LeisureGrow Products Ltd has acquired the business interests of Petface out of administration.

Key Petface personnel will be kept on by LeisureGrow Products Ltd, and the Petface brand will be run out of LeisureGrow Products Ltd’s head office in Hinxworth, Hertfordshire. Petface stock will be centralised in LeisureGrow’s distribution centre.

Jody Grimmer, Managing Director for LeisureGrow Products Ltd, said: “Our focus for the coming weeks and months will be to ensure existing Petface customers receive better service, good availability of stock, and reliable stock delivery – including weekly replenishment deliveries where required.

"We will be centralising stock to our LeisureGrow distribution centre and integrating key staff into our Hertfordshire headquarters. Going forwards Petface customers can expect the high standard of service and reliability that LeisureGrow is known for.

“We believe the Petface brand has great potential and this is an opportunity for LeisureGrow to make Petface a success.”

Part of LeisureGrow Holdings, the LeisureGrow Group commenced trading in 1999.

LeisureGrow is a privately owned, family-run British company whose brands include LG Outdoor furniture, Grillstream barbeques, Erin growing media, NOMA Christmas and NOMA Garden Art.

LeisureGrow’s UK customers include garden centres, multiples such as Wyevale Garden Centres, and department stores including John Lewis. It also supplies customers in Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Middle East.

www.leisuregrow.com

Natures Menu, which boasts the largest raw pet food factory in Europe, is set to double its £40m turnover over the next five years.

The Norfolk-based company began production at its £12.6m factory in Snetterton in October, with all staff moving over from former headquarters at Watton by the end of last year.

Managing director Craig Taylor told his local Eastern  Daily Press newspaper: “At Watton we were making today to deliver tomorrow. We chose this site because of the infrastructure and the location for logistics. Being on the A11 is a boost for us as a business that needs to get out of Norfolk.”

According to the newspaper, the total investment in the Snetterton site was more than £16m, once machinery and other infrastructure costs had been factored in. The workforce increased from 70 to 220.

Mr Taylor said the business will continue to reinvest in technology, education and brand awareness – in which cause alone it is investing £4.8m this year.

He added: “The pet food market is worth £2.8bn in the UK and is growing at 16% year-on-year. Our business has high double-digit growth and we want to continue to push those numbers.”

The full Eastern Daily Press report can be read by clicking here

While pet parents continue humanising their pets, innovation has driven forward the industry with enticing products, designed more to please humans, according to Euromonitor.

“Breaking out products by breed, by age and by lifestyle has been key to maintaining consumers’ interest and driving growth,” says Euromonitor’s Paula Flores.

“Also, better quality products with functional ingredients, added functionality and novel proteins has been a key selling point, particularly as consumers trade up from mid-price offerings.”

Here’s what else Paula Flores has to say:

Breed and lifestyle

Segmentation by breed has been quite relevant in recent years as consumers look to better adapt their pets’ functional needs to meet their nutrition needs. Moreover, the fact that nutrition plays a key role in pets’ overall healthy development has further boosted the idea of how key nutrition is. Recent developments in the industry have also combined particular breeds with their different life stages and lifestyles in order to create even more fine-tuned and targeted nutrition.  While this may not be radically new in the most developed markets, it is still important to analyse its development and differences in specific markets as these strategies can be pursued by different manufacturers at different times.

Small dogs at the heart of segmentation

With the industry becoming increasingly competitive and growth becoming harder to find in many of the traditional markets, segmentation has played a key role in driving growth and attracting interest to the category as well as differentiating from competitors. Key underlying trends such as the rise of small dogs have been at the core of such developments as food is catering to their specific needs. Small dogs and toy breeds have become increasingly popular across a number of markets. Experiencing 25% growth between 2013 and 2018, the popularity of small dogs has become a global phenomenon and has driven much of the recent development in pet food, providing further segmentation and higher margins for the industry.

Senior pets provide fertile ground for innovation

Overall, with better pet nutrition as well as the level of care and scientific advances, similar to humans, pets are also living longer. This creates new needs in terms of fighting signs of older age in pets as well as ailments that are more common with such pets. Brain health is one of the areas where there are plenty of developments and ingredient manufacturers have invested in considerable research into the most effective ingredients that support specific conditions.

