Visitors to PATS Sandown in March will experience the biggest show in the event’s six-year history, with a record number of exhibitors, new products and features sure to make it a memorable and profitable day out.

Thousands of products are being showcased by more than 160 companies on a total of 143 stands at PATS Sandown, and there are 27 exhibitors appearing at the event for the first time.

All stand space sold out months before the show, and visitors to Sandown Park Exhibition Centre in Esher, Surrey, on Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19, can expect a warm welcome from exhibitors eager to showcase their products to retailers and overseas distributors.

Organiser Annie Dyke said a lot of time and effort has gone in to making sure the visitor experience is better than ever this year.

“We’re always listening to exhibitors, retailers and buyers to find out how we can make PATS even better, and visitors this year will notice a few changes to the show.

“For instance, we have extended the amount of seating areas to include the Sandown View visitors’ lounge with a magnificent view across the racecourse and to London in the distance – we’ve done this so that people can relax in comfort or have a meeting.

“There will also be a wider range of food available from all the various outlets as well as a free cup of tea or coffee, and a breakfast voucher worth £3.50 for those arriving before 10am.

“These subtle changes have been made so that visitors can concentrate fully on the main business of the day – seeing top-class products from the biggest range of suppliers and manufacturers…all under one roof.”

As well as meeting up with a long list of PATS regulars, visitors will be greeted by a host of new faces and new products. A growing number of companies are choosing to exhibit for the first time as they see PATS as the perfect opportunity to announce their plans for the year ahead.

The New Product Showcase is a great way for visitors to see and touch the new products they will be stocking. In previous years more than 200 new items have been entered into the Showcase so it is the best place to view potential bestsellers. All items entered by manufacturers will be put forward for the New Product Awards judged by a panel of pet retailers.

The PATS Grooming Workshops will feature state-of-the-art grooming demonstrations in association with Groom Team England, and will be located in the Horsewalk Bar in the Surrey Hall.

And a free-to-attend series of seminars will cover topics including the long and the short of small furries, how pet stores can thrive in the internet age, getting more online visitors, pay offs and penalties in the dog-human relationship, and understanding your shoppers. There is also a chance to earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points for those people attending a special seminar by animal healthcare specialists Merial. The CPD points will go towards the ongoing development of Suitably Qualified People (SQP) working in the pet industry. Places for the Merial seminar need to be booked in advance - click here to book - and are on a first-come-first-served basis, while visitors can simply turn up for all the other talks.

Other PATS features aimed include free entry, free catalogue and free parking, and visitors are now being urged to register online at www.patshow.co.uk.

A full and up-to-date list of exhibitors is available on the website together with information on how to reach both venues, hotels in each area and regularly updated show news. The PATS hotline is +44 (0)1892 862848.

Exhibitors at PATS Sandown include: Accapi, Arden Grange, Barking and Meowing Heads, Beaphar, Bern Pet Foods, Bestpets, Burns Pet Nutrition, Connolly’s Red Mills, Danish Design, Dorwest Herbs, Eurostitch, Flexi, Gor Pets, Group 55 (Animology), Hemmo and Co, Hills Pet Nutrition, HG Gladwell, KONG, Mars Petcare, Mr Johnson’s, Natures Menu, Pedigree Wholesale, Pooch and Mutt, Trixie, Vitakraft Burton Dene, Vital Pet Products and Wagg Foods.

PATS Sandown newcomers include: Happy Pet, Ferplast, Veggie Pooch, Forthglade, PMS International, Pet Dream House and Scholtus.

Opening times

• Tuesday 18th March: 9.00am-5.00pm
• Wednesday 19th March: 9.00am-4.00pm

Become a member of Dog Rocks Retailer Partnership Programme and enjoy exclusive, ongoing benefits for your store or practice. Your membership begins with an inviting permanent display unit to showcase these top selling Dog Rocks and other products from our range (PetproBio www.petprobio.com).  Other incentives include:

As a Partnership Programme Member you get:

• FOC Stock as a thank you for signing up
• 2% off your next purchase of Dog Rocks through your preferred wholesaler.
• 100% no hassle guarantee for all products including return of overstock or expired product after a 6 month period through Dog Rocks UK Ltd
• Exclusive offers to partnership programme members
• Regular planograms to help you optimize shelf sales
• Regular new & innovative visual merchandising tips & point of sale materials
• Exciting staff purchase programme – Discounted rate available online
• Additional benefits as opportunities arise

Retailer Requirements:

• Ensure exclusive placement of Dog Rocks products within display units provided & maintain shelf placement
• Continue to purchase products through existing wholesalers

Visitors to PATS Sandown can expect to see an impressive showcase of new products for 2014 with a record number of over 160 exhibitors keen to unveil their latest creations when the event opens. 

