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Pet trade organisation hits back at ‘ethics’ criticism
The head of a leading pet trade organisation has hit back at claims that the industry needs to take a more ethical approach to business. Chris Newman, chairperson of the Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade Association, said: “Every sustainable and successful pet company will tell you that constantly raising welfare standards and pushing forward to create better products is the only way to do well in this business.”
 The head of a leading pet trade organisation has hit back at claims that the industry needs to take a more ethical approach to business.
Chris Newman, chairperson of the Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade Association, said: “Every sustainable and successful pet company will tell you that constantly raising welfare standards and pushing forward to create better products is the only way to do well in this business.”Chris was responding to a story in last week’s Pet Trade Xtra in which the recently formed Ethical Pet Industry Federation claimed that some key companies believed the pet trade’s business models were incompatible with an ethical approach. He said: “It’s clear the organisation making the statement has an anti pet-trade position and is apparently associated with animal rights extremists. “I smelled a rat almost immediately, when I read the statement there is a high level of anxiety in the pet trade because raising ethical standards might not be good for business. I’d be interested to see the facts and data that gave birth to this statement. Who, within the trade, is anxious, I wonder? Every sustainable and successful pet company will tell you that constantly raising welfare standards and pushing forward to create better products is the only way to do well in this business. “I also take exception to several other points in the piece, starting with the name of the organisation, which I assume to be a business. The use of the word ‘confederation’ suggests that EPIC is a union of several other organisations. Their website offers no suggestion that this is the case. More to the point, to call oneself an Ethical Pet Trade Confederation is to suggest that the established organisations are NOT ethical, and this is offensive to those who work hard on behalf of the established pet trade. “Looking at the five guiding principles of the group it appears the organisation has little understanding of how ethical and sustainable welfare standards are achieved in the pet trade. “Opposition to wild-sourced animals is naïve, impractical and damaging to conservation and animal welfare. Sustainable and ethical utilisation is the cornerstone of many conservation efforts, a principle that is so universally accepted that the right to do so is legally protected. Sustainable utilisation protects wild populations and provides an ethical source of income for many families in the developing world. The end of sustainable utilisation would cause damage and suffering, not only to the people who make a living in the animals’ country of origin, but also cause damage to habitats and harm the welfare of the animals themselves. I suggest the organisation’s stakeholders read the contents of the Rio Convention of Bio Diversity and amend their position accordingly. “Another of EPIC’s guiding principles is to cut out the pet trade from the supply chain, promoting transfer directly from the animal’s breeder to the new owner. It’s worth remembering that pet stores are registered, inspected and open to public scrutiny. The suggestion to do away with pet stores selling livestock would only serve to push pet sales to the internet and away from any scrutiny at all. I would suggest that this would be massively detrimental to welfare and, as a principle for an ‘ethical’ organisation, it is poorly thought out. “It is the opinion of many industry experts and governing bodies that the UK enjoys perhaps the greatest welfare standards of any pet trade in the world, and we should be proud and celebrate this. The knowledge and advancements for which the UK pet trade is renowned should not be undermined by a poorly constructed organisation that pretends to represent the industry with ill-thought-out principles.”
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Following the popularity of last month’s Bring Your Dog To Work Day, the event’s official charity partner has announced how the initiative is helping kennel rescue dogs over the next three months.
Held on Friday 26 June, Bring Your Dog To Work Day raised money for All Dogs Matter, a charity that rehomes hundreds of rescues every year in London and Norfolk.
Both businesses and individuals across the UK have been making donations via the official website, which accepts donations all year around. Thousands of dog owners took part in the day itself and helped the #BringYourDogToWorkDay hashtag trend on Twitter in the UK by sharing their ‘pooch selfies’.
“We’re so thankful to everyone who has supported Bring Your Dog To Work Day and made a donation. The money raised so far will be used to kennel approximately 18 dogs over a period of approximately three months,” explains Ira Moss, general manager of All Dogs Matter.
“The funds will also go towards the rehabilitation, feeding, medical treatment, neutering, vaccinations and chipping of some of the 300 unwanted dogs we take in every year from private homes, kennels and death row pounds.”