Read more by clicking here

Thousands of companies and dog owners are getting ready to take part in Bring Your Dog To Work Day tomorrow, a special charity day where pets spend time with their human friends at work.

There are a host of events happening all over the UK as companies large and small join in what promises to be a dogtastic day at work while raising money for animal welfare charities.  From one-man bands, to large corporates, companies, schools, local firesations, household brands and other organisations are sponsoring the event, with many companies donating prizes now worth over £1000 to the annual “Dog With A Job” mega competition.

To be in with a chance to win the competition companies dog owners can upload a pooch selfie in the Dog With A Job Hall of Fame with one lucky dog and their owner scooping the big prize.

Some of the pawsome events taking place on Friday include our friends at The Doggy Cafe who are putting on a special fundraising pop-up event at Starcom, one of the UK’s largest advertising agencies, who are raising money on the day for the charity All Dog’s Matter.

Jodie Stranger, Starcom UK Group CEO & President Global Network Clients, EMEA says: “We’re looking forward to Doggy Cafe popping up at our office and having a fun filled day with our four-legged friends to celebrate Bring Your Dog to Work day!”

Every year the hashtag #bringyourdogtoworkday trends at number 1 on Twitter. Bring Your Dog To Work Day has been lucky enough to have celebrity support since the launch of the initiative in 2014.  

This year Rupert Fawcett, well known dog cartoonist from Off The Leash has created the wonderful cartoon to help celebrate the day.

Jo Amit, founder of Bring Your Dog To Work Day and HOWND, the ethical pet care company says: “As a nation of dog lovers it’s so exciting to see how has this has captured the imagination of dog owners and companies and is growing every year.

"It’s fantastic that so many companies have come on board and we’re proud to be involved in something that is doing good and also bringing a lot of fun and laughter to the workplace.”

Natures Menu is supporting Bring Your Dog To Work Day by signing up to be an official sponsor of the nationwide event and supporting their very own ‘canine colleague takeover’ on the day.

Bring Your Dog To Work Day is dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of dogs, as well as employee productivity and on Friday 22nd June 2018 at the Natures Menu factory in Snetterton, the 200+ employees are being encouraged to bring their dog to work in order to raise funds for All Dogs Matter, a charity that rescues and rehomes more than 300 dogs a year in Norfolk, London and the surrounding area. 

As part of the day, Natures Menu is outreaching to other local businesses to encourage them to let their dogs accompany their ‘pet parents’ to work, supporting Bring Your Dog to Work Day for the fifth national event of its kind.

As part of the canine takeover, Natures Menu will be taking on several canine colleagues for the day including:

• Bruce – Office Manager
• Iron Paw Pups – Packaging Specialists
• Roofus – Delivery Assistant 

Craig Taylor, Managing Director at Natures Menu, commented: “We are delighted to be supporting Bring Your Dog To Work Day in it’s fifth year and encouraging staff to bring their dogs in to the Natures Menu offices at our brand new factory in Snetterton. This day has shown to have positive benefits for employee productivity, wellbeing and morale, so we would encourage any businesses that can get involved, to do so, and raise funds for such a worthy cause.

“They’ll be lots of opportunities for canine colleagues to get involved in the day, not to mention some product tasting opportunities!”

Bring Your Dog To Work Day, Jo Amit, co-founder of Bring Your Dog To Work Day, said: “We are so grateful that Nature’s Menu have again chosen to support Bring Your Dog To Work Day.  They have been amazing supporters of the event in the past and we look forward to hearing how the new office dogs enjoy their working day on 22nd June.”
 
For more information about getting involved with Bring Your Dog to Work Day visit www.bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk and get involved with the fun on Natures Menu’s Facebook  and Twitter pages using the hashtag #BringYourDogToWorkDay.
 

For more information about Natures Menu visit www.naturesmenu.co.uk

The Pet Industry Federation and Hadlow College in Kent have this week extended their joint venture and officially opened a new dog grooming school in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

The Hadlow PIF (Greenwich) Dog Grooming School will offer City & Guilds qualifications for dog groomers which are recognised by industry as providing the ideal foundation for those embarking on a career in dog grooming.

The school operates as a commercial grooming salon, as well as providing outstanding teaching to dog grooming students, under the watchful eye of qualified dog groomers and teachers.

The venture continues the unique relationship between industry and education, which begun in 2015 when the grooming school sited at Hadlow College opened.

