Devon-based Nature's Own Pet Ltd, which supplies animal feed and hay to Pets Corner shops nationwide, is back on its feet after fire devastated its business in April last year. 

Nature’s Own lost its packing and storage building in Winkleigh, North Devon, in the blaze and was forced to drastically reduce its output.

Owner Paul Gent said the firm lost a great deal of money due to the tragedy but was amazed at the support the business received, especially from Pets Corner.

He said: “We cannot thank Pets Corner enough for the support they have given us over the past six months. It was a scary thought, knowing they would have to go elsewhere for their hay supply whilst we repaired our facilities, and fearing they wouldn't come back

“This never even crossed their minds and we are so grateful for our continuing relationship.”

The family-run business is feeling positive for 2015, and trade is pretty much back to normal after the package and storage building has been rebuilt and is up and running once again.

Pets Corner co-owner Steve Charman said: “I am so glad that Paul and his team have come out the other side from their tragedy and business is now back up and running. They are a reliable company and produce fantastic stock.

“At Pets Corner we strive to use local small scale businesses as we feel we should put as much back into our own economy as possible.

"We also find the smaller UK based companies produce far better quality produce, a huge part of the Pets Corner message.”

Pets at Home has won its battle to build a new store in a Hampshire town after having an original planning application turned down by local councillors.

The original application for the store at Hedge End Retail Park was refused after objections were raised regarding the choice of site, the lack of road improvements around the store, and impact on existing businesses.

The Pets at Home shop will employ about 25 full-time staff and will be constructed on what is currently a car park for nearby premises including Homebase, Currys and PC World.

Eastleigh Council gave Pets at Home the green light this time around but concerns were again raised regarding heavy goods vehicle and delivery times but the panel voted seven to three in favour of the proposals.

Cllr Jane Welsh, the deputy mayor, said: “I suppose people will welcome the store, which is a really good store, but I’m not sure it’s in the right place.

“Even with conditions I do not think this will work. At very busy times it really is a problem now, and I think it will be even worse.”

Award-winning Manchester-based Betty & Butch have clinched another first by becoming the first UK pet shop to be recognised at the nationwide Greatest Christmas Awards. 

The store, voted UK Pet Retailer of 2014 in the PetQuip awards in September, clinched a Special Greatest Christmas Award for its Santa Paws Grotto.

The Greatest Christmas Awards, organised by Garden Trade News and Garden Radio, were presented in Harrogate on Sunday, and it's the first time a pet shop has collected an award.

Trevor Pfeiffer, managing director of Garden Trade News, said: "The judges insisted on making a Special Grotto Award to a pet shop who are developing a new trend - Sants Paws. Betty & Butch have even appeared on Blue Peter this year with the pet grotto."

Wagg Foods Ltd has started a four-week national TV advertising campain for Harringtons as the brand continues its impressive sales growth.

Harringtons has grown exponentially since 2011 and, in the calendar year 2014, was up over 35%. This is the first time the brand has appeared in TV advertising since August 2011.

The campaign is running for four weeks on ITV1, ITV2 and ITVBe, and was we launched during a break in Coronation Street on Monday.

Sales and marketing director Tom Page said: "The animated advert 'Tell them…' is voiced by Liza Tarbuck as we felt she perfectly fitted the Harringtons consumer demographic, as well as being a well known pet lover.

"Because the range has grown, the new advert will feature rabbits and guinea pigs as well as dogs and cats, and will be supported extensively on social media and online at the same time.

"This is a really exciting time for Harringtons as we continue to grow the brand at pace. We have NPD landing in stores in January and throughout the Spring and our retail partners are being encouraged to gear up accordingly to meet demand."

Premium dog accessory brand Oscar & Hooch, which manufactures dog collars and leads, has launched a pilot scheme to help its customers locate missing dogs.

Oscar & Hooch, a family business created by Paul and Elaine Steckler, has teamed up with MyTAG to provide a free branded ‘Lost & Found’ tag with each direct order from its signature dog collar range.