Founded by HOWND, Bring Your Dog To Work Day was a tremendous success and featured in The Times, The Independent, Mirror, Metro, London Evening Standard, Mashable, Capital FM, BT and Yahoo.
There was even a pooch invasion on ITV’s Loose Women - where the programme’s presenters Andrea McLean, Nadia Sawalha and Jane Moore brought their dogs into work. Ricky Gervais also tweeted his support for the event.
“We are so pleased with the outcome of Bring Your Dog To Work Day; the publicity and rate of participation exceeded our wildest expectations. Thank you so much to all the business sponsors and individuals who took part, your donations will help All Dogs Matter continue their fantastic work rescuing and rehoming unwanted and stray dogs,” explains Jo Amit, co-founder of dog grooming product company HOWND, the company behind the initiative.
For further information - or if you would like to headline sponsor Bring Your Dog To Work Day 2016 - please visit Bring Your Dog To Work Day’s official website, or email hello@bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk.
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New Beaphar FIPROtec Spot On is a veterinary strength medicine to kill fleas and ticks on cats and dogs. Containing the same active ingredient, ‘Fipronil’, the product kills fleas and ticks in as little as 24 hours and continues to prevent repeat infestations for up to 5 weeks.Available in five variants (one size for cats and four for dogs), Beaphar FIPROtec is an effective, easy to use spot on. Because Beaphar manufactures FIPROtec in-house, the company is able to offer retailers the best prices, with higher margins than other over-the-counter Fipronil products. Beaphar FIPROtec also equates to fabulous consumer value for cat and dog owners. Backed up with an innovative, impactful and purchase-prompting point of sale kit, a wide-reaching digital campaign as well as a comprehensive training programme for your staff, you won’t go wrong stocking Beaphar FIPROtec. Want to find out more about how you can increase your profit on Fipronil sales? Contact your local Beaphar Sales Executive or call our award winning UK Customer Care Team on 0333 0066236. www.fiprotec.co.uk
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New from Natures Menu is a fresh and vibrant range of complete and balanced high meat content cat and dog food pouches.
These meals are totally grain free and made with ethically sourced human grade meats and wholesome ingredients. Gently steam cooked to retain goodness, these new additions to Natures Menu’s premium Country Hunter range are available in 4 single protein varieties for dogs and 4 delicious 96% real meat meals for the felines. The Country Hunter dog food pouches are made with 80% real meat and wholesome superfoods such as sweet potatoes, green beans and mixed berries. The single protein options include Free Range Chicken, Succulent Duck, Grass Grazed Beef and Farm Reared Turkey. With a pouch weight of 150g, the portions are prefect as a daily diet for small breeds and as a special treat for larger breeds – they’re also perfect as a healthy Kong filler! Available in cases of 6 x 150g. RSP £5.76. The Cat varieties, which have a mighty meat content of 96%, include Free Range Chicken, Duck and Pheasant, Chicken and Goose, Turkey and Rabbit. They include superfoods such as oxidant rich cranberries and blackcurrants. Available in cases of 6 x 85g. RSP £4.74. Available in eye-catching and easy to display retail cases these products are available to order week commencing 20th July. Order online at www.naturesmenu.couk or call 0800 0183770.
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Following the success of its range of pet carry bags, Ancol has introduced a new stylish pet carry bag and a matching pooch pouch.Ideal for trips out or visits to the vets, Ancol’s Pet Carry Bag has been designed to safely and easily carry small dogs. Strong yet comfortable, it features wide webbing straps for extra support. Available in stone, blue denim and black, each bag comes with a matching detachable mini treat pouch. Also in the new range is Ancol’s first ever Pooch Pouch, which offers a hygienic and stylish way to carry waste bags while out and about. Perfect for walking out in style, it includes a wipe clean interior and rear pocket to safely keep your mobile phone and keys. Sarah Lane, sales director at Ancol, says: “We know that more people than ever are choosing smaller dogs - our pet carry bag offers a practical and stylish solution to carrying them with you. And customers love our new Pooch Pouch which is a real innovation for dog walkers. Talk to your sales representative about the great sales margins we can offer you.” For more information about Ancol visit www.ancol.co.uk, call 01922 402428 or email sales@ancol.co.uk
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Vet charity PDSA has saved the life of a dog that swallowed a tennis ball.
