Staff and customers were told to leave a pet shop in Telford after the business closed on the spot.

Petstop, on Telford Forge Retail Park, closed at 1pm on Tuesday and staff were told they were being made redundant. Customers – some of who had taken their pets in for veterinary treatment and grooming – were forced to leave the store, while those who arrived for pre-booked appointments after the sudden closure were left locked out on the car park.

Manchester-based company Duff and Phelps has been called in and has confirmed the company has gone into administration.

It is not yet known how any jobs have been lost.

Hannah Rose, who worked in the dog grooming section of the store, said the store closed at 1pm and that she and her colleagues were told that they no longer had jobs.

Miss Rose, who is now going to start a business on her own, said: “At 1pm they closed the doors and told us we were being made redundant.

“They asked the public to leave and we were told we no longer had a job. They didn’t kick us out, we could stay there as long as we wanted but I left quite quickly.

“There was no mention of anything like this before, it’s come out of the blue. We were just told that we were out of a job, and someone came round and gave us redundancy sheets to fill in.”

Steve Barry, from Duff and Phelps, said: “The company has gone into voluntary administration and we are acting as their administrators.

“The company was in financial difficulties and that is why the directors have took the company into administration.”

Mr Barry confirmed the search had started for a buyer for the company but said it was proving a difficult process.

A crooked vet who invented fictional cats for a £230,000 pet insurance scam has been jailed.

Matthew Morgan, 38, was already earning £100,000 a year but needed more money to support his lavish lifestyle.

He took out policies for 14 made-up moggies and made dozens of claims over three years for injuries and illnesses he said they had suffered.

Morgan used the cash to jet off on overseas holidays and make regular trips to his native Australia.

He bought three luxury cars and spent £25,000 on his wedding.

The vet admitted four counts of fraud and was jailed for two years at the Old Bailey.

Judge Wendy Joseph QC told him: "The picture that emerges of you... is of a man who was not prepared to curtail his expenditure and lifestyle in accordance with his needs."

Morgan, who now claims to be penniless, faces having to pay back the stolen cash and is certain to be struck off as a vet.

He began his fraud while working at North Kent Referrals, Bluebell Hill, Chatham, in September 2009.

He made a claim on a policy relating to his own cat, saying she had suffered injuries in a car accident.

Once he realised how easy the process was, he started inventing animals, using headed notepaper and an official work stamp.

Morgan was questioned by police in January this year - when he had already made 52 claims, but admitted just two.

By May, when he was charged, he had put in 54 claims, totalling £226,360 and been paid £198,000.

Morgan said he had got into financial difficulties after an unsuccessful attempt to buy his own practice and his divorce, just six months after the wedding.

Morgan, of Goodworth Road, Redhill, Surrey, has previous convictions in Australia for credit card fraud.

Win a night's stay at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, when buying two tickets for the PetQuip Awards dinner, taking place during PATS Harrogate on September 15-16.

All pet retailers purchasing two or more tickets to the exciting new event in Harrogate will be put forward for the prize drawer to win a night's stay at the Majestic Hotel.  The winners will be notified next week, so get cracking and contact pat@petquip.com

The PetQuip Industry Awards are set to be a strongly contested affair after the finalists for the September showpiece were announced.

The awards, sponsored by Burgess Petcare, Westland, Petface, Group55 and PATS, are aimed at bringing together suppliers and retailers in the UK and internationally.

List of Finalists
UK Pet Retailer of the Year

• The Natural Pet Pantry, Gosport, Hants
• Just for Pets, Nationally
• Diddy Dapper Dogs, Morecambe, Lancs
• Tails ’n’ Whiskers, Oakham, Rutland
• Scampers, Soham, Cambs
• Not Just Pets, Bath, Wilts
• Dobbies, Atherstone, Warks

International Pet Retailer of the Year

• Musti ja Mirri Oy – Finland
• Ranzijn Tuin & Dier – Holland
• Animax – Romania
• Aveve – Belgium

