Asda has become the first UK supermarket to launch a multi-partner frozen raw pet food proposition.

The supermarket has teamed up with several pet food partners, including Poppy’s Picnic, Wilsons Pet Food, Billy & Margot and Nurture Them Naturally.

The new frozen bays have been implemented in six Asda stores.

Pet owners in Minworth, Queslett, West Bridgford, Gateshead, Eastlands and Caerphilly, will be able to pick up products such as Bubble & Squeak, Turkey Dinner, Pork & Beef Complete and Duck for their furry friends.

If customers are considering exploring raw food for the first time, Asda will also be stocking frozen ‘Power Balls’ from Poppy’s Picnic, perfectly portioned balls of meat which are ideal for embarking on a raw diet with their pet.  

As well as introducing the new frozen bay to its stores, Asda is also expanding its ambient ranges, including new partners YuMove, who offer joint supplements for dogs, and a selection of treats and rewards from leading pet food brands.

Strategic Pet Care Partnerships Lead at Asda, Chris Richards, said: “The launch marks a significant innovation milestone in the evolution of ASDA Pet Care. As more customers look for high quality and nutritious alternatives for their pets, we're delighted to be collaborating with our partners to offer an exciting range of frozen raw pet food. Along with YuMove, the UKs leading Pet supplement brand, usually only available to be purchased from specialist retailers.”

The new multi-partner freezer bay will stock frozen raw pet food starting from £1.95.

The Bug Factory, which claims to provide a sustainable future for pet food, is launching its line of environmentally-friendly hardware for pet owners across the world. 

The Bug Factory manufactures eco-growing pods designed for people’s homes that harness insect power to recycle food waste and convert it into pet food and plant fertiliser. 

The pods are manufactured from recycled British fridge and freezers and aim to empower consumers to create their own affordable, sustainable and continuous source of animal feed while recycling their uneaten fruit. 

Founded in 2019, The Bug Factory was born after British entrepreneur Thomas Constant received a School Design Award at Loughborough University for the initial concept in 2018. Two years later, the company successfully launched on Kickstarter, receiving 420% funding. The past two years have been spent conducting extensive research through customer data, global trends, retailer interest and market validation.

Thomas Constant (pictured right), CEO and Founder of The Bug Factory, said: “In the pandemic, pet ownership went through the roof as the country pivoted to working from home and simultaneously, we as a nation have shown an increasing interest in sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions to our everyday lives. Insects are incredibly sustainable – they use a fraction of the land, energy and resources that traditional livestock do. Our ecosystems provide a constant supply of fresh, juicy mealworms perfect for pets and we’re super excited to launch our solution to pet owners today in the comfort of their own home.”

Pet YouTuber Emzotic was one of the first people to try out the new line. The verdict: “The Bug Factory products are simply a must-have for anyone who spends far too much money on live pet feed. Having the ability to harvest my own mealworms has cut my monthly mealworm expenses down from $30 to zero. All I need to do now is throw in some of my suitable scraps, rotate a few trays and enjoy the harvest – would highly recommend.”

The Bug Factory’s products will be rolled out in stores across the UK and US, and will be available online internationally. This launch comes after an extensive beta testing period conducted on over 400 customers, with an array of industry-leading awards on The Bug Factory and Thomas’ roster, including Innovate UK Awards 21/22, Barclays Bank Entrepreneur of the Year 21/22, Top 30 UK Founders Award and Top Five Global Insect Start-Up Award. 

Michael White, Director of The Incubator Shop, said: “As a retailer of poultry and livestock breeding, we’re hugely excited to introduce The Bug Factory to our customer-base. The product range fits perfectly with the sustainability and self-sufficiency goals of our customers – providing an affordable, eco-friendly source of protein for their birds and animals. The Bug Factory is a much-needed solution in today’s economic climate.”

Product information:

Starting at £29.99, the hardware solution is a closed loop system that turns consumer’s food waste into protein as well as plant fertiliser. The first step is to recycle uneaten fruit and vegetables into The Bug Factory pods, users can then start producing insect protein into their own home and use the insect waste as plant fertiliser.

User-guide:

• The Mealworm Growing Pod consists of 3 x white mealworm trays and 1 x blue beetle bray
• Users must add mealworms to a mealworm tray, starting with 120-180g
• Over the following few weeks the mealworms will turn into pupae, as they do this, move the pupae from the mealworm tray to the raised centre of the blue beetle tray
• The pupae will then turn into beetles and start laying eggs – users should continue with Step 3 until all the mealworms have been pupated. Once all mealworm has pupate, users should leave beetles in the tray
• After four weeks, users will move the blue beetle tray into another tray leaving the initial tray filled with eggs
• Once left for a few weeks, the mealworms will be visible and ready for users to feed their pets – users can now repeat Step 5 on a different tray for a continuous supply of pet feed

The Bug Factory describes mealworms as the future of sustainable protein due to the insects using a fraction of the land, energy and resources that traditional livestock use. Mealworms are 54% protein and have a low fat content while being packed full of essential vitamins, providing a fantastic source of protein for poultry, reptiles, wild birds and fish in particular.

Over the next few years, The Bug Factory aims to remove over 125,000,000 kg of CO2 and help hit the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals – specifically addressing: Goal 2 ‘zero hunger’, Goal 12 ‘responsible consumption and production’ and Goal 13 ‘climate change’.