As well as being displayed on a vast array of exhibitor stands in Surrey and Esher Halls during the two-day show, over 200 items have been entered into the New Products Showcase.

The Showcase is a great way for visitors to see and touch the new products, making it the ideal place to view the things they’ll want to stock in their store.

Once visitors have seen what they like in the Showcase they then have the opportunity of visiting the stands of the manufacturers or suppliers of those products to discuss them in more detail. There will be an information card beside each product, giving details, such as suggested retail price and where in the show the item’s exhibitor can be found.

All entries in the Showcase will be judged by a panel of retailer judges for the New Product Awards on the first morning of the show. The results will be known and highlighted throughout the halls for the rest of the exhibition.

The panel of judges has already been chosen after retailers were invited to put themselves forward, and their identities are a closely guarded secret to ensure complete impartiality during the judging process.

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

Manufacturers can be confident that successful products have a great chance of becoming bestsellers because a panel of pet retailers decides the awards. Past winners admit that winning an award can certainly increase the profile of the items to the trade.

The awards will be presented at the New Products Showcase display at lunchtime on Tuesday. Visitors will be invited to attend and cheer on the winners.

One of the easiest ways to discover new ideas that could help boost your business is to attend free seminars at PATS.  

Visitors will be also be able to earn Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points if they attend a special seminar by animal healthcare specialists Merial.

The CPD points will go towards the ongoing development of Suitably Qualified People (SQP) working in the pet industry. An SQP is registered with the Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority (AMTRA), and is allowed to prescribe and/or supply certain medicines.

The Merial seminar at PATS Sandown on ‘Why understanding fleas and flea control is important for your business’ is AMTRA-accredited, and CPD points will be earned by visitors who register beforehand and then attend the talk.

The seminar is being given by Tanya Leslie, technical manager for Merial’s Frontline Spot On product, and those wishing to attend and earn CPD points need to pre-book their place. There are a limited number of places available on a first-come-first-served basis so it’s advisable to register online immediately by clicking here.

As well as the Merial seminar there’s an impressive list of other talks planned for Sandown, designed to give visitors valuable advice on how they can improve their business.

 PATS Sandown seminar programme

In association with Pedigree Wholesale

Tuesday, March 18

10.30-11.00 Understanding your shoppers - insights in consumer behaviour

• Speaker: Andrew Edwards, Mars Petcare

11.10-12.10 Why understanding fleas and flea control is important to your business

• Speaker: Tanya Leslie, Merial

12.20-12.50 Helping to strike the ideal balance with more than just natural ingredients

• Speaker: Fiona Marjoram, Hills Pet Nutrition

13.00-13.30 How the world's best marketing minds can help your store

• Speaker: Guy Blaskey, Pooch & Mutt

13.40-14.10 The long and the short of small furries

• Speaker: Richard Rockett, Burgess Petcare

14.20 -14.50 Pay offs and penalties in the dog, human relationship

• Speaker: Dr Roger Mugford, The Company of Animals

15.00-15.30 eCommerce: Get more online visitors. A look at the latest changes to Google Shopping and how you could benefit from Google Remarketing

• Speaker: David Mackley, Intelligent Retail

 
Wednesday, March 19

10.30-11.00 The long and the short of small furries

• Speaker: Richard Rockett, Burgess Petcare

11.10-11.40 How the world's best marketing minds can help your store

• Speaker: Guy Blaskey, Pooch & Mutt

11.50-12.50 Why understanding fleas and flea control is important to your business

• Speaker: Tanya Leslie, Merial

13.00-13.30 eCommerce: Get more online visitors. A look at the latest changes to Google Shopping and how you could benefit from  Google Remarketing

• Speaker: David Mackley, Intelligent Retail

13.40-14.10 Understanding your shoppers - insights in consumer behaviour

• Speaker: Andrew Edwards, Mars Petcare

14.20-14.50 Helping to strike the ideal balance with more than just natural ingredients

• Speaker: Fiona Marjoram, Hills Pet Nutrition

The new VARIO lead system from flexi proved to be a winner with Crufts visitors and is bound to create more interest at PATS Sandown...

"We had a fantastic response from consumers at Crufts," said Adrian Hind. "Demand was huge and we'll be taking the opportunity at PATS to tell retailers about the interest shown."