 Groomer of the Year

• Joanne Angus
• Colin Taylor
• Zoe Duffy
• Alison Rogers

Supplier of the Year

• Lily’s Kitchen
• Burgess Petcare
• Hagen
• Symply Petfoods
• Natures Menu
• Beaphar UK
• Gor Pets
• Wagg

Wholesaler of the Year

• Collarways
• Peregrine Livefoods
• Pet Revolution
• Vital Pet Products
• Pedigree Wholesale
• Bestpets

Pet Product Innovation of the Year

• EezyEat4Pets with the Eezy Eat Collar 
• Baggee & Doggee with the Baggee Lush range
• Animal Care College with their Pet Shop Assistant Course
• Group 55/Animology with Fox Poo Shampoo
• Pure Pet Food for their pet food range
• Pooch & Mutt for their Treats
• Pet Revolution with the Wildwash
• Westland for the Natures Feast range

Pet Product Exporter of the Year

• Dog Rocks
• Group 55 Ltd
• Litter Kwitter
• Get Off
• James & Steel
• Barking Heads/Meowing Heads
• The Canny Company

Pet Revolution is anticipating huge interest in its WildWash range of shampoos when it unveils the latest products at PATS Harrogate (September 15-16).

"WildWash has been developed to satisfy a genuine need in the market for truly natural shampoos and cosmetics for pets," said Jane Cooper, from Pets Revolution.

"As professionals we have spent years slowly and patiently developing a natural line of pet shampoos and cosmetics that we believe to be the best in the world. 

"We have collaborated with and sought advise and opinions from other professionals and have identified specifically what is required within a product range to be the ultimate, perfect pet care products from the perspective of the dog or cat, the operator, both professional and pet owner and the environment. 

"We had a firm vision that the pet shampoo we wanted to make would be as good in every way as the highest quality human products available.

"We consider ourselves therefore, very lucky to have been introduced to and accepted by, an acclaimed independent boutique apothecary responsible for some of the finest human products ever produced in the UK.

"They have embraced our project with a passion. In a sensitive and knowledgeable environment where products are still hand blended and hand stirred, a diverse and holistic mixture of plants, botanicals and essential oils have been put together to create WildWash shampoos and cosmetics.

"Our amazing perfumer recognised as one of the top ten natural perfumers in the world has created the most complex and beautiful scents to compliment and enhance each particular shampoo and fragrance.

"Our shampoos and products are made in England and contain absolutely no parabens, phthalates, phosphates, sulfates, petrochemicals, synthetic or semi synthetic fragrances."

For more information visit www.petrevolution.co.uk

The Pet Industry Federation is hosting an ice-breaker reception on the eve of its flagship Pet Industry Forum & Awards for those who wish to arrive a little early and make the most of the networking opportunities available throughout the event.

Starting at 6pm on Wednesday 16 October at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, a seminar on export will take place for companies interested in cutting through the red tape and looking for competitive advantage into either the USA market or mainland Europe.

The export seminar will be followed by wine tasting event hosted by well-known wine connoisseur, Francis Gimblett. Francis’s company ‘Taste of the Vine’ was the world’s first wine tasting company designed specifically for the corporate entertainment market. ‘Taste of The Vine’ has now been running for 14 years and has entertained more than 120,000 people in 46 countries.

Following the wine tasting, delegates will enjoy a buffet supper as prelude to the forum – a great way to meet old and new friends before the conference actually starts.

The hour long export seminar will be presented by Shawn Dooley from the USA. Shawn (pictured left) was vice president of Absorption Co. and was responsible for placing Carefresh into national distribution in the USA. Shawn is now working as a consultant helping businesses successfully access the USA market.

Joining Shawn will be Bob Hanson and Malcolm Elam. Bob has 15 years’ consultancy experience in the pet industry following a career in sales and marketing with Mars and Quaker Oats pet division. Malcolm also had long career at Mars Pet Care in a series of senior roles in sales, marketing, and distribution management as well as sourcing and buying, before setting set up as a consultant in 2005.

If you register and attend the seminar, PIF will waive the current £60 per delegate rate for the icebreaker evening. Please note however that free spaces at the PIF export seminar are limited to just 35 places, so you will need to let us know quickly if you would like to attend.