Playful puppy, 11-month-old Dogue De Bordeaux Zeus from Gateshead, was enjoying a run on the beach when he spotted another dog playing with a tennis ball. The cheeky canine made a grab for it and accidently gulped in down.
A couple of days later Zeus had gone off his food and started being sick, so worried owner Richard Waugh (53) rushed him to Gateshead PDSA Pet Hospital for help.
 PDSA vets took X-rays to determine where the ball was and decided that emergency surgery was needed as he had become dangerously ill.
Gateshead PDSA senior vet, Catriona Atkinson, said: “A large blockage of this nature creates a life-or-death situation - without surgery, it is highly likely that Zeus would have died. As with all major operations, there are risks, but it was the only option.”
Emergency surgery was carried out and the tennis ball was removed intact. Zeus’s operation went extremely well and he was kept in overnight for observation. He quickly bounced back to health, and has returned to his lovable self.
Owner, Richard, said: “Zeus is a big softie and loves meeting other dogs while out on walks. He’s got a cheeky side, as he does love to play with a ball – even if it’s not his! I couldn’t believe it when he swallowed the ball. Now he’s a bit older, he has stopped picking up items, but we make sure we watch him really closely. He’s a brilliant dog and we’d be lost without him - I’m so grateful to PDSA for saving his life.”
This was the second time that Zeus had wolfed down a ball: when he was four-months-old, he found a discarded ball in the park. On this occasion, nature took its course and a trip to the vets wasn’t needed. But unfortunately this time round, he wasn’t so lucky.
The PDSA is urging pet owners to think twice about letting their four-legged friends play with tennis balls, as every year the charity treats cases involving the innocuous yellow balls – ranging from broken teeth and eye injuries to intestinal blockages.
PDSA vets see many cases of pets eating not-so-tasty snacks every year, which in some circumstances can be fatal if they get stuck in their throat or cause a blockage in the intestines. Owners are advised to contact their vet for advice straight away if they suspect their pets have eaten something they shouldn’t.
For more pet health advice visit www.pdsa.org.uk
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There's been a sharp rise in dog ownership in Britain according to the latest statistics and with nearly 9,000 being put down last year things are at breaking point.
A large number of strays get abandoned because owners cannot afford to care for them and Channel 4 takes a look behind the scenes of those who have to take care of our favourite four-legged friends.
In the one-off documentary, Dogs on the Dole, the show visits those pets who are getting dumped on the doorstep of charity Dogs Trust.
The organisation has to try and cope with the problem, but the rising trend of designer pups and dangerous breeding has them stretched.
The number or strays on the street has risen from 97,000 since the mid noughties to over 110,000 this year and with 8.5million dog owners in the UK the struggle to re-house them is real.
In the areas where money is tight the numbers of strays goes up and it's even more tempting when there's talk of ways to make money off breeding their pets.
One owner is told to neuter his much prized bulldog but a local 'dog man' has a way of checking whether she is fertile enough to produce it's own litter.
Another owner needs to be taught the how to give their dog a balanced diet that isn't toast and Nutella for breakfast - all paid for by her benefits.
The programme follows those owners on Britain's housing estates and the Dogs Trust owners who give out free advice to those owners who can't afford to pay for vet bills.
* Dogs on the Dole airs Thursday July 23 at 10pm on Channel 4.
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Ruffwear announces Autumn/Winter 2015 Product additions
Ruffwear, the leading producer of high performance dog gear, expands its line of outdoor inspired products for Autumn/Winter 2015. The Powder Hound, a hybrid jacket that offers the warmth of synthetic insulation with the range of motion of technical stretch fabric, is one of the new products...