To find out more visit: https://bugfactory.co.uk/

Pets at Home has joined forces with leading product discovery platform, RangeMe, as it bids to find the bestsellers of tomorrow.

RangeMe will give Pets at Home faster and easier access to thousands of new brands and suppliers from across the world – inviting any business, of any size, to submit their product suggestions.

Not only will it streamline the process of sourcing new suppliers and open the door for new relationships, RangeMe will also ensure these suppliers meet the high standards set out in Pets at Home’s Supplier Code of Conduct, against criteria including animal welfare, ethical and technical practices and sustainability.

Pets at Home says this new partnership will mean the process of finding new products and making them available to customers will be quicker than ever, and it is also optimistic the platform will enable them to give even more opportunity to smaller businesses in the sector.

Kate Robinson, Concept Development & Innovation Manager at Pets at Home, said: “Partnering with RangeMe helps us to take our buying process to the next level, giving us access to a larger variety of innovative and on-trend pet products.

"It also gives our potential future suppliers an easier route to showcase their products directly to the relevant category team.

"Ultimately, it enables us to make more informed decisions on suppliers quicker and bring exciting new pet products that put pets’ wellbeing and happiness first, to our customers in a matter of weeks.” 

Nicky Jackson, CEO at RangeMe, said: “As the leading pet retailer in the UK, we are thrilled to add Pets at Home as another of the large UK retailers we support. RangeMe makes the process easier for retailers and suppliers to connect and simultaneously continue to grow their businesses. Currently we have more than 200,000 suppliers signed up, providing an incredible amount of choice in products for retailers.”    

Nationwide pet retailer Jollyes has reported half-year record sales and said it was on course to hit significant milestones over the coming 18 months.

In 2023 Jollyes expects to see turnover hit £100 million, its workforce pass the 1,000 mark and even has its sights set on opening its 100th store within 18 months.

As it gets ready for what it expects to be its busiest Christmas in the company’s 50-plus years, Jollyes reported sales in the half year to 27 November of £53.2 million, a 23 per cent increase against a year ago.

It follows annual sales of £87 million in the year to 29 May 2022, and puts Jollyes on track to reach £100 million turnover in January 2023.

The increase in turnover has been through a mix of higher sales at existing stores, new openings and acquisitions, and rising demand at its digital platform offering home delivery and click and collect services.

It will launch nine stores in 2022, including Edinburgh and Llanelli which are set to open on Friday 9th and Saturday 10th respectively. In July acquired Penparc, adding five stores in the Midlands, taking the UK total to 84.

Six more stores are scheduled to open by May 2023 and Jollyes expects to open its 100th store by early 2024.

The rapid expansion has seen Jollyes workforce grow to 983 at the half-year, with colleague numbers set to pass 1,000 in 2023 through new stores, additional jobs in its head office in Waltham Abbey, Essex, and supporting its online service.

Richard Cotter, executive chairman of Jollyes, said: “While there are signs that the pandemic pet ownership peak has passed and sector growth is returning to normality, it’s very encouraging to see our sales continue to increase significantly ahead of the market through a mixture of organic growth and expansion through new stores and acquisitions.

“The half year performance show that our approach of being a national group with a local approach is what customers want. We’re in a strong position to achieve our ambitious growth plans and we have significant opportunities to bring our unique offer to more communities across the UK.”

Jollyes chief executive officer Joe Wykes, who was promoted to the role in May said: “A key pillar of our growth this year has been our commitment to be the UK’s best value pet superstore – and because we know that’s going to be vital to our customers in 2023, we’re committed to bringing Jollyes value to more places right across the UK.”

Key business highlights:

• Acquired Penparc in July 2022, with five stores in the Midlands.
• Opened new stores in 2022 at Glenrothes and Stirling in Scotland, Wrexham in North Wales, Cookstown in Northern Ireland, Southport, Poole, Stockton-on-Tees, Edinburgh Hermiston Gait and Llanelli.
• Gave makeovers to stores at Lurgan, Newry and Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, Romford, Gosport, St Helens, Dartford and Bedford in England and Clydebank in Scotland as part of its investment and modernisation of its estate.
• Extended its affordable community pet clinics to over half its estate – now 43 Jollyes locations provide services such as vaccinations and microchipping.
• Continued investment in its online offer at www.jollyes.co.uk to bring a nationwide delivery on over 6,000 key items, integrating with a full click-and-collect service through its store network.
• Recruited 179 young people to get their dream job working with animals and invested in training to build on its reputation for expert advice.
• Gave colleagues a payment of £600 to help support them through the cost of living crisis – with payments timed to help around Christmas. The cost of living support, together with enhanced staff discounts, were made as a thank-you to colleagues for their hard work.

Key sales highlights:

• Footfall hit a record high in the half year as Jollyes served over three million customers.
• Membership of Jollyes’ PetCLUB loyalty scheme rose by over 16 per cent.
• Sales of its exclusive, high quality Lifestage dog food rose by 70 per cent and its exclusive Mcintyres brand is now outselling Pedigree.
• Continued trends in pet food that saw the combination of wet & dry purchases, and acceleration in frozen food raw feeding
• Top Lifestage choice for dog owners was the brand’s salmon grain free recipe, beating the Turkey Grain variety at Christmas. 
• Year-on-year growth in dog treats hit all-time highs with products like Natural Antlers doubling in sales.
• Stores also supported local dog and re-homing charities, donating over 100,000 meals over the last 12 months.