Contact Alexandra Baker at the Pet Industry Federation (alexandra.baker@petfederation.co.uk) to secure your free place. Further details and general event registration for the Pet Industry Forum & Awards are available at www.piffa.co.uk

The Animology Grooming Championship has been held in Slovakia for a second successive year.

Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural Animology Grooming Championship, which was held in Nitra, Slovakia, the event was recently held again, this time in Dunajska Lužná, just a few miles from the Slovakian capital Bratislava.

Heralded as a great success, the event was attended by groomers not only from Slovakia, but also from Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and Poland.

Judging the event were Rony de Munter from Belgium, John Avery from the UK and Stelmach Zsygmunt from Poland. Director of the event was Jaroslava Fekiačová and presentations and translations were provided by Groom Team England’s Jitka Križová.

The event was organised by Petpark, the sole distributors of Animology products in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, in association with the Professional Dog Groomers Of Slovakia and marked another milestone in the development of the Animology brand in those markets, where it has enjoyed great popularity since it was launched in 2010.

Martin Breen, Sales Manager for Group55, the company behind Animology, said: “We were delighted to be able to support this event for the second successive year, which was really well supported and thoroughly enjoyed by all of those who took part.

"Animology has enjoyed great success in Slovakia and the Czech Republic since it was launched, and the products are now sold by the major pet product retailer there, however it remains very much a “young” brand, having only been in the market there for a couple of years or so.

"In a similar vein, grooming in Slovakia is a young and growing industry, and there is a very natural fit in Animology helping to support and develop this event for groomers, who in turn then have an opportunity to become better acquainted with Animology products."

ORIJEN has launched its range of freeze-dried biologically appropriate treats in the UK.  

Made without cooking or preservatives, these ORIJEN treats retain all of the natural goodness and amazing flavours of ORIJEN’s fresh and regional ingredients.  They are 100% natural meat, poultry or fish (and nothing else), all gently freeze-dried to lock in their goodness, offering a taste experience dogs truly love. This means dog owners can now reward their pets in a healthy way between meals.

Karen Rodger, Bern Pet Foods, explains: “All dogs evolved as carnivores, biologically adapted to thrive on a varied diet of fresh whole meats.  Like ORIJEN’s range of dog food, these innovative freeze-dried treats provide a natural extension to the biologically appropriate concept.  They are bursting with pure natural meats and nothing else, all delivered fresh and in ‘whole prey’ ratios.  They’re 100% Meat, 100% Fresh and 100% Natural.”

The ORIJEN treats are available in 56g and 100g bag sizes in three formula-matched options (Original, Regional Red & Tundra) and five single-source options, including Ranch-raised Lamb, Brome Lake Duck, Black Angus Beef, Free-Range Bison and Alberta Wild Boar.

RRP £5.99-£6.49 (56g) and £9.99-£10.49 (100g).

A recent television programme highlighted to many cat owners for the first time that their home might be invaded nightly by next-door’s moggie looking for a free lunch.  Which is not surprising, given research by SureFlap has shown 65% of pet doors in cat owners’ homes are unsecured.

Judith Bank, Marketing Manager of SureFlap – developers of microchip-operated pet products – says the data revealed a major opportunity for pet retailers.

“We had assumed that most cat owners have a cat flap and we are encouraging them to trade up with a SureFlap; however the statistics showed that nearly half of the cat owners surveyed did not have a cat flap at all.

“The data also showed of cats with non-selective cat flaps, 51.1% had experienced a neighbour’s cat invading their home through the flap, and 24.8% had been attacked by neighbourhood cats coming in through a non-selective flap.

“The results, from the Neighbourhood Cat Campaign, included a good number of our own customers and readers of Your Cat Magazine so this suggests that the ownership of cat flaps by the wider public is probably lower.”

SureFlap customers are typically people that have become concerned about cats entering their homes and scaring the resident pets.

But to see how prevalent the problem was outside their customer base CatWatch Day - part of the Neighbourhood Cat Campaign - was launched and publicised in the national press and on the radio. To learn more about their cat’s behaviour, almost 600 owners watched their cats on May 6 2013 and record what they saw.

