying (and we don’t blame anybody for wanting to save money) it’s come to the point our business is no longer viable.”

The news shocked the local community and in response an online fundraising campaign was launched to raise money to save the shop.

Shop manager Bob Auger said: "When I posted that we were closing, people really rallied behind us and said that they did not want us to close because we are a small pet shop and there are not that many of us left.

"They all got behind us and decided to show their support which was just amazing.”

The shop has been in business for more than 50 years and under the current ownership for 14 years.

The owners are now giving the shop time to remain open to see if it is liable in the long term.

To read the full story go to the East London and West Essex Gardian website – click here

Different Dog, who cook different recipes each week by hand, with fresh natural ingredients such as Braised Beef, Chicken Casserole and Lamb Hotpot had a crazy time at Crufts after they were on live TV on Friday afternoon. 

Claire Balding visited the stand and cooked with Beth, their head chef, and that created even more demand.  “We just want to reach as many dogs as we can to enable us to do that. We're in about 40 independent retailers at the moment and looking for more," explained Co-Founder Charlie Thurstan.

“In my old job I got to look around factories where Pet Food was made and it was very eye opening for me and actually a little bit horrifying as well seeing the ingredients that went in and meat and animal derivative, cereals and fillers things like that. The process is extreme temperature, extreme pressure, stuff sprayed on at the end and I just thought well how about we do it completely differently.

"That's where the name Different Dog came from we just felt the dogs deserved something a bit fresher and a bit more natural.

"That actually was the start of an 18 month journey. We hired a vet and a nutritionist and we started experimenting trying different ingredients different processes. It was 150 versions of the recipe and process and then we got to launch the business in November 2017, so nearly 18 months and things have been absolutely flying ever since.”