As Jollyes prepares for Christmas, it expects big sellers to include treats, toys and accessories, including seasonal gifts for dogs and cats such as Christmas stockings, advent calendars, Santa suits, squeaky yetis, gonks, winter coats and cosy beds.

Pet ownership enjoyed a huge boost during the pandemic amid growing awareness of the benefits animal can bring to well-being.

Jollyes has seen sales continue to grow despite signs that the pandemic boom in pet ownership has begun to tail off as more people have returned to work.

Jollyes also confirmed that its stores would be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years’ Day to allow colleagues to spend time with their families.

Jollyes is putting the finishing touches to its first store in south Wales as it prepares to open in Llanelli just in time for Christmas. 

The nationwide pet retailer will open its doors at Parc Pemberton Retail Park, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, at 10.00am on Saturday 10 December. 

The official opening ceremony will be performed by the chair and consort of Carmarthenshire County Council, councillor Rob and Mrs Nysia Evans. 

The 5,500 sq ft store will employ ten colleagues and offer customers a wide range of pet products, from food and treats to toys and accessories. 

It will host a community pet clinic and one of the first raw frozen food ‘shop-in-shops’ – an increasingly popular way to help pets get the high quality nutrition they need.  

Jollyes already has two stores in north Wales, at Wrexham, which opened earlier this year, and Flint, but the new Llanelli store is its first in south Wales – with more to follow. 

The company is in negotiations to open two more South Wales stores in the new year and will announce more details once locations and timings are confirmed. 

Jollyes is also teaming up with West Wales Poundies dog recue centre for the opening who’ll be bringing Mabel - one of their dogs looking for a forever home - to help formally declare the store open by biting through a string of sausages. 

Other ways that Jollyes is planning to give Llanelli’s pet owners a warm welcome to the UK’s “Pet People” with events on the opening day include:  

• Official opening by chair and consort of Carmarthenshire County Council, councillor Rob and Mrs Nysia Evans 
• the chance to win prizes by playing the “wheel of fur-tune” 
• goodie bags for the first 100 visitors 
• a live broadcast by Radio Carmarthenshire from 8am until noon. 
• stilt walkers and face-painters 
• fund raising by West Wales Poundies dog rescue charity 

Leading the team at the new Llanelli store will be manager Sadie Rawlings. 

Jollyes’ regional manager Matt Godwin said: “We’ve been looking for the right location for our first store in south Wales for some time and couldn’t be happier to be in Llanelli at Parc Pemberton. We’re actively looking at other locations in south Wales and will give more details in the new year. 

“We think Llanelli’s pet owners are going to love our fantastic range of food, treats, toys and accessories and all at fantastic value for money which makes such a difference in the current climate.” 

Jollyes is also opening a new store at Hermiston Gait in Edinburgh on 9 December. It follows openings this year in Glenrothes, Stirling, Cookstown, Wrexham, Southport, Stockton-on-Tees and Poole. 

Backed by Kester Capital, Jollyes now has more than 80 stores and in July it acquired Penparc Pet Centres with five stores in the Midlands to accelerate growth.

Pets & Friends, part of Kennelpak Limited, has expanded its consumer offering with a new refill station at its Shrewsbury store, as part of an ongoing push for sustainable shopping.

Perfect for pockets, pets and the planet, the new refill station is an ideal solution for pet parents who are more budget and planet-conscious, but don’t want to compromise on the quality of their pes wellbeing. 

 “It’s about convenience and value, customers can top up and only pay for what they need, minimizing both packaging and food waste,” says Steve Collard, head of retail at Pets & Friends.

“We’ve had a fantastic response to the trial in Shrewsbury and can’t wait to expand, as we know this will also help customers who have tighter budgets and can’t always bulk buy.”

Customers can take their own containers to stock up or use a complimentary paper bag available in-store, helping to eliminate both product and packaging waste.

Right now, customers can refill their Collards dry dog food, Wellness CORE dry cat food, natural cat litter and wild bird seed based on price per 100g. 

With the Shrewsbury trial going well so far, the plan is to roll out the refill station concept across a number of Pets & Friend stores.

PATS Sandown is the place for pet retailers to see a host of new exhibitors as well as the industry’s big-name brands, all of which will be showcasing their 2023 launches over two action-packed days on 26-27 March next year.

Organiser Gordon Thomas said: “It’s great to see so many companies exhibiting at PATS Sandown for the first time. Together with our valued regular exhibitors, they are sure to make the two-day show one to remember.”

Exhibitors new to PATS Sandown include: Bugalugs, Dog Space, Litter Genie, Loerie Trading, Mahi Naturals, The Smallest, Trinkety Paws, TRM Pet and Swiss company curli.

They’ll be joining regular exhibitors like Beco, Sharples Pet, Burns Pet Nutrition, Danish Design, Johnson Veterinary Products, Pero Foods, Scruffs, Nutriment, Pet Trade Innovations and Pedigree Wholesale.

PATS Sandown in March will be the best place for pet retailers and garden centres to see the whole pet industry and all the latest products under one roof.

A full list of the exhibitors can be found at www.patshow.co.uk where visitors can also register for free entry to the show.

As the excitement starts to build for the UK’s Spring pet industry exhibition, a selection of PATS Sandown newcomers share their thoughts.

Mahi Naturals Ltd is a distributor of natural care products and business manager Sue Harrison explained why the company had signed up to exhibit at PATS Sandown. “We are launching several brands at PATS and have chosen this show as it is considered the best exhibition for pet product retailers and buyers.”