Despite their distinctive looks, these tags are much more than a stylish accessory. Using QR Code and NFC technology, they can actually help find missing dogs quickly and efficiently.

What’s more, Oscar & Hooch customers will receive 12 months free cover with MyTAG, the online service which links with the tag to store five emergency contacts, while pinpointing the location of a missing dog.

“When our pets go missing, it can cause a huge amount of stress and worry. That’s why we’ve teamed up with MyTAG. Their system can help find missing dogs in hours, rather than days,” explains sales director, Elaine Steckler.

“Customers simply notify MyTAG in the event of their dog going missing, which triggers an email alert to be sent to all vets, wardens and rescue centres within a 25 mile radius. Should someone find their missing dog, MyTAG will contact the customer instantly by text or email. A GPS map is also provided, which pinpoints the exact location of their four-legged friend.”

Free replacement ‘Lost & Found’ tags are also available to Oscar & Hooch customers, along with the option to upgrade to lifetime cover with MyTAG for £19.99. 

Elaine adds: “We’re confident that our customers will find these branded ‘Lost & Found’ tags of great value, so we can’t wait to hear their feedback. We have limited stock during this pilot scheme, so those wanting to place orders should get in touch quickly.”.

All of Oscar & Hooch’s products are manufactured within the UK. Both their dog collars and leads are presented as signature ranges, using a luxury soft suedette in 12 distinctive colours.

Finished with stylish nickel plated hardware, the entire range of collars and leads are also machine washable.

For further information about Oscar & Hooch, call 01934 713 667 or visit www.oscarandhooch.com.

British suppliers and overseas buyers of petcare products who took part in the recent ‘International Meet the Buyers’ event organised by PetQuip associations have applauded the business-creating quality of the meetings.

One of the attendees at the ‘Meet the Buyers’ meeting was John James of James & Steel, who presented the company’s extensive range of pet accessories to Cristi Pop from the Romanian wholesaler/pet retail chain, Animax. 

Following the meeting John said: "Once again I found the PetQuip ‘Meet the Buyer’ format to be very professional, yet informal, which is an ideal blend for this type of event. 

"James & Steel has attended a number of these events with PetQuip and we have always found them to be a very useful tool for our export market. They are very informative and have repaid the time, effort and expense many times over."

The next two PetQuip ‘Meet the Buyers’ events are scheduled for March 25 and June 17.

Contact the Federation on 01959 565995 for further information and to register interest.

Pictured: Cristi Pop (right) from Animax was impressed with the day’s proceedings and stated that he met with a good selection of suppliers including John James (left) from James & Steel.  Cristi said he had seen many British products that were suitable for the Romanian market, and there was good potential for new business.

Visitors to the two-day AQUA 2015 exhibition can expect to see an impressive display of new products when the premier aquatics and water gardening trade show takes place at Telford International Centre on October 14-15.

The New Products Showcase is one of the most popular features at the event as visiting buyers welcome the chance to view all the latest launches in one dedicated area.

Nearly 100 new products were showcased in 2013 when AQUA was last staged, and a higher number is expected this year. All the items will be entered into the New Products Awards, which will be judged by team of independent retailers on the opening morning of the show.

In recognition of the growing importance of the New Products Showcase and Awards, there will 10 different categories compared to five in 2013.

The categories that now make up the Showcase and Awards are:

• POS/Merchandising Idea
• Reptile Product
• Pond Construction/Decoration
• Pond Pump
• Pond Filter
• Pond Food, Care and Accessories
• Aquaria and Furniture
• Aquarium Equipment
• Aquarium Food, Care and Accessories
• Aquarium Decoration

Show organiser Annie Foord said: “New product development is a key factor in a company’s ongoing success, and that’s why shows like AQUA 2015 are so important.

“The fact that we have extended the range of New Products Showcase categories just emphasises how important this feature has become.”

Winning an award is a real accolade for the companies involved and helps promote both company and product awareness.

John Courtney-Smith, of past award winner Arcadia, commented: “Entering a product is 100% worth it. It’s great to be recognised for the hard work that goes into a product. I feel that winning the award really helped as part of a concerted effort to make us the UK’s number one reptile keeping brand.”