Judith continues “The results from CatWatch Day and the Neighbourhood Cat Campaign show the situation was worse than we had thought and suggests that the majority of cat owners considering a pet door could be persuaded to spend a bit more and keep their pet safe and secure, with a microchip-operated pet door.

“Invasion of the home causes considerable stress to the pet and in some cases they are injured in fights.  Our research has also shown that cats hurt in fights are more likely to develop other stress related illnesses, such as hair loss and itchy skin.

“There is also the unpleasantness for owners when cats spray in the house and the cost of feeding all those extra animals!”

Similar research with vets revealed far more cats were injured by other cats than were hurt in traffic accidents, and that owners were largely unaware of the problem.

For more results visit www.sureflap.co.uk/nccreport.

The Kennel Club, the UK’s largest organisation dedicated to the health and welfare of dogs, has launched its new website at www.thekennelclub.org.uk, with a fresh new design and improved navigation.

The Kennel Club has launched its new website to create a more user-friendly experience that will seamlessly deliver information about a range of subjects including dog activities, health and welfare, breeding, buying, training and enjoying life with dogs. The site reflects the Kennel Club key objective to work for the ‘general improvement of dogs’.

The new design delivers a more streamlined navigation process that allows faster access to essential information and an improved layout that is easy to read and understand. The navigation has been designed so that puppy buyers and dog specialists can find the information that they need, written in a style and in the detail relevant to them.

The new website offers enhanced engagement with readers by integrating the Kennel Club’s Facebook and Twitter feeds into it, allowing greater sharing of information and opinions. There is also a brand new section dedicated to vets and researchers, providing easy access to relevant information.

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said: “With a wealth of information and expertise to share, we have revised our site so that it delivers an improved experience, streamlining the information so that people can find what they need more easily and opt for how much detail they wish to go into on any subject.

“The Kennel Club website has been tailored to meet the different needs of its various types of visitor - from dog owners and prospective puppy buyers to dog professionals such as breeders, dog trainers, vets and those involved in dog activities.

“We have been consulting with our customers during testing and have received extremely positive feedback. We want to hear more people’s views so that we can ensure that the site continues to evolve based on the feedback that we receive.”

Some of the additional benefits of the new website include:

• Find the latest news and upcoming events on the homepage, as well as links to our other services.
• A new page layout and design to make the website visually clearer.
• A Google search tool making all content easily accessible.
• Ability for users to share pages that interest them with others across Facebook and Twitter.
• Full integration of the popular online services section of the old website, which contains the Kennel Club Breed Information Centre amongst other things, making it quicker and easier to locate throughout the site.
• Integration with the recently launched MyKC service for breeders and puppy owners, so users can go between their own account, which holds information about their dog, and the Kennel Club website with ease.
• Handy shortcuts links in each section to allow users to access relevant online services quickly.
• A news section for users to find out what is going on in the world of dogs, as well as a separate Media Centre for members of the press.

You can visit the new Kennel Club website at www.thekennelclub.org.uk

A member of staff from Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre in Somerset raised £500 for two rabbit welfare charities last Saturday by penning herself into an indoor dog crate.

Rosa Nation, Pet Advisor at the Monkton Heathfield garden centre, shut herself in the crate for nine hours in aid of the Rabbit Welfare Association and Heaven’s Gate Rehoming Centre.

The 23-year-old said: “The fundraiser was a huge success, thank you to everyone who supported me. I’m delighted to have raised £501.18 for two very worthy causes.

“Rabbits are one of the most neglected animals in the UK and I wanted to experience what life is really like for a neglected rabbit.

“I was very stiff after being cooped up for nine hours but I hope I’ve made people realise it is a very serious animal welfare issue.”

Rosa also featured on BBC Radio 2 last Friday to raise awareness of neglected rabbits.

The Rabbit Welfare Association works to improve the lives of domestic rabbits across the UK through education and communication.

Heaven’s Gate Rehoming Centre cares for and re-homes animals, including rabbits, which are unwanted or looking for a new home for other reasons.