Bugalugs Pet Care marketing executive Mollie Mckenna said: “Following our success at PATS Telford in September, we are excited to attend the Sandown show for the first time with the intention of showcasing our exciting new product ranges. Additionally, we look forward to increasing brand awareness and generating partnerships with other pet industry experts.”

Trinkety Paws is a leading manufacturer for high quality dog collars and dog leads. Owner Nadine Berger said: “I am extremely proud of having a business that designs and skilfully makes products in the UK, creating jobs for a dedicated team of designers, reducing the carbon footprint on products, whilst being able to support the British economy. We are looking forward to catching up with existing and meeting new customers at PATS Sandown.”

Loerie Trading focusses on the pet travel sector and will be showcasing the popular Innopet and Ibiyaya brands at PATS Sandown. Director Branko Burazin commented: “We are excited to engage and collaborate with high-street retail pet stores owners and corporate companies, both for lead generation and brand exposure. Our range includes pet strollers, bike trailers, car ramps, and carriers for both cats and dogs of all shapes and sizes.”

International company curli is a specialist in dog harnesses based in the Swiss mountains and is excited to be showcasing its products at PATS Sandown.

Company founders Mark Zimmermann and Roland Primus are passionate mountain guides and outdoor experts, who know the value of professional equipment, reliable safety and the trust associated with it. curli successfully transfers this approach to carefully designed dog harnesses for small and large dogs, and its products are sold in over 38 countries.

Visitors to PATS Sandown will be able to see an unrivalled array of new-launch products, have face-to-face meetings with suppliers, and watch demonstrations from the country’s leading dog groomers.

Arden Grange is expanding its range to include five new grain free varieties of its much-loved maintenance diets, with added superfoods.

Suitable for dogs of all breeds and sizes with an average activity level, these recipes are highly palatable and digestible, containing a high proportion of fresh meat.

You can expect to find the usual Chicken, Lamb and Salmon diets, and the brand is also introducing two new recipes containing Duck and Turkey - a first for Arden Grange. The Duck is a highly nutritious, novel protein source whilst the Turkey is a great white meat alternative to Chicken. The recipes also include sweet potato providing the main source of carbohydrate - a great option for dogs who suffer with allergies or intolerances to white potato or rice.

Their complete, super premium grain free recipes will also include their blend of nutrient-rich superfood ingredients which have been selected for their excellent antioxidant properties and will provide much needed support to dogs’ immune systems and overall health and wellbeing.

In addition to this, just like all Arden Grange dry food recipes, they are naturally hypoallergenic and benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin for joint aid and FOS and MOS prebiotics to help with digestion and immunity.

The new grain free Chicken products will be available across Puppy, Adult and Light/Senior life stage needs. The Puppy diet includes optimal vitamins and minerals for growing puppies from 8 weeks, whilst the Light/Senior diet has boosted levels of joint support and has lower calories than the adult maintenance diets to support older or overweight dogs.

The Lamb, Salmon, Duck and Turkey recipes are available in Adult diets only, however Arden Grange provide nutritional advice if you wish to feed these diets to puppies or senior dogs.

All recipes will be available soon in 2kg and 12kg bags. For further information on the new grain free recipes or any other Arden Grange products, visit www.ardengrange.com or call 01273 833390.

Hampshire’s Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists (SCVS), one of the largest specialist-led referral centres in the UK, has completed the latest phase of its £10m redevelopment and launched a new ophthalmology service.

Doubling in size to 30,000ft², the Ringwood hospital now boasts a purpose-built theatre complex fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, as well as a two-storey facility housing a beautiful reception and waiting area, 12 additional consulting rooms and a new rehabilitation centre equipped with a water treadmill and a large arena for treatment and gait analysis. 

In addition, a new lecture theatre will help SCVS expand its comprehensive CPD programme and continue to deliver clinic owner IVC Evidensia’s largest intern and residency programme.

As part of the ongoing redevelopment, a clear focus has also been on employee wellbeing. A new spacious staff area will provide the 200-strong team a place to gather, dine and relax while kennel space for staff dogs has been increased to further support SCVS’s ‘bring your dog to work’ policy.

The considerable investment in facilities, equipment and staff has enabled SCVS to add to its already comprehensive multi-disciplinary offering with the launch of a new ophthalmology service. This specialist-led service offers the most advanced technologies and methods, including cataract surgery, corrective eyelid surgery and corneal disease management, alongside many others.  

In addition to boasting the largest cardiology team in the UK, other specialist services available at SCVS include anaesthesia, dermatology and diagnostic imaging as well as oncology, neurology and others. Joined by IVC Evidensia’s UK and Ireland CEO, Duncan Phillips, the SCVS team has officially opened the doors to the new facilities and welcomes clients and local veterinary colleagues to tour the renovated hospital.

Duncan Phillips, CEO UK and Ireland at IVC Evidensia, said: “At IVC Evidensia we’re striving to push the boundaries of veterinary care, employee wellbeing and customer service to make the profession the best it can be. The considerable investment into the SCVS expansion highlights our dedication and commitment to this goal.

“It’s fantastic to see the redevelopment at SCVS and I know that pets, their owners and the talented team at the hospital will all benefit greatly.”