Situated along Shooters Hill, the Hadlow PIF (Greenwich) Dog Grooming School presents new opportunities for the area and builds on the existing solid links with the local community.

The RBG Horticultural Skills Centre in Greenwich is an Olympic-legacy partnership initiative between RBG and Hadlow College. The grooming school offers the best in modern facilities, with generous space in which to care for customers and their dog’s needs. This includes a reception area, outdoor kennels and indoor holding area, a large fully-equipped grooming room accommodating 12 grooming tables, a hydro bath, top of the range blasters and a walk in wet room for bathing large breeds.

Speaking at today’s official launch, Councillor Denise Hyland, Cabinet Member for Economy, Skills and Apprenticeships, Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “This school will provide recognised qualifications that can set students up for employment in a growing multi-million pound industry. I am confident that the local people who take up these courses will be able to build rewarding, long term careers and I hope many of them will, one day, launch their own businesses.”

Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, Group Deputy Principal at Hadlow College explained the importance to Hadlow College of the joint venture by saying: “When we established our first dog-grooming school with PIF at Hadlow College in Kent three years ago, the venture was the first of its kind - bringing industry and education together to strengthen our students’ journey into the commercial world via PIF’s network of pet specialists. The huge success of our first joint venture with PIF has inspired this leading-edge new facility.

“The next generation of dog groomers we welcome here at the centre will be benefitting from teaching staff with the highest level of expertise possible in the field and the demand for a centre such as this is proof that there is a very strong market for qualified groomers. We only see this industry going from strength to strength.”

This sentiment was echoed by Nigel Baker, Chief Executive of the Pet Industry Federation, who added: “One of PIF’s core aims is about raising standards within the pet industry. This successful partnership with Hadlow College provides unique opportunities for dog grooming students to access the highest standards of teaching within state-of-the-art facilities enabling them to be fully equipped with the skills and knowledge to enter the pet grooming workplace.

“The Hadlow PIF grooming school here in the Royal Borough of Greenwich offers these fantastic opportunities to a new community and we look forward to watching new students flourish and to local dog owners benefitting from the excellent facilities and care provided here.”

Operating on a commercial basis, the Hadlow PIF Grooming School will not be constrained by the academic calendar and will operate all year round, thereby helping more student groomers achieve success.

Registrations of interest for the City & Guilds qualifications can be made via the website: www.hadlow.ac.uk.

Dog grooming appointments can be made be telephoning the school directly on 020 8856 2960.

Bestpets has announced the return of a well-loved favourite in to its range of specialist pet products.

James Wellbeloved for dogs, cats & ferrets will be available to buy from all Bestpets depots¹ and Bestpets online ordering from the beginning of July.

Over 170 James Wellbeloved lines will be available for retailers to purchase. The range includes wet & dry food for both cats and dogs, treats for dogs and a complete food range for ferrets.

Mike Bailey, Head of Sales for Bestpets says: "We’re delighted to welcome James Wellbeloved back to Bestpets. We’re committed to offering our customers the best range at the best possible prices.

"The return of such a popular, well know and trusted brand shows how we are helping our customers to build their businesses in a competitive market place and retain Bestpets’s position as the UK’s number one specialist pet wholesaler."

Adam Cookes, Sales Director for James Wellbeloved & Greenies, is equally as enthusiastic about the news. 

‘’We are pleased to confirm that from July, James Wellbeloved and Greenies product ranges will once again become available through Bestpets," says Adam.

"These changes are intended to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Specialist Pet Trade and the role of our brands in helping to drive your future category growth.’’ 

Further information about the specific lines available and other information will be available on the Bestpets website best-pets.co.uk early in July.

Customers wishing to buy James Wellbeloved from Bestpets should contact their local Bestpets depot or Regional Sales Development Manager.

Lily’s Kitchen has launched Suppurrs Stew, a new range of natural, healthy food for cats with a unique texture of shredded chicken fillets packed with proper meat. The range will be available in independent pet shops from 19th July.

Free from the ‘nasties’ of mass produced cat food, Suppurrs Stew is made with only healthy, natural ingredients including freshly prepared meat and offal – a stark contrast to the 4% ‘meat’ found in some cat foods.

Suppurrs Stew will compete with chunks and gravy products which currently make up 93% of the cat food category. Suppurrs stew fits perfectly into Lily’s Kitchen’s existing menu of pâté and dry food recipes for cats and offers a healthy but delicious alternative for pet parents with cats who prefer a stew-like texture.