CASCO Europe won a New Products Award at AQUA 2013 and CEO Matthew Bubear says they’ll be entering again this year. “We have various products and innovations in development which we will launch at AQUA 2015.

“AQUA is a very well organised and attended trade show which gives us a great opportunity to reach out to the trade,” adds Matthew. “At the show our aim is to provide brand and product awareness. It also gives us the opportunity to demonstrate features and provide an excellent platform to launch new products.”

As well as getting to see all the new products being launched on to the market, visitors will be well looked-after during their stay, including a free deli bag lunch and more catering facilities. And retailers and buyers will also be invited to join exhibitors at an AQUA dinner on the first evening of the exhibition. The dinner, which will also be free, has been moved to a larger room to accommodate nearly 700 people. More details will be announced nearer the show.

Visitors can also benefit from free parking next to the exhibition hall, and will be able to take full advantage of a new events village called Southwater Square, recently opened close to the centre with a new hotel, restaurants, and one of the UK’s largest town-centre parks.

The AQUA 2015 website can be found at www.aquatelford.co.uk and the AQUA hotline is +44 (0) 1892 862848.

Date for the diary

AQUA 2015, October 14-15, Telford International Centre

Pigeon fanciers are set to flock to retailers of the new Bucktons Superior Plus range, the latest scientific advance in pigeon food.

The ground-breaking new range will be launched to 15,000 pigeon fanciers at the British Homing World Show of the Year later this month. It will also be supported by targeted consumer advertising in niche publications such as The British Homing World and The Racing Pigeon.

Rachael Dickinson, Senior Brand Manager for Bucktons, said: “After speaking to pigeon fanciers we recognised a need for a next-generation pigeon feed that used scientific developments to drive real innovation in this category.

“As a result we have developed Quorum Sensing Technology a scientifically recognised element unique to Bucktons which supports immune systems, using refined botanical ingredients to boost immunity and digestion, stimulate natural enzymes and prevent bacteria.”

All three new products in the Superior Plus range feature the patented Quorum Sensing Technology ingredient:

1. Superior Plus Racer Low Protein Racing Feed – A low protein, high fat feed with no peas included.
2. Superior Plus Racer Optimal Racing Nutrition Feed – Featuring a wide variety of ingredients for optimal racing performance.
3. Superior Plus Breeder Feed – High protein feed, which supports growth and development.

Bucktons represents more than 50 years of commitment to the production of high quality pigeon foods providing optimum nutrition to meet the exacting needs of pigeons and their owners.

The mixes will officially be on sale from February 2015, leaving retailers with plenty of time to get their stock in before the rush.

For further information on stocking these new products, contact Richard Greenwood, Bird Care Sales Manager on 07976 490 341, or email rgreenwood@westlandhorticulture.com

ROGZ Europe has appointed Anivite as its new and exclusive distributor of the now famous accessory branded ROGZ products in Portugal.

Founded in 1962, the family owned company was started by José Pico. Now headed up by his son Rui, the company is based in Alverca do Ribatejo just 20km outside the capital, Lisbon.

The distribution centre covers 4 000sqm and employs 30 staff members. The sales team of six covers all major centres in Portugal, and services over 400 veterinarians, pet stores and pet breeders. They even supply a few special customers in Madeira and the Azores.

“We are very excited with the appointment of Anivite as our new partners in Portugal,” says ROGZ Key Account Manager Fritz Gerke.

“While Portugal is not our biggest market in Europe by a long way, Anivite are nonetheless a very good fit for us, and promise to be the ideal partners in helping grow the ROGZ brand.”

Since completing a very successful Interzoo show in Germany in May 2014, ROGZ has made several new appointments and certainly seems to be enjoying ongoing success.

“We grew company turnover in excess of 30% last year,” says John Henshilwood, ROGZ GM for Europe, “and we look well on track for growth of a further 20% in the current financial period as well.

"We have made some strategic appointments, and have further exciting plans in the pipeline. We put this down to our fantastic distribution partners, dedicated sales teams, and 'Awesome ROGZ Attitude' or 'ARA' as we call it at ROGZ world headquarters."