Stephen Collins, Hospital Director and National Cardiology Lead at SCVS, said: “We’re delighted with the facilities we can now offer to clients and patients. The redevelopment brings several benefits including brilliant working conditions for our ever-expanding team, cutting edge technology and an excellent lecture theatre. Learning and development is at the heart of SCVS and we’re thrilled that we can now expand our comprehensive CPD event programme which is open to all local vets and nurses. 

“At SCVS, we are incredibly proud to provide a specialist-led, multidisciplinary referral service which enhances our ability to support an ever-increasing demand for the specialist services we provide. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming clients into our fantastic new facilities and to continue to deliver exceptional care.”

The new hospital facility is fully operational and open 24/7 for referrals, supporting colleagues from surrounding vet practices. For more information, visit www.scvetspecialists.co.uk

An experienced pet sitter has designed a portable internal gate system that helps to prevent attacks on postal workers from over-protective dogs.

Peter Maxted, founder of Dog-G8, devised a gate system that prevents dogs escaping out of the front door when the postman comes to deliver.

Royal Mail announced there were 1,673 dog attacks reported on its staff last year, an average of 32 attacks every week across the UK, with some leading to permanent and disabling injuries.  

A pet sitter for over 19 years, Peter was aware of the risks associated with dogs at front doors – escapes, attacks and thefts. Although there were other gates on the market, he felt they were inadequate and ineffective enough to work for all breeds. He therefore decided to design and sell his own version so he could keep his and clients’ dogs safer at the front door.

Peter’s son Chris is also a director in the business and has been working alongside Merseyside Dog Safety Partnership and the University of Liverpool to raise awareness of dog attacks and their impact on delivery workers.

The Dog-G8 product is British-made which features a concertina, modular and retractable design. The product is incredibly versatile and can be used on multiple configurations ranging from the front door, to stairways, hallways, motor homes, horse boxes and more.

The gate’s modular design enables it to be spanned to any width, allowing the gate to be fitted to the widest of configurations such as patio doors where standard, conventional gates cannot fit.

The gate is made from mild steel, coated in chrome or white powder coat, bolted together with bespoke, customised clips which give the gate strength and durability.

When the gate is not in use it sits flat and compact to one side it’s neat, unobtrusive, and out of the way. Finally, it is removable, enabling it to be easily stored away or docked to other configurations such as the Stairway to the Doorway (if extra brackets are purchased).

Since launch the company has seen massive growth and now sells directly to the consumer in the UK, Canada, United States, and Europe. The product went viral on Tiktok receiving over 55 million views across all videos and they attended Crufts last year for the first time where the product was well received. The Dog-G8 Company were the Theo Paphitis' Small Business Sunday Winner in March 2021

The Dog-G8 Company is currently working on bringing out variants of the current products. The business will launch a taller version of the gate within the next 6 months, ready for Crufts 2023, alongside offering customers a range of new colours. Now only two colours are available, Chrome and White in one height.

The business is looking to widen its distribution network by targeting the trade and wholesalers in the next year.

The gates are available to buy on Amazon or directly from www.dog-g8.com

Yorkshire-based pet food brand, Wagg – part of Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN) – has launched a range of limited-edition flavours of its pocket-sized treats, just in time for the holiday season.

The treats come in a variety of deliciously festive flavours with no added sugar, including: Turkey, Stuffing & Gravy, Festive Cookies, Three Bird Roast, and Turkey & Ham Pie.

The new Wagg festive line will be available in Asda, B&M, and Morrisons stores across the UK from just £1 a bag.

Turkey, Stuffing & Gravy

Wagg Turkey, Stuffing & Gravy is a delicious treat for your dog, enriched with extra vitamins and minerals, and sure to get their tails wagging this festive period.

Festive Cookies

Nothing says Christmas like a batch of cookies! Oven-baked with festive spicy cinnamon and coriander for that delicious, natural taste, now your pet won’t be left out when it comes to yuletide treats.

Three Bird Roast

This will leave your dog licking its lips. Roasted goodness in one tasty treat with turkey, duck, and chicken to give them the Christmas dinner they deserve.

Turkey & Ham Pie

Everyone gets a piece of the pie this Christmas thanks to Wagg’s oven baked Turkey & Ham pie – in pie we crust!

To find out more about Wagg’s festive treats, please visit: https://waggfoods.com/news/set-those-tails-to-wagg-mode-as-christmas-has-just-come-early

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The Village Pet Shop in Bransgore, Hampshire, has announced to customers it is moving premises to the site of an old butcher’s shop.

Announcing the move on its Facebook page, the owners said no official date had been set for the relocation.

“Please don’t panic if you start to see things move out, from one shop to the next or things not quite in the usual place. 

“Lastly with the move in mind we like to get your feedback, on what you like to see in the pet shop moving forward.”

Picture taken from the shop’s Facebook page.

Despite the current economic climate, appetite for dog-friendly holidays remains strong with the UK’s no 1 dog-friendly travel company, PetsPyjamas, reporting November as its second busiest trading month of 2022.

PetPyjamas has also seen demand for their truly dog-welcoming holidays increase by 20% since pre-pandemic, with revenues up by 58% and customer spend increased by 25% compared to 2019.

While the demand for hotels has grown by 62%, cottage holidays have shown the biggest increase by 298% versus 2019, perhaps indicating that pet owners like to offer their four-legged friend a home from home experience when it comes to holidaying.

In terms of where all the demand has been heading, North Yorkshire (+132%) and Cumbria (+50%) are the dog-friendly destinations that have seen the biggest growth in customer bookings.