The VARIO system is available in both tape and cord models, in different sizes and colours and has a new patented short-stroke braking system together with a range of accessories including:

• LED lighting system
• A multi box for snacks or poop bags
• Interchangeable belts, include: an LED flashing light belt, a nylon coupler for two dogs and a shock absorber belt

As a PATS Sandown exclusive, the brand is also rewarding retailers who order the VARIO System with PR support to launch VARIO to their local customers.

Info: 0049 4532 40 44 0, www.flexilead.com

Billy+Margot, maker of a range of nutritional treats for dogs, unveiled its new selection of super premium wet dog food at Crufts.

Available to buy in 395g tins from www.billyandmargot.com, as well as the brand’s network of high street stockists, Billy+Margot’s ‘Nutritious Complete Pet Food for Adult Dogs’ is suitable for all breeds of dogs with four flavours for adult canines: Chicken, Green Tripe with Beef, Venison and Fish, and a fifth recipe designed especially for puppies: Chicken with Green Tripe and Potato. 

As with all its products, Billy+Margot responsibly sources ingredients from within the British Isles to ensure superior quality and complete traceability of all their ingredients, which in the new super premium wet dog food include: 60% human-grade quality meats, apples, blueberries, carrots, green beans, omega 3 rich salmon oil, flaxseed and herbs. No grains, meat meal, fillers or artificial flavourings are used in any of the brand’s product range. 

Since securing investment from Deborah Meaden on Dragons’ Den in October 2012 with the original and award winning ‘Iced Treats for Dogs’, Billy+Margot has extended its range to include ‘Popcorn for Dogs’, ‘Venison Treats’, ‘Joint Care Treats’ and ‘Training Biscuits’. 

Full details of products, nutritional benefits and feeding guidelines are published on the Billy+Margot website at www.billyandmargot.com 

For further information or to become a Billy+Margot stockist, email woof@billyandmargot.com or call 02392 633 855.



Pictured above: Billy+Margot owner Marie Sawle with a copy of the feeding guidelines.

Natural Pet Treats are the ultimate treat for your dog as recommended by dog owners, trainers and vets. They are 100% Natural freeze dried beef liver cubes without any additives.

100% Natural Powdered Beef Liver is a tasty addition for pet food, comes ready prepared as a dry powder in a handy tube with a shaker top. 100% Natural freeze dried beef liver without any additives.

Info: 01926 311514, www.naturalpettreatscompany.com 

Following their New Product Award accolades for both dog and cat categories at PATS Harrogate in 2013, the Natures Menu Country Hunter Range has launched with tremendous success, which continued at Crufts.

Pet shops and retail outlets across the country have been receiving great feedback from customers, and have been keen try the products out on their shop floors.

Particular favourites have been the four new Country Hunter frozen meals in Duck, Salmon, Rabbit or Venison and the innovative new Freeze dried treats, created with real meat and added super foods, such as seaweed and blueberries.

If your store could benefit from a new range of innovative, unique and superfood style products then this range will be perfect for you.

Natures Menu representatives are looking forward to meeting you at PATS to explain more on the products and the special introductory offers that will ensure your store can too stock some of the most up-to-date products on the market.

Info: 0800 0183770, www.naturesmenu.co.uk

Pet Munchies, who will be launching its new 100% Natural Real Chicken & Rawhide treats at PATS, created a lot of interest during Crufts with its bright and bold stands.

The new premium gourmet treat is made from quality chicken breast meat and beef rawhide, and is designed to satisfy a dog's natural instinct to chew.

It can help to reduce tartar and plaque for healthy teeth and gums, is naturally low in fat, and delicately roasted to perfection. There are no artificial additives, preservatives, flavour or colours, and the treats are wheat, cereal and gluten free.

As most dog owners know it isn’t just fox poo that dogs like to roll in: if it’s sticky, slimy or stinky a dog will roll in it. Fox Poo shampoo can also be used to remove poo from other animals including sheep, ducks, badgers and cows.

Fox Poo shampoo is not only tough on poo and odour, it will also enrich your dog’s coat using Pro-Vitamin B5 and conditioners to transform your beloved pet from a stinky monster back into a wonderfully clean and fragrant member of your family.

Clean Sheets are designed to be taken by dog owners on car journeys and can be used to clean animals which have rolled in fox poo before getting back in the vehicle.

Precious Pets London has unveiled its stunning new look for 2014. Along with its established range of luxury conditioning dog shampoos, the company showcased the much anticipated essential oil dog perfume range to the public at Crufts and will be repeating the exercise to the trade at PATS... 