All five steam-cooked Suppurrs Stew recipes - which include Cockadoodle Chicken, Scrumptious Chicken with Salmon and Farmhouse Chicken with Beef – make a refreshing change to the recipes of most cat foods out there.

Firstly, Suppurrs Stew is made using only proper meat and offal, with 33% delicious shredded chicken fillets and absolutely no meat-meal, fish-meal, bone-meal or rendered meat. 

Additionally, the chicken is all hand-shredded and sourced from within the EU, unlike lots of other shredded chicken products that come from East Asia, which consumers are starting to question.

And most importantly, each stew-like recipe from Lily’s Kitchen has complete and balanced nutrition including essential taurine, vital for cat health, with added vitamins and minerals. As with the rest of the Lily’s Kitchen cat menu, Suppurrs Stew is grain free. (RRP £1.40, 85g).

Alongside single trays, which are made from aluminium and therefore fully recyclable, Suppurrs Stew will also be available in convenient multipacks, which are especially key in the wet cat food category where the majority of sales go through multipacks (RRP £7.95, 85g x 6).

Henrietta Morrison, founder and CEO of Lily’s Kitchen, says: “We wanted to launch Suppurrs Stew as a healthy, natural alternative for the many cat parents who are unwittingly feeding their beloved felines chunks and gravy recipes that contain a cocktail of nasty ingredients - such as bone meal and rendered meat. Pet parents are hoodwinked into believing that this is proper meat. What’s more, the meat proportion is often only 4% of the total ingredients.

“The addition of Suppurrs Stew also means we now have a recipe to suit every cat’s taste buds and preferences, whilst providing a solution for those who care about feeding quality ingredients, and something that their cat will love.

“These grain free stew recipes will also appeal to new customers who want to trade up to better quality, natural food containing real meat and offal, no added sugar and made without cheap fillers, offering incremental sales opportunities for retailers.”

Lily’s Kitchen will support the launch of Suppurrs Stew with a fully integrated marketing campaign designed to educate cat owners, encourage trial and drive awareness of the new range.  This will include specific retailer support, sampling at events, digital advertising, PR and social media.

Following the exceptional export sales successes of British firms that exhibited in the PetQuip-organised group at Interzoo in May this year, the association has announced that it has secured funding for another major pet trade exhibition.

Grants of £2000 for eligible companies have been confirmed by the Department for International Trade for the Global Pet Expo which is to be held in Orlando, Florida from 20 to 22 March 2019. 

It will be the ninth consecutive year that PetQuip has organised the British pavilion at Global Pet Expo.  The British-branded and themed pavilion area will be located in the heart of the show floor in order to attract maximum footfall.  PetQuip is currently assessing designs for the British stands and is formulating a comprehensive support package that will provide trouble-free and cost-effective exhibiting for UK firms. 

Global Pet Expo is the US pet industry's largest annual trade show featuring the newest, most innovative pet products on the market today.  It attracts the key industry players and all who visit are ‘qualified attendees’, representing large pet shop chains and pet superstores, supermarkets and mass merchandisers, speciality buyers and e-tailers and key distributors and wholesalers, several of whom also exhibit at the show.  Seven thousand of the most qualified pet product buyers in the industry attended the show last year, including an impressive number of international retailers from a total of 80 countries.

Prior to Global Pet Expo, the PetQuip association will be organising a group of British exhibitors at CIPS International Pet Show, Guangzhou, China in September 2018, a major show that is new to PetQuip’s international exhibition programme.  Grants of £2000 will be available to eligible exhibitors.

PetQuip will also be applying for Government grants (estimated to be around £1000) for the international Zoomark pet product trade exhibition to be held in Bologna, Italy from 6 to 9 May 2019.

For full details on these exporting opportunities and how to apply contact:

PetQuip on +44 (0)1959 565 995 or email Katie-Mai Smith on katie-mai@petquip.com

PetQuip is the International Trade Association of Pet Equipment Suppliers. The PetQuip team assists and promotes the development of international trade in the pet equipment sector, providing a catalyst for business contact between manufacturers, suppliers and buyers.

Naturediet Pet Foods Ltd has appointed multinational packaging supplier Tetra Pak to provide the independent British dog food manufacturer with a revolutionary new packaging format.