James Williams, Managing Director for PetsPyjamas, says: “The increased demand for our dog-friendly getaways demonstrates that pet owners see that holidays are better when everyone is together, and as key part of the family, that means the dog gets to come too! When traveling with PetsPyjamas, dogs stay free with almost all bookings– and of course, taking your dog away with you means that you are not calling on the goodwill of friends or family to pet-sit, nor are you forking out for expensive boarding fees, so it's a financial win win too.”

PetsPyjamas have been delighting furry friends and their owners since 2014, with truly dog-welcoming getaways at thousands of hotels, cottages, country houses and B&Bs in the UK and abroad.

PetsPyjamas holidays offer exceptional dog-friendly packages you won’t find anywhere else. PetsPyjamas offers exceptional and exclusive dog-friendly holiday packages where dogs stay free with almost all bookings. With just one booking, customers become members of PetsPyjamas’ Priority Paws loyalty programme, with benefits to the value of over £1,200 including access to their own VIP pet concierge, complimentary 24/7 vet line access for the duration of their trip, special discounts and exclusive deals.

Discover more at PetsPyjamas.com.

Dogmatic has been voted ‘Product I can’t live without’ for a record 10th time. 

Managing Director Zoe Lewsley said:  “We are so pleased to have been able to help fellow dog owners continue walking their dogs with the help of the Dogmatic Headcollar and thank all of you who took the time to vote for us once again, it is very much appreciated. 

“This is a wonderful achievement for Dogmatic to become the first Company to win such an amazing accolade for the 10th time in a category that spans the pet product market.

“We are always delighted to hear how much the Dogmatic Headcollar has helped owners and their dogs and it is their ‘must have’ product. It is wonderful to have such a loyal, growing Customer base who continue to ‘spread the word’ about Dogmatic.

“The Dogmatic offers a kind comfortable solution to dogs pulling on the lead. Products that are comfortable for your dog, work correctly, do not ride up or go near the eyes and also look good!  Offering the widest range of dog Headcollars in leather and padded cushioned webbing with matching collars and training leads.”

Telephone: 01952 245330 www.dogmatic.org.uk

The British Independent Retailers Association has said it is disappointed to learn that HSBC will be closing 114 of its branches in 2023.

The association, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, said it was concerned that the major high street bank were taking the measures.

It was announced this week that they will be closing the branches in April, and around 100 people would be losing their posts, however would try to be redeployed.

But BIRA has expressed concerns that this move will further dampen the footfall to the high street and lessen the support that independent shops would be getting.

Andrew Goodacre (pictured), CEO of BIRA said: "With this announcements from HSBC we see another example of large corporations deserting the high street and local communities. The excuse of on-line banking becoming dominant does not take into account the impact on people and businesses.

"Cash is still used in business and in the current Cost Of Living Crisis, we are seeing more cash being used by shoppers. Businesses therefore need banks to help them manage the cash and ensure the business meets the needs of customers.

"We also have concerns for people who do not use on-line banking. If banks are going to close down branches and leave the high street then we need to see a quicker roll out of the banking hubs so that vital services are retained. I could understand it better if these banks were losing money, but we know that is not the case," he added.

Curious kitten Oreo used up one of her nine lives after miraculously surviving a 50-ft fall from the window of a fourth-floor flat.

The one-year-old black and white cat’s life hung in the balance following the accident. Her family, who like most across the UK are feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis, was faced with a potential bill of thousands to treat her injures.

Thankfully, PDSA was there to help and, after receiving intensive care and treatment at the charity’s Bristol Pet Hospital, she is now on the road to recovery.

Oreo’s accident occurred at her family home during July’s heatwave - her owners thought they had closed all of the flat’s windows when they went to bed but one had been left slightly ajar, piquing the interest of the kitten who managed to prize it open with her paw.

When the family awoke the following morning, Oreo’s owner Melanie Woodward (38), from Redcliffe Hill, frantically searched for her but she was nowhere to be found.

The mother-of-three said: “Oreo is very friendly and always comes into the bedroom for a bit of fuss in the morning. When she didn’t come in, alarm bells started to ring. My daughter and I looked for her all over the flat - under beds, in cupboards, behind furniture – everywhere we could think of, but we just couldn’t find her.

“By that point I was hysterical. In desperation, I went onto the balcony, and when I looked down I saw her lying in our downstairs neighbour’s yard.

“It was beyond horrendous, we were all beside ourselves. I ran downstairs in my pyjamas and socks and banged on my neighbour’s door so I could get into the yard to help Oreo.”

Melanie immediately took the kitten to a local veterinary practice but, suffering from ill health and on disability benefits, she was unable to afford the tests needed to determine the extent of Oreo’s injuries. Luckily, vets at the surgery pointed her in the direction of PDSA. Once Oreo had been stabilised and given pain relief, the charity was able to arrange for her to be transferred for assessment and treatment immediately.

“When I realised how much treatment she was going to need, I was absolutely heart-broken. There is no way we could afford it, I suffer from ill health and my husband is my carer so we’ve always been on a tight budget but with bills going up constantly we are watching every penny - the money we have just wouldn’t stretch to thousands of pounds of veterinary care,” Melanie continued.

“The days where my husband and I have to miss meals to ensure the children and Oreo are able to eat are becoming more and more frequent. We rescued Oreo before all the bills went through the roof and she has quickly become the centre of our family, we all adore her. Without PDSA we genuinely thought Oreo wasn’t going to make it.”