Ruffwear, the leading producer of high performance dog gear, expands its line of outdoor inspired products for Autumn/Winter 2015. Updated products include the popular Omnijore Joring System, along with an enhanced assistance harness Web Master Pro. Improved insulation can be seen in the Highlands Bed and the Quinzee Jacket, which also sees the introduction of three new colours. New for Autumn/Winter is the Powder Hound, the Aira Rain Jacket, the Highlands Sleeping Bag and the Landing Pad. Ruffwear are also introducing a new packaging design from this Autumn, aimed at clearly communicating product features and benefits. Ruffwear products present a great new category for the outdoor store.
The Ruffwear Powder Hound is a hybrid jacket that offers the warmth of synthetic insulation with the range of motion of technical stretch fabric. This weather resistant and packable insulated jacket is ideal for cold-weather activities. The “Sleeved” style jacket provides full coverage for maximum warmth. A convenient zipper on the left side of the jacket allows for a high-performance fit.
The Ruffwear Web Master Pro Harness is a lift-and-assist harness designed to address the needs of professional avalanche and Search and Rescue teams. Built on the safe, secure, and proven chassis of our Web Master harness, the Web Master Pro incorporates all-metal hardware, has an oversized handle for gloved hands, and two low-profile pockets that carry small essentials and provide easy sewing of ID patches.
Launching exclusively in Europe, the Aira Rain Jacket is a full-coverage waterproof jacket for dogs. With additional underbelly coverage, to protect against wet grass, it is the ideal solution for wet weather walks. Complete with reflective trim, harness attachment portal and fold-up collar. Launching October, the Aira Rain Jacket will be available in two colours.
The Ruffwear Landing Pad is a packable, closed-cell foam pad for comfort and insulation on the trail. The pad can be used on its own, or in conjunction with the Highlands Bed or Highlands Sleeping Bag, for a complete sleeping system. Lightweight, closed-cell foam insulates from hard, cold surfaces. Soft, yet durable polyester fabric shell provides a comfortable sleeping surface and cleans with a shake. The Ruffwear Highlands Bed is a packable, durable dog bed for comfort and insulation on the trail. Lightweight synthetic insulation provides warmth and protection from hard, cold surfaces and compresses into an included stuff sack. The Ruffwear Highlands Sleeping Bag is a packable, durable sleeping bag for warmth, comfort and insulation on the trail. The zippered opening allows the bag to open wide, then zip closed to retain dogs’ body heat.
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South London based natural, ethical dog food and treat manufacturer Pooch & Mutt has welcomed two new additions to its growing team.Michaela Mornian-Pescod joins Pooch & Mutt as a Key Account Executive and Francesca Louveaux takes the position of Supply Chain Executive to manage the growing company’s stock production. With experience working in sales and customer care, Michaela will add knowledge and insight to the growing company. With a strong love of dogs, especially French Bulldogs, it’s no wonder Michaela will be a valued member of the team. Michaela states: “I am overjoyed to be joining the Pooch & Mutt team! I really identify with the company ethos and natural approach to pet nutrition. With humans looking to eat better, why shouldn’t our dogs have healthy alternatives too?” After living abroad in France and Canada, Francesca joins the Pooch & Mutt team with skill and knowledge in operations and production. With continual new product development and a growing number of SKUs in the Pooch & Mutt warehouse, she is up for the challenge. An avid dog owner Francesca says: “I’ve always grown up with a dog and absolutely adore my Labrador, Pepper. I can’t wait to get started with Pooch & Mutt and help grow the product range with success."
Pooch & Mutt managing director Guy Blaskey welcomes the new members, saying: “We are thrilled to welcome Michaela and Francesca to the team. They have fit in brilliantly and with their expertise, Pooch & Mutt will be able to flourish and grow with long- term success."
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Slippery thieves have pinched hundreds of pounds worth of Koi Carp from a Sevenoaks garden centre.
The fence of Polhill Garden Centre, on London Road, Badgers Mount, was cut in the early hours of Wednesday, July 8.
A quantity of Koi Carp fish were then stolen from a pond belonging to Maidenhead Aquatics - one of the businesses operating in the centre.