Naturediet will be the first pet food manufacturer in the UK to install the Tetra Recart​ filling and packaging machine, and the third pet food manufacturer in Europe to specialise in this technology.

Transition to this innovative new packaging system will commence in the autumn with a planned release to market in October 2018. This will be in conjunction with a bold new look for the brand and an overhaul of their current wet food packaging design.

Head of Marketing Emily Cannon says: “The transition from plastic, sealed trays to Tetra Pak cartons will provide us with an unbelievable host of benefits for both the quality and presentation of our wet foods, to an overall reduction in our carbon footprint and environmental impact.”

Tetra Pak cartons are made of FSC certified paperboard, are recyclable and due to their square, light weight design, prove more efficient for transportation with 18% more packages fitting on a pallet, compared to cans.

“We are taking a very active approach to our responsibility as a manufacturer, and Tetra Pak was a clear choice for the business and our commitment to reduce waste and single use materials.”

Emily continues: “Naturediet needed a new packaging design and as part of the strategy to renovate the brand we not only wanted to create a new look for Naturediet but to provide consumers with an alternative packaging format in the natural wet food category. One that is aligned with the growing consumer demand for recyclability.

“Our new pack design is a fresh new beginning, to what has always been considered a very traditional brand. This will enable us to regain our presence on shelf and stand out in what is fast becoming a saturated market. However, we remain true to our honest labelling ethos and promotion of valid claims."

The developments in Naturediet’s manufacturing capabilities are driven by CEO Carol Orrow and Managing Director Daniel Masters, who are committed to continuous improvements and new technologies at their factory in Norfolk.

Carol asid: “Naturediet were innovators of the tray format and installed our first tray thermoformer for in line form, filling and sealing of our wet foods in retort stable packaging in 1990.

"The transition to Tetra Recart​ filling and packing is an immensely exciting time for the business. The investment in our new production line has also opened the doors to new product innovation and development, and we will be expanding our range offering over the course of the next 24 months."

Naturediet’s ‘Better Taste, Less Waste’ campaign will begin in the Autumn with the re-launched 390g core and grain free ranges on show at PATS Telford 2018.

For more information contact Naturediet at trade@naturediet.co.uk or on 01362 822320.

Nineteen 87, a new, super premium dog food which uses UK sourced ingredients and supports the 'farm-to-bowl' ethos, hosted a 'Bake it Better’ fundraising event in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Children's Charity.

Bake it Better is a national fundraising event, inviting budding bakers to whip out their aprons and bake up some tempting treats to help raise vital funds to support seriously ill children cared for at GOSH, and their families too. 

In 2017, Nineteen 87 pledged to donate £50,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity by the end of 2019, and the event was another way for the company to show its support. The bake sale featured baked treats suitable for dogs and dog owners.

Joined by friends and many #DogsOfInstagram, the ‘Bake it Better’ fundraiser took place at the dog-friendly Smith & Whistle on 22nd May. With baked Nineteen 87 treats and baked goods provided by the Smith & Whistle, dogs and their owners all enjoyed carefully prepared food in support of the 'Bake it Better' theme.

The evening culminated with a charity raffle with amazing prizes donated by the Sheraton Grand Hotel, the dog-friendly Shepherd Market Wine House and luxury brands Pickett and Simon Carter. All proceeds from the evening were donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

Sophie Powell-White, Head of Partnership Management at GOSH Charity, says: “We hope all the Nineteen 87 staff, as well as the dogs and their owners, enjoyed their special Bake it Better bake sale.

"We’re really grateful to Nineteen 87 for their ongoing support, every penny raised will make a difference to the lives of seriously ill children cared for at GOSH. I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a success.”

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Johnston & Jeff has launched new feeders. So what's different? Everything, says the company.

Range – 6: peanut feeders in 2 sizes, seed feeders in 2 sizes, and 2 specials for feeding Suet Dumplings and our fat balls.

Quality – first class. These are strong, durable, simple in design and well made. Overall, truly excellent value.

Materials – solid heavy duty plastic lids and bases, hangers are 2mm stainless steel, and where mesh is used [peanut feeders for example] this is heavy gauge. The Suet feeder frames are 2mm gauge and coated. The tubes for the seed feeders are strong polycarbonate.