Pictured, from left to right: Rui Ramos, Sales Coordinator – Specialized Channel; Nelson Filipe, Sales and Marketing Director; Filipe Flora Reis, Product Manager/Marketing.

Specialist animal and bird housing importer Liberta has seen its latest range of parrot cages endorsed by the international charity, the World Parrot Trust. This is the first time the organisation has made such an endorsement.

Paul Lawrence, who founded Liberta eight years ago, said the company's aim for 2015 was to deliver something totally unique for parrot owners from its own-brand range.

"We wanted to not only improve our product, but also offer the trade and end-user something more. Liberta has been working throughout 2014 with many new factories to ensure a higher quality product with many added features, but most importantly no increase in price." 

He explained that when Liberta started looking at developing the range, the team wanted to improve the experience for owners as well as enhance the well-being of parrots, so approached the World Parrot Trust for advice and recommendations.

After working closely with the trust over a period of months, a number of changes were incorporated, including:

• Larger, stronger door locks
• Thicker frame and bars
• Higher quality, non-toxic paint finishes (all materials have been tested to guarantee the safety of birds)
• New improved packaging to ensure safe delivery

The following are also now included as standard with each purchase of a Liberta 2nd Edition Parrot Cage:

• Basic tool kit for self assembly
• Booklet with easy-to-follow instructions
• Three free parrot toys, to encourage owners to interact more with their parrots and to promote toy sales instore.
• Six months' free membership to the World Parrot Trust

Added Paul: "This is a great offer, and great for bird owners to learn more and understand about their new and existing pet."

Every Liberta cage also comes with a Certificate of Authenticity to assure customers they are buying a genuine high-quality product. Paul explained that last year, Liberta was alerted that imitations had been spotted in the UK. Issuing such certificates would help counter this by letting customers identify when the cage they were buying was a genuine Liberta product.

For more information call 01379 870148, email sales@libertauk.com or visit www.libertauk.com

Gloucestershire based Animaware will be showcasing both its innovative Animalarm and Animat at PATS Sandown in March.

Designed to counter the life-threatening effects of pets over-heating, both products offer simple and practical solutions to keep your pet cool this summer.

The Animalarm designed and manufactured in the UK is a unique wireless temperature gauge for any environment, which automatically sends texts to your mobile phone when temperature limits are reached.

Extremely simple to use Animalarm operates on GSM networks and is compatible with any SIM card. It can be assigned to more than one mobile number with its easy coding system. There are no limits to the range for receiving messages, which accurately inform you on the status of the temperature. And alert every one degree beyond your programmed trigger temperature.

Perfect when travelling with your dog, Animalarm offers peace of mind to owners in transit. Surprisingly, the rear of a vehicle can be over 10 degrees hotter than the front as standard air-con systems are limited in their circulation.

Equally for those camping or motorhoming, Animalarm offers a versatile tool to ensure dogs do not overheat, and gives owners peace of mind that the temperature is monitored for optimum comfort for dogs wherever they go.

With applications ranging beyond travel to in the home, in boarding kennels and vet practices, the Animalarm is embraces modern technology to reduce an age-old issue of dogs over-heating in any environment.

The first of its kind in the UK, the AniMat uses an innovative and unique patented gel to cool down an animal on contact by absorbing body heat for up to an hour. It’s the exact same technology currently being used in cooling bedding and pads for humans. It’s non-toxic, non-leaking and so simple to use as it requires no battery or electrical activation.

It’s ideal for cats in the home or in transit as generally they won’t tolerate being dampened or enjoy being placed in front of a fan.  Made from easy to clean natural rubber dogs and cats are drawn to lie on its cooling surface. Complete with the option of a handy lightweight 100% cotton cover, the Animat is cool for both dogs and cats this Summer. Available in three sizes retailing from £14.99, Animat is ideal for crates, car seats, and as a must-have cooling accessory for any dog bed or sofa.