Having already launched a 5 litre Groomer size range of shampoos and Luxury Conditioning Cat shampoo in January, many more quality grooming products are soon to follow, including additional naturally derived essential oil scented shampoos. 

With many more fabulously British, high-quality natural grooming products being developed throughout 2014 and high profile approval given by a range of prestigious clientele, such as Her Majesty the Queen and Rosie Fortescue (Made in Chelsea), 2014 looks to be an exciting year for Precious Pets London.

For more information visit www.preciouspetslondon.com

BARF pet food specialist Natural Instinct will be offering retailers VAT-free deals on its branded freezers as well as the chance to win one outright during the PATS Sandown trade show.

Visitors taking advantage of the VAT-free deal – small branded freezers for £650 and large freezers for £800 – will get a new curved top chest freezer with a two-year factory warranty and filled with stock to the value of £500.

And new stockists signing up at PATS will stand a chance of winning a freezer packed with Natural Instinct product.

Natural Instinct is launching a new Organic recipe as part of the Country Banquet range.

The company will re-launch Country Banquet with the chicken recipe, which will also be available in organic. The organic alternative will be the same recipe but made using organic chicken with bone, liver, heart and a new selection of fresh organic vegetables.

The inclusion of grasses was a key feature in the original Country Banquet range launched back in 2011 and will feature again in the recipes along with well known ‘superfoods’ containing many antioxidants and vitamins. Dogs often eat grasses because they are a natural aid to digestion as well as being highly nutritious.

The clinical trials for Wheatgrass for human use were carried out on canines so the benefits for dogs are well researched.  Scottish Salmon oil which is a key ingredient in their other range of feeds, has been replaced for Flaxseed oil in the Country Banquet recipes, making the product accessible to dogs with fish oil intolerance. 

For more information visit www.naturalinstinct.com 

To register for free admission to PATS Sandown click here

In response to customer demand, Feelwells has created a new Grain Free Training Treat to add to its successful Liver & Cheesy recipes.

These small, semi-moist, heart shaped treats are oven baked for extra flavour and have been specifically developed as a high value training treat.

As with all Feelwells products they are healthy, natural and hypo-allergenic with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives so they are suitable for all dogs, even those with a sensitive digestion or food allergies or intolerances and of course, all dogs on a Grain Free diet.

These new Grain Free Treats were launched at Crufts and are now available from Pedigree Wholesale, Vital Pet Products, Batleys BestPets and direct from Feelwells.

RRP:  £1.79

Info: 0870 9770044, www.feelwells.co.uk

Pooch & Mutt launched its new £1 Treat Pocket Packs to consumers at Crufts.

The treats were available for the first time at the premier dog show. They come in two varieties –  Calm & Relaxed and Fresh Breath.

Guy Blaskey, founder of Pooch & Mutt, says, “The reaction to our treat range has been incredible. People, and their dogs, just love them. The Calm & Relaxed and Fresh Breath varieties are so popular that it made sense to look at what else we could offer in these areas. Looking at the market we saw that there are no high quality treats around the £1 mark.

"Everything at that price point is nutritionally junk. Looking at the human market we saw that one of the fastest growing snacks for kids were Bear Fruit’s Yoyos. These are a nutritionally sound, impulse purchase that parents are happy to buy for their kids. We wanted to create the canine alternative to these – a nutritionally sound, impulse purchase that people would want to buy for their dogs, something at the £1 price point that fits our mission to help dogs lead happy, healthy lives.”

For more information visit http://www.poochandmutt.com/2014/03/05/new-1-treat-pocket-packs/

The 2014 awards are now open for entries in all seven categories, which are:

 1)     UK Pet Retailer of the Year

2)     International Retailer of the Year

3)     Supplier of the Year

4)     Wholesaler of the Year

5)     Pet Product Innovation of the Year

6)     Pet Product Exporter of the Year

7)     Lifetime Achievement Award

Entry for the awards is completely free of charge and companies or persons can enter as many categories as they wish.  Nominations need to be emailed to pat@petquip.com by 30th June 2014.  Nominations can come directly from the entrant or be submitted by another party.  The application needs to provide full contact details of the entrant and stipulate which category they wish to enter.  Applications need to include brief information on the reason for the entry and why the particular product, company or person qualifies for an award.  On receipt of an entry, PetQuip will forward a simple form for the entrant to complete that will provide entry information for the judges.  The form will be accompanied by the Terms and Conditions.