Once at PDSA, Oreo had x-rays which revealed she had fractured both of her front legs and two bones in her front right foot, in addition to sustaining severe bruising to her chest, mouth, and jaw. Luckily, Oreo had avoided further serious internal injuries as a result of the accident.

The team set and dressed each leg with splints to encourage the bones to heal, before allowing Oreo to go home with pain relief and strict instructions to rest. Oreo was closely monitored by PDSA vets and vet nurses over the next two weeks.

PDSA Bristol Vet Penny Morgan said: “Little Oreo’s injuries were very serious. Her legs were badly hurt and she had sustained severe bruising.

“After two weeks we made the decision to operate because her fractures weren’t healing as quickly as we’d have liked. We performed a complex surgical procedure to repair her legs, fitting metal plates to each of them.

“The surgery was a success and Oreo’s injuries are now healing well. With the care and love of her family, I’m confident she will make a full recovery.”

Melanie added: “I can’t thank PDSA enough for saving Oreo. Everyone in the team was so kind and did everything they could to help her survive so she can have a healthy and happy life. There is no way we could have afforded to pay for Oreo’s treatment as, like most families nowadays, we just don’t have thousands of pounds spare, so to be able to access PDSA’s services when we were absolutely desperate was incredible. I will never forget the kindness and compassion that the whole team showed not only to Oreo but also to myself and my family. We will all be forever grateful.”

In times of hardship pets like Oreo will still fall ill or become injured and need emergency care. While Oreo’s owners contributed what they could towards her treatment, the total cost of her care came to over £2,560.

PDSA relies on donations to deliver vital treatment to hundreds of thousands of pets across its 48 Pet Hospitals in the UK. To keep families together this winter, the charity is urgently calling on the public’s support more than ever to prevent vulnerable people having to make a truly heartbreaking decision.

To find out more about PDSA’s vital work during the cost-of-living crisis, or to donate, visit www.pdsa.org.uk/costoflovingcrisis.

A former head of training and sales at a pet food manufacturer is putting her skills and knowledge to good use as she embarks on a new adventure…the launch of her own pet store.

Katie Parker has opened Pickles Pet Pantry with partner Jack Avery and her parents in the market town of Olney in Buckinghamshire, and already the store is proving to be a big hit with customers.

Katie took a few minutes away from her busy schedule to talk to Pet Trade Xtra about the new store.

How long have you been planning the store?

We began thinking about the store around six months ago, however the true planning started only four months ago. I was head of training and sales for a pet food manufacturer and I felt our town had such a gap in the market.

How did you choose a name for the store?

We are a family that love to adopt animals and we always adopt from Animals in Need in Northamptonshire. My Dad had rehomed a small parrot called Pickle from them, and sadly after a very short but happy time with my parents he passed away, leaving them quite sad. So, my partner Jack and I felt it a nice tribute to ensure Pickle remained part of the family. We decided to use the term Pantry as we aren’t stocking the ‘usual products’. Instead, we’re stocking brands that we believe in and less varieties, because we feel we should be selling products we know and love.

Is it true you are focussing on natural products?

Yes, our focus is on natural products, and products we know, love and have trialled with our own animals or friends have trialled for us. We have a bit of a zoo at home, meaning we've been able to trial cat, dog, bird, rabbit and guinea pig products. My parents live rurally so the wild animals and birds even helped us!

Why have you decided to take this stance?

We wanted to make natural products affordable for the regular consumer. I also believe using higher quality products to ensure they last longer, and feeding high quality food to improve health. Having worked in the pet industry for five years I've been able to see so many brands and pets and I felt it was time I helped pet owners to decipher what it all means. Ultimately our aim at Pickles Pet Pantry is to help animals and their families.

Was it easy to find the premises for the store?

The premises for us was easy to find, but we were in a race to the finish with multiple businesses wanting the property. We were lucky to be the only one applying for the premises that didn't have competition in our high street there hasn't been an independent pet store for quite some time in our town. We've been incredibly lucky to have such kind supportive landlords!

What has been the response from local pet owners so far?

We simply have been stunned by the pet owners of Olney, and the surrounding villages. Everyone is incredibly excited, and wanting to support local over larger or online businesses. We've had doggy visitors daily, in fact some pop in post walk to grab a treat to take home. We had never expected to be so well supported – in fact we've had to contact our suppliers for emergency restocks.

How many people work in the store?

At present it's only us as a family, and occasionally our friend who completed all our incredible artwork helps out. We are incredibly fortunate to have friends who are always willing to wear a Pickles Pet Pantry T-shirt and come to help when we are swamped. My three business partners (Jack, my mum Pam and my dad Dave) all have full time jobs outside of the shop. 

Have you got special events planned to drive people to the store?

We will be taking part in all the Olney Christmas events, and we are launching the Pickles Pet Pantry running club. Our Rescue Husky cross has a stress disorder and runs with my fiancé, who is an ex-county hurdling champion. He wants to help dog owners enjoy running with their dogs, even if they howl and bark! So many of the town’s dog owners have mentioned their embarrassment at their dog being noisy and we want to ensure no one feels that way! 

What are your hopes for the future?

We ultimately want to create a place where pet owners can come for advice, a friendly face and a treat for their dog. Pet ownership in this day and age is daunting and at times scary – we hope we can make the journey a little more fun! 

Pickles Pet Pantry is located at 24 High Street, South Olney, Buckinghamshire, MK46 4AA.