Rosa, who is from Taunton, added: “Rabbits often live in small hutches with little or no exercise and they can also become unwanted and forgotten about.

“It’s important that people take responsibility for all kinds of pets, not just rabbits, and should consider whether or not they can care for an animal for more than 10 years.

“Many people believe a simple three foot hutch is an ideal home for a rabbit, but the animals need a run to enable them to get extra exercise. The Pet & Reptile Centre currently stocks larger hutches, which are ideal for pet rabbits.

“Staff at The Pet & Reptile Centre are able to offer expert advice on looking after animals and selecting the right pet for you.”

Collarways Limited has appointed Lisa Strange as Sales Executive. Lisa has a background in sales and business administration and with her genuine interest in dogs, she makes a perfect addition the Collarways team.

Lisa has two dogs and a variety of other animals. She is also part of an extremely successful flyball team and is particularly excited that Mabel, her collie cross, has already featured in our latest advert for the Cycle Dog brand.

She is an excellent communicator as any of our customers, who have already had the pleasure of talking to her will know and her level of customer service orientation is fully in line with the high standards at Collarways.

You can meet Lisa in person by visiting the Collarways stand G7 at PATS Harrogate (September 15-16). 

Staff from leading pet accessories company Ancol Pet Products joined in the fun and supported a local dogs home at its recent Annual Open Day, helping them to raise around £6,000.

Over 1,000 people came along to the event at Birmingham Dogs Home Sunnyside in Coven, Wolverhampton on Saturday 17^th August, which included dog shows, training displays and lots of activities for families. As part of supporting the event, Ancol sponsored the children’s area, donated prize bags for the 48 winners of the dog show competitions along with many prizes for the tombola, which, together with other corporate sponsorships and the takings on the day, raised around £6,000.

Sales Director Sarah Lane commented: “We had a lovely day with everyone from Birmingham Dogs Home Sunnyside. It was great to see so many families there with different breeds and crossbreed dogs. We are so impressed with their facilities that we are looking at ways in which we can further support such a fantastic charity.”

Alayna Warner, Commercial Manager at Birmingham Dogs Home added: “It really is nice to meet founders of companies that have the perception of being a huge corporate body, and then to realise that they are genuinely lovely people who have a true passion for what they do and in helping organisations like ours.”

Pets at Home has announced a new partnership with Dogs Trust which will see the retailer donate more than £2 million worth of Wainwrights dog food to the charity over three years.

The donation will be used to feed the 1,400 dogs at Dogs Trust’s 18 rehoming centres in the UK. In addition, each dog leaving the centre will also be provided with a free 2kg bag of Wainwrights, worth £6.99.

The partnership is a result of Pets at Home’s new VIP (Very Important Pets) Club, an initiative launched at the end of last year which enables shoppers to convert the points – or VIP Lifelines - they receive when they shop into support for a local or national animal charity of their choice.

The announcement builds on Pets at Home’s track record of promoting the rehoming of dogs and other pets. The retailer has previously launched three in-store Advice and Adoption Areas with Dogs Trust in its Barnstaple, Telford and Birstall branches.

Nick Wood, chief executive of Pets at Home, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to provide Dogs Trust with Wainwrights food over the next three years as we’re dedicated to pet adoption and want to ensure abandoned dogs are kept healthy and happy while they wait to find loving new homes.

“This is the first official manifestation of how our customers’ VIP Lifelines can be converted into millions of pounds worth of supplies to national and local animal charities across the UK. We’re extremely thankful to everyone who signed up to the scheme and made this donation happen.”

Clarissa Baldwin, chief executive of Dogs Trust, added: “We are very grateful to Pets at Home and their VIP club members for the extremely generous donation of three years’ worth of Wainwrights food! It is paramount to us that our dogs are looked after correctly and fed in a healthy way.

"We have enjoyed a long standing relationship with Pets at Home and this amazing donation means that we can put the money we save towards caring for even more dogs over the next few years. I am sure that our canine residents will thoroughly enjoy their new menu!”