The entries will be judged by an independent panel of judges during August and the winners will be announced at the PetQuip Awards Party on 14 September 2014, which is being staged in association with Impact Exhibitions, the organiser of PATS Harrogate.

Pat Flynn commented: ‘”PATS has proved to be a fantastic trade show for the industry, and our awards are intended to recognise  some of the major achievements of the past season, whilst also bring an element of fun to the event.  We have been fortunate to recruit The Rockits, the resident band from the Cavern Club in Liverpool, to provide the entertainment at the event, which is being held in the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate.  The Rockits are a fantastic group, and their performance at a recent industry event resulted in eight encores!”

Further information on these prestigious awards, details of how to enter and the booking form to secure Early Bird Discount tickets for the awards and party night are available from Pat Flynn on telephone (+44) 07778 313623 or e-mail:  pat@petquip.com; or from the PetQuip secretariat on 01959 565995 or e-mail: info@petquip.com 

Companies wishing to explore the commercial and publicity opportunities available in sponsoring an award should contact Pat Flynn.

Pictured: Jo Lapidge of Litter Kwitter receives the Exporter of the Year gold award from Amanda Sizer Barrett, PetQuip’s director general at last year’s awards.

Four momentous days of Crufts culminated in an exciting final as Ricky (Ch/Am Ch Afterglow Maverick Sabre), a Standard Poodle from Preston, Lancashire, was named as the 2014 Crufts champion on Sunday.

Ricky, aged two and handler, Jason Lynn were awarded the prestigious Crufts Best in Show trophy in front of thousands who turned up to the NEC Arena in Birmingham and millions more watching live on Channel 4 and online around the world and live on Channel 4, presented by Clare Balding.

Just seven dogs competed for the Best in Show title at Crufts 2014 from over 21,000 who took part over the course of the four day event. Best in Show judge, Jack Bispham faced a difficult decision choosing between the seven different breeds: the Standard Poodle, Rottweiler, Samoyed, Irish Wolfhound, Wire Fox Terrier, Pomeranian, and American Cocker Spaniel.

Ricky’s handler, Jason Lynn said of his win: “It’s unbelievable, a very surreal moment. I’ve been involved in dogs my whole life and the thought of being on the winning podium at Crufts is a dream come true.

“Ricky was outstanding, very energetic and he gave a beautiful performance. He never let me down and has the heart of a champion. I’m so proud of him.”

Ricky was bred by Mike Gadsby and Jason Lynn, and was handled by Jason, who co-owns Ricky with John and Sandra Stone.

The Reserve Best in Show award was won by Dan the Man, a Samoyed, owned by Sue Smith and Val Freer from Upwell, Cambridgeshire.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Reaching the Best in Show final at Crufts is a great achievement for any dog. This year has been such a great show, with dogs and their handlers showing their fantastic relationship across a range of dog sports and competitions.  Well done to all of the fantastic finalists.”

For more information visit www.crufts.org.uk or go to http://www.w-w-i.com/crufts_2014/  for free downloadable images from Crufts 2014.

Molly, a Cocker Spaniel from Benfleet in Essex, and her owner, Lucy Watts were the special stars of Crufts on Sunday as Molly was announced as the winner of the Crufts Friends for Life 2014 competition. 

Molly and 20-year-old Lucy were voted the most deserving winners out of five shortlisted finalists by the British public. Lucy has a life-limiting rare genetic illness called ehlers danlos syndrome, that has left her in a wheelchair, needing to be fed into her bloodstream and in a lot of pain. Lucy was isolated, withdrawn and unhappy but Molly has given her independence again and taken the focus of strangers away from her condition, giving her the confidence to live the remainder of her life, in a way she couldn’t have dreamt of before.

Now, instead of being shy and withdrawn she will take Molly to agility training and she has even spoken in parliament. And when she can’t get out of bed for days, or even weeks, Molly never judges and can always make Lucy smile.

The proud winners were announced by Chris Amoo of band The Real Thing fame, in the NEC Arena at Crufts. The presentation was broadcast live on Channel 4. They were also given a cheque for £1,500 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for their chosen charity A.I.D for Dogs.

Speaking about their win, Lucy said: “This is just fantastic. It is just wonderful what Molly has done for me. She has given me a purpose, a reason to live, a reason to keep fighting and a reason to carry on.”

She continued:  “Molly has not only given me confidence but also independence to live what remains of my life in a way I couldn’t have imagined before. For the first time in six years, I went out on my own and took her for a walk. It was such a liberating experience.