Design – thoughtful. Easy to clean, take apart, put back together quickly and without any fuss or difficulty. Practically perfect.

Colour – inspired by our beautiful red Suet Dumplings, this range of feeders is in a rather classy burgundy colour.

Aquatic product specialist Blagdon has launched Amphibious IQ, an innovative British designed energy saving pond pump with unique intelligent features.

Suitable for waterfalls and filters, the Amphibious IQ combines low maintenance with high performance, and using its digital motor technology consumes around 30% less energy that similarly priced pumps.  

Available in four sizes (standard, medium, large+ and extra large pond) the pumps microprocessor control and monitoring system offers a wide variety of convenient and energy saving features including:

• Motor Protection System - If the pump detects the motor is clogged or jammed the motor protection system will pause and display, ‘motor jammed, clean impeller, clean rotor’. When the clogging has been removed the pump can safely restart.
• Run Dry Protection System - If the pump detects is has run out of water, it will pause and display, ‘water low, add water’. When water has been added the pump with safely restart.
• Flexible Power Usage Control & Display - With the touch of a button the user can stop, start, increase or decrease power and flow, thereby allowing for optimum performance and maximum energy saving.
• Soft Start - When the pump is turned on the flow will slowly increase to its pre-set position. This helps to reduce the wear on the pump whilst decreasing stress to the pipework and filters fitted to the system.

As with all Blagdon products, ease of use is at the forefront of their design.  The Amphibious IQ can be placed anyway up whilst in the pond, its casing has equally distributed holes all the way around which ensures an even flow of water to the pump so should debris create a partial blockage the pump will continue to work. The impeller also has clear housing making it easy to check for possible blockages or damage without having to undo it.  With a three year guarantee the Amphibious IQ pack contains a pump, controller, hosetails and fittings.

www.blagdonwatergardening.co.uk

Radio Systems PetSafe Europe Limited, parent company of PetSafe Brand, has appointed Nicki Hamilton to EMEA Sales Director, a newly created role designed to boost the company’s sales team as it continues its expansion across the region.

Nicki will lead a team of five sales representatives and focus on growing both Radio Systems’ PetSafe® Brand and SportDOG® Brand product portfolios, streamlining the sales process and building relationships with key partners.  Based in the UK, Nicki will report directly to David Verdon, General Manager at Radio Systems, who operates out of the company’s Irish headquarters.

Nicki joins the business from Pedigree Wholesale Limited, where she was UK Sales Director and managed a large customer service team.  During her three years at the company, she was responsible for all sales activity, growing turnover, improving profitability and controlling channel management.

Commenting on her decision to join Radio Systems, Nicki said: “I have long admired Radio Systems – both in terms of its varied product portfolio and forward-thinking company culture. I’m really looking forward to leading the team and using my experience to hopefully add to the company’s track record of success.”

David Verdon added: “We’re excited to welcome Nicki to the team – her years of industry knowledge, enviable contact book and great track record of driving business growth will be an enormous asset to our business.”

Wafcol has launched an interactive new website which is an information hub for dog owners with pets who have dietary sensitivities.

Wafcol has been at the heart of sensitive diets for over 40 years and has been specifically developed with a leading dermatologist to be sensitive on dogs' digestive systems.

The new website displays Wafcol's wealth of success stories from it's fantastic doggy consumers, as well as case studies from the like of Crufts Best in Show Winner, Devon.

With fantastic content and real life stories, if it's not featured on www.wafcol.co.uk dog owners who have dog's with dietary allergies and intolerances don't need to know it!

The recent re-launch of wafcol.co.uk implements Trustpilot review service to highlight how the food really does change dogs' lives."

CSJ’s roving reporter went behind the scenes at the Surrey County Show 2018 Sheepdog Challenge and produced a series of fascinating videos about the organisation, the people and the runs.

The first 19 minute video on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihA5iGiN8Xk is a generalisation over the whole day of the trial and encapsulates the humorous atmosphere between the handlers, organisers, and the judge.

The banter between handlers and judge as he gives his briefing of the course sets the scene then excerpts from the runs are followed by the three competing Supreme Champion handlers Aled Owen, James McGee, Ricky Hutchinson, plus the judge, Andy Jackman giving their views of the trial in separate interviews.

As the fourth planned competitor was unable to attend Ricky Hutchinson also gave a brace demonstration with his renowned father and son duo, Jock and Sweep to the delight of the crowd.