Animaware’s Founder, Victoria Davidson commented:“ We’re very excited about showcasing our ‘heat sensitive’ products to the trade. We will be encouraging retailers and distributors alike with competitive margins, and point of sale material. Our aim is to reduce or even stop the often life threatening incidents of dogs suffering from heat exhaustion”.

Animaware’s luxurious lightweight faux fur Dog Duvets will also be on display. Inspired to ensure a cosy night’s sleep for dogs and cats,10.5 tog duvets are ideal for a cat-nap anywhere! For more information visit: www.animalarm.com

For further information contact: Victoria Davidson Tel: 01452 702062 Email: victoria@theanimalarm.com

Canagan, specialists in grain free dog and cat food, have announced the launch of Canagan Country Game for Cats.

Canagan Country Game for Cats is the defining statement in grain free nutrition.

With even higher levels of super digestible protein delivered by an unprecedented selection of delicious natural ingredients.

The freshly prepared duck and venison are produced to an equivalent human food standard and are perfectly complemented with vegetables and botanicals.

As obligate carnivores, cats must obtain their nutrients from meats and therefore thrive on high meat and fat diets.

Canagan Country Game for Cats recipe contains 75% nutritious animal ingredients with 25% vegetables and botanicals.

Available in 375g, 1.5kg and 4kg bags.

This new product will be available in February and will be showcased on the Symply Pet Foods stand at PATS Sandown.

For more information visit www.canagan.co.uk

Plymouth's Woodside Animal Sanctuary found homes for 1,256 animals in 2014 the charity has revealed.

The Elfordleigh sanctuary said they continue to see a huge demand for their services in rehoming animals, assistance in neutering and work in the community for the welfare of animals.

Carole Bowles MBE said: "I am still left gobsmacked on many occasions by the wonderful support we receive.

"It is an amazing number of animals to have placed in new homes.

"But our goal would be to home less as the years go by, in the hope that breeding is taken much more seriously and pets are taken on with the great deal of thought that it deserves".

Woodside hopes 2015 will be even better, as it continues to try to educate and its work within the community.

Carole said: "There are so many ways people can support us, financially, through donating items on our shopping lists or amazon wishlist, adopting rather than going to a breeder or pet shop, educating themselves and others on the best animal welfare, donating to our charity shops. The list goes on.

"Please, we ask even if you can do just one thing in 2015 to help either the animals in our care or animals in the area in general, then please do it."

ChapelWood’sspecial offers will help retailers make the most of the national activities and publicity of NNBW, and allow them to set up their own special offers and promotions at this traditionally quiet time of year.

Some of the products on offer are: the Classic Robin Nest Box, SRP £4.99, reduced from £5.99; the Silver Birch Nest Box, SRP £7.99, reduced from £9.99; and the Woodpecker Nest Box, SRP £19.99, reduced from £22.99.

The Silver Birch Nest Box is ideal for most garden birds, has been carved from a silver birch tree and has thick walls for insulation. The Classic Robin Nest Box is open fronted for robins and made from thick-cut FSC pine for insulation. The Woodpecker Nest Box is also made from thick-cut FSC pine and has a part-excavated frontage, which is particularly enticing to woodpeckers.

To take advantage of these great offers, contact the sales office on 01905 798666 or speak to your local sales representative. The full list, including their contact details, can be found in the trade area of LoveTheGarden.com – http://www.lovethegarden.com/trade-contact-us/garden-centre-sales-representatives

ChapelWood also has some fabulous, colourful National Nest Box Week POS, which is available to retailers who take out deals on these nest boxes.

National Nest Box Week

National Nest Box Week starts on Valentine’s Day, February 14, and runs until February 21. So share your love with Britain’s wild garden birds and do something to help them during this critical time.

NNBW is organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). To find out more, visit the BTO website at http://www.bto.org/about-birds/nnbw

Fire crews were called to tackle a blaze at a pet shop in Hart Road, Benfleet, Essex, just before 9.20am yesterday (Wednesday).

They used breathing apparatus to tackle the fire and had put it out within 40 minutes. 

It is understood that no animals were hurt.