“Being in a wheelchair can be an isolating experience; people don't know how to talk to you so often they don't include you. I found that really hard but when Molly came into my life it was like my wheelchair didn't exist, people started talking to me and including me. Suddenly I was a part of society. Molly did that. She broke down the barrier between the able and disabled for me. I now feel included, wanted and important and the bond between us is unbreakable.”

Friends for Life is a competition which celebrates dogs that have truly earned the title of man’s best friend through bravery, support or companionship.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club spokesperson, said: “We congratulate Lucy and Molly on winning this year’s award; their story is incredibly moving and highlights what wonderfully loyal and great companions our four legged friends can be.

“Each and every one of the dogs in the final has helped to change and improve the quality of their owner’s life, showing unwavering loyalty to their owners and are a great example of the incredible difference that dogs can make to people’s lives.” 

Petlog has presented microchip scanners to Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations at the world’s biggest dog show, Crufts 2014, as part of its commitment to support the successful implementation of compulsory microchipping in England and Wales.

Petlog, through a kind donation from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust, has pledged to donate microchip scanners to all 332 Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations over the next couple of months in a bid to assist in reuniting dogs with their owners more quickly and effectively, alleviating the problem of dogs being rehomed unnecessarily.

Celia Walsom, Petlog spokesperson said: “One way to reduce the number of dogs that need to be rehomed is by improving the service of reuniting them with their owners, and the microchip is a fantastic way of doing this.”

From 1^st March 2015 in Wales and 6^th April 2016 in England, all dogs will be required to have a microchip with their details recorded on an authorised microchip database. Rescue organisations, veterinary practices, local authorities, the police and dog wardens will all have scanners and be encouraged to scan routinely.

Mike Townsend, Chairman of the Kennel Club Charitable Trust commented: “When a dog is lost it is extremely distressing, but knowing that it can be quickly identified by a wide range of organisations, including Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations, will – we hope – be a great comfort and lead quickly to people being reunited with their dogs.”

Petlog, the UK's largest lost and found database for microchipped pets has worked alongside organisations including the British Veterinary Nurses Association as part of the Microchipping Alliance to make permanent identification compulsory for all dogs since 2009.

Celia continued: “Petlog has always been dedicated to reuniting missing pets with their owners and holds National Microchipping Month each June to educate all involved with pets on the benefits of microchipping.

“Compulsory microchipping will go a long way towards improving dog welfare and we hope that our pledge to donate microchip scanners to Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations will assist with reuniting dogs with their owners more quickly and help breed rescue resources while ensuring dogs are not unnecessarily kennelled or rehomed.”

Garbo Garnham, the founder of Garbo’s German Shepherd Dog Rescue, commented: “I’m delighted to receive a new scanner. I’m very passionate about microchipping and have been a registered implanter for over 18 years and I would never be without a scanner. We microchip all of our dogs and the new scanner will help us to provide a better, more efficient service for the dogs.

“We always ring Petlog when a dog comes into our care as they help me identify the owner if the dog has been microchipped. Thank you to Petlog and the Kennel Club Charitable Trust for their kind donation.”

Rescue dogs from Birmingham Dogs Home have been modelling some of Ancol’s new ranges for their 2014/15 trade catalogue.

The catalogue, which is out in May, will launch Ancol’s extended Small Bite range which includes additional coats, carry bags and leads - all specially designed for small dogs and puppies. It also includes a new Halloween range, additional Christmas items including novelty collars and sweaters, reflective collars plus lots more toys.

Modelling Ancol’s new Small Bite range was Biffa, a Chihuahua-cross puppy who was named after the skip where he was found and Boo, a teacup Chihuahua that arrived at Birmingham Dogs Home Sunnyside in November. Oscar, a 10 month old Belgian Griffon who was recently brought to Birmingham Dogs Home, was modelling Ancol’s all-weather coats and nylon leads.

Birmingham Dogs Home Sunnyside Manager Karen Doy, who has recently adopted Biffa, commented: “It was great to involve our rescue dogs in Ancol’s new catalogue. I’m pleased to say that all three dogs have now found happy homes and we’re delighted with how they performed on the day.”

Sarah Lane, Sales Director at Ancol, added: “We are very grateful to Birmingham Dogs Home for providing such fantastic models. Look out for our new catalogue in May, which is full of new and exciting products your customers will love.”

To find out more about Ancol’s wide range of pet products, visit www.ancol.co.uk For the latest news and offers, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ancolpetproducts