The competition was in its second year and the hope is to make it an annual event. Judge Andy Jackman commented: “Thanks to Ceri and CSJ for their support, it’s good publicity for the Collie dog.”

To find out which of the three Supreme Champion handlers won the trophy watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihA5iGiN8Xk

Pets at Home has re-emphasised its pledge to future expansion of the business despite recent setbacks, which has seen the pet retailer halt plans for two new superstores and report a 16.6% decline in pre-tax profits in the year to March 29.

When announcing its financial figures last month Pets at Home stated it would open up to five superstores, 20-25 vet practices and 10-20 grooming salons this year.

But then news leaked out that the retail chain had halted plans for new superstores in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and Guisborough in the North-East, blaming a volatile property market for both decisions.

A spokesperson for Pets at Home told Pet Trade Xtra last week that the retail giant was committed to future expansion, stating: “When we announced our results on 22 May we said we would open up to five superstores in the current financial year.  While we keep the details under careful review that is our plan.”

It has been a difficult period for the UK’s largest pet retailer. Profits fell last year as the group counted the cost of an investment drive, although revenues grew 7.8% to £898.9 million.

New chief executive Peter Pritchard, who is overseeing a turnaround at the group, said: "Our plans to reposition retail are working, more customers are coming back to shop with us, and we are committed to returning the business to profit growth. But it hasn't been easy.

"We took decisive action, threw passion and energy into it, and delivered targeted pricing changes to give customers the products that mattered most to them, with the service and value they expect from us."

Pet shops in Surrey have been hit by a spate of burglaries within the last month and in the latest incident on Sunday night four charity boxes were stolen after a window was smashed.

The most recent burglary took place at the Two by Two pet shop in Frimley, when charity boxes for Arthritis Research UK, Cats Protection, RSPCA and Chimney Farm Rescue charity boxes were taken.

A man has been arrested by the police in connection with the Two by Two burglary.

It was the third reported instance of a pet shop being broken into in Surrey Heath in less than a month. Petfood Kingdom in Windlesham was broken into on May 26, and  a neighbouring pet food store, Pets Corner in Hillier Garden Centre Sunningdale , was burgled on the same night.

After the latest attack, owner Andrew Backhurst was reported as saying: "It's just so low. It's not even proper theft is it?" He admitted to being bewildered as to why anyone would want to break the law for such a low amount of "change and shrapnel."

Staff believe the cash value inside of the Chimney Farm Rescue box was around £80, with no substantial amounts of money in the other boxes.

Surrey Police boarded up the broken window that was used to gain entry to the Frimley store and no other lasting damage was done to the shop. Some items were strewn across the floor when staff entered on Monday morning.

Picture taken from the Facebook page of Backhurst Animal Feeds.

The BBC featured Frozzys when broadcasting a piece in the sunshine at Castle Howard in Yorkshire.

BBC Radio York posted a video on its facebook page entitled Castle Howard give frozen yogurt to dogs.

Watch the video at https://www.facebook.com/BBCYork/videos/1909631285736781/

Following the successful launch of The Innocent Pet’s new packaging, the luxury treat manufacturer is now offering retailers a stunning free-standing display unit to showcase its products. 

Available as either single or double sided, the slatted stand is made from reclaimed wood which has been sourced from a local supplier. 

With enough space to carry the entire range of Innocent Pet products, this mobile stand offers a colourful display which attracts customers to the premium treats.

The first stand was delivered to Yorkshire’s popular garden centre, Langlands in Leeds, who are keen to grow their premium treats range.  Since then, several stands have been snapped up by a variety of retailers.

For more information contact The Innocent Pet. hello@theinnocentpet.co.uk 01937 841175.                                                            

Mars Petcare is to buy European animal hospital operator AniCura, as it expands its veterinary business amid a boom in pet-related spending.

Mars said on Monday it was buying the Swedish company from private investment firms Nordic Capital, Fidelio and other minority shareholders.

The deal is worth 1 billion to 2 billion euros (0.74 billion to 1.49 billion pounds), according to a source familiar with the matter.

The acquisition comes the week after Mars agreed to buy British veterinary services provider Linnaeus Group.

It is the latest in a string of petcare deals by Mars and others looking to capitalise on consumers’ increased spending on pets.