A staff membersaid: "We don't know exactly how many of the fish they've stolen just yet.
"It's a big pond and there were quite a few fish in it. But we don't think they took very many.
"It's probably a few hundred pounds' worth."
Police are investigating the theft, which happened around 2.45am, and CCTV footage is being viewed.
Maidenhead Aquatics' centre at the site boasts a fish house containing a 12,000 litre koi pond and fish up to 85cm.
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Eight workers from Pets at Home Distribution are part of a 10-strong team who will be cycling from Stoke-on-Trent to Paris in four days to raise funds for three charities.
The trip, which is almost 400 miles, is set to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, Beating Bowel Cancer and Support Adoption for Pets.
Team members Adam Watson and Benjamin Ainsworth were 'spinning' on their bikes outside the Cancer Research UK shop in Leek's Derby Street on to promote their trip and to add to the £2,000 they have already raised.
Pam McFadden, shop manager, said: "I think it's a really fantastic activity and we wish the boys every success."
Benjamin said: "It would be great if even more people could support us and donate to these very worthwhile causes."
Anyone wishing to donate to the team's causes can do so by going online to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/stoketoparispetsathome.
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Four kittens abandoned by their owner at a pet store in Bradford yesterday are looking for a new home.
Staff at Pets at Home in Bradford say they discovered the kittens - believed to be around 10-12 weeks old - in a bag which had been left around the till area.
An appeal has now been put out by Bradford Cat Watch Rescue to find the quartet a new home.
A family has been left traumatised after their pet dog was pecked to death - by a gang of marauding seagulls.
Devastated mum-of-four Emily Vincent says her Yorkshire Terrier Roo was savaged so badly by the birds he suffered a brain haemorrhage.
But she has also been told by officials she can't take revenge on the gulls - because they are protected.
The cute dog had been playing in his back garden when the herring gulls swooped down from the roof and started viciously attacking him.
Queen gives up breeding corgis
The Queen no longer breeds corgis because she doesn’t want to leave a young pet when she dies, a royal aide has revealed...
The Queen no longer breeds corgis because she doesn’t want to leave a young pet when she dies, a royal aide has revealed.
Monty Roberts was disturbed by the comment because he couldn’t imagine a world without the 89-year-old monarch.
The 80-year-old, who advises the Queen on her horses, told Vanity Fair magazine: “She
didn’t want to have any more young dogs.
“She didn’t want to leave any young dog behind. She wanted to put an end to it.”
Monty said the conversation “still concerns” him.
He explained: “I want her to believe in her existence until she’s no longer here.”
“She’s just too important to the world to contemplate checking out. For me, the Queen can’t die.”
But he added: “I have no right to try to force her into continuing to bring on puppies if she doesn’t want to.”
The Queen has owned more than 30 corgis, all bred from the first named Susan, a present on her 18th birthday.
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Shoppers can raise money for Pets as Therapy simply by using a website that helps them donate as they spend normally.
Pets as Therapy are urging people to help raise money by using easyfundraising.org.uk where retailers give cash reward donations as people do their shopping through the site.
The Buckinghamshire cat and dogs charity aims to combat loneliness within the community by taking them on visits.
Running since 1983, the 5000 dogs and 200 cats have helped vulnerable people across hospitals, special needs schools and hospices
Cheryl Tissot, Activity CEO for Pets as Therapy, said: “easyfundraising.org has really helped us with our fundraising mission goals.
"The additional funds needed will help us provide more support nationally, and will really make a difference to the day-to-day work of our charity.
"We’d urge anyone who’s interested in helping out to visit the easyfundraising site while doing their shopping.”
Caroline Adams, Head of Marketing for easyfundraising, said: “We are so glad to have been able to help Pets as Therapy, and we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to donate through our site for this cause.
"Local charities are extremely important in the community, and without funding, it would be difficult for all this important work to be carried out.
easyfundraising.org.uk has raised over £9 million for causes throughout the UK.
For more information on the charity, visit https://www.petsastherapy.org and visit www.easyfundraising.org.uk for details on the scheme.
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