A family-owned pet retail business based in Norfolk is set to open its fourth store after securing new premises in the seaside town of Cromer.

Specialists in raw feeding, husband-and-wife team Adrian and Ali Pettitt own three other pet stores in Bowthorpe, Hellesdon and Castle Quarter Shopping Centre in Norwich, and are excited to be launching a fourth in the heart of Cromer.  

Ali (pictured with Adrian below) said: “Our niche is offering the tastiest, healthiest, all-natural dog food and treats that are packed with goodness.  We’re really excited to be opening in Cromer. It’s a fantastic location for us, as we already have many online customers in the area. Plus we can’t wait to meet new faces and start talking to customers about the best, healthiest options for their much-loved pets.”  

The new Pettitt and Boo store will be located in a former electrical store in Church Street.

Two new members of staff will be recruited to work at the Cromer store which will offer free pet care advice and dietary consultation appointments as well as a wide variety of food, treats, toys, beds, collars, leads and accessories. Emily Naylor currently works across two of the other Pettitt and Boo stores but is thrilled to be moving to the Cromer shop as Store Manager. She said: “Cromer is such a bustling town and it will be fantastic to offer our pet nutrition consultations to owners in the area.”  

Emily explains further that dog owners who are concerned about their dog’s diet can book an appointment for a one-to-one consultation with a canine nutritionist. Offering tailored advice about what and how much to feed for optimum health and weight, the advisor can discuss the benefits of a raw food diet and create meal plans for dogs who are fussy eaters or have special dietary needs.  

The store will also feature a fun pick ‘n’ mix section, so shoppers can scoop up a variety of dog snacks and chews to take home, including hairy cows’ ears, puffed porky snouts and lots more!  To reduce waste, all treats are packaged in paper bags.  

For more information visit www.pettittandboo.co.uk

A popular pet store in Oldham, Greater Manchester, has announced it will close before Christmas after 40 years in business.

Fishnet Aquarium and Pets announced online that its doors will close for good within the next month.

On the store’s Facebook page owners Lynn and David Hague said: “With mixed emotions, after 40 years of trading, we are ready to call time on Fishnet. This is not a sad announcement, it’s the end of an era and the start of the next chapter in our lives. 

“We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to every single person that has graced our shop with your custom over the last 40 years, it has been our pleasure to serve you. To everyone who has helped and supported us in any way, shape, or form, and to all of our family and friends, we really appreciate and thank you all, and we couldn’t have done it without you. 

“We will be clearing the stock, fixtures, and fittings over the coming weeks and plan to close the doors by Christmas, so please feel free to pop in and make us an offer on anything that takes your fancy.”

Yorkshire-based pet food brand Harringtons has announced significant brand updates to reflect the ever-changing needs of the modern-day shopper. With a new and improved recipe for their dry dog food, the brand is set to make a huge impact in its category.

Launched in 2008, Harringtons has gone from strength to strength, becoming the UK’s number one dry dog food brand, with close to 2 million buyers purchasing per year. 

The new and improved recipe now offers specialist-grade nutrition at more affordable and accessible price points, containing freshly prepared meat ingredients, salmon oil for healthier coats, skin, joints and cardiovascular health. It has also added homemade chicken gravy on the inside and outside of the kibble to make it the brand’s tastiest kibble yet!

Continuing to put affordability into focus, IPN exists to make great pet nutrition affordable and accessible to everyone. 

The enhanced range can now be purchased in smaller pack sizes to better suit the needs of urban pet owners. This will also help accommodate those owners with smaller breeds to whom bulk products are not suitable, to stay at the forefront of consumers’ minds as industry leaders.

The brand-new design, deployed across the entire brand, including Harringtons wet trays and cans, has been introduced to appeal to a wider audience of consumers, as it unites the full range with a more impactful, modern look and feel. With bolder colours designed to create shelf presence, the new design is preferred by 4 out of 5 buyers and non-buyers alike. Harringtons is a key driver of the natural dry dog food segment, which is growing at +20% vs standard dry dog food up +15%.

Harringtons Total Dog Food is worth £71.8m value sales and has increased +22.8% in the last 52 weeks. Following such great success over the last 14 years, Harringtons has rebranded and released its brand-new packaging to make a greater shelf impact and appeal to a wider audience.

An awareness driving media campaign will also follow in Q1 of 2023 to highlight the relaunch to prime shoppers before they shop.

Part of the Inspired Pet Nutrition family, Harringtons prides itself on great nutrition, with the new and improved recipes having meat as the number one ingredient. Harringtons has made a huge investment in product upgrade, making specialist-grade nutrition more affordable.

Speaking on the Harringtons rebrand and improvement, Will Bushell, Head of Dog Marketing at Inspired Pet Nutrition, commented: “We are super excited to be announcing the new and improved brand update for Harringtons. Harringtons’ mission is to make natural, premium level nutrition accessible and affordable for all. As the UK’s number 1 dry dog food brand, we believe it is important to keep up with the ever-changing needs of our consumers, and with the current cost of living crisis, it is now more important than ever to ensure quality nutrition is available at an affordable price. We take pride in the quality of nutrition we are offering at this price point which we believe adds real value to retailers' ranges.

“Not only does the improved recipe taste great for our pets, but it also ensures every dog has access to incredible nutrition. The updates have taken our All About Dog Food score up to 56%, taking us leagues above the competition at the same price point.”.

To find out more about the Harringtons rebrand, please visit: https://www.harringtonspetfood.com/