UK companies exhibiting at international shows like last week's Zoomark are reaping the rewards as a growing number of international buyers are queuing up to 'Buy British'.

Pet food and accessories made in the UK are highly prized in mainland Europe and beyond, and despite the current economic gloom companies are taking advantage of this overseas interest.

Twenty UK-based companies took advantage of the PetQuip-arranged British Pavilion at Zoomark and over the four days of the exhibition they experienced a tremendous amount of interest from visitors.

"Those companies taking part in the British Pavilion had a tremendous exhibition," said Pat Flynn, of PetQuip. "The quality of visitors to their stands was excellent, and a great deal of interest was shown in their products. I'm confident a lot of those inquiries will be turned into firm orders."

"On the PetQuip stand we had inquiries from Russia, the Ukraine, Scandinavia and the Baltic countries."

One of the main aims for the team at PetQuip is the promotion of trade between buyers and suppliers.

When exhibiting at overseas trade shows, there is always a team from PetQuip to help buyers liaise with the suppliers or to simply provide any information which a buyer may need when sourcing new suppliers from the UK.



"We have never had a show like Zoomark," said Eddie Milbourne, of Symply Pet Foods (pictured above). "We had interest from around the world.

"We were so delighted with the support and arrangements made by PetQuip, we even took them out for dinner! Now nobody does that. Ha-ha!"

And Martin Breen, who attended the show with his Group 55 colleague Stephen Turner (pictured left), said: "We had another really good show at Zoomark. We were extremely busy throughout and met buyers from a wide range of places.

"We only launched Animology three years ago at Interzoo 2010, but our export progress since then had meant that this show was as much about us meeting up with existing overseas customers as it was about finding new ones.

"The quality of the enquiries we received at Zoomark was generally very high, and we expect to do considerable new business as a result of the show – we’ll certainly be back next time."

Lily's Kitchen had such a massive response to their products at Zoomark that the natural dog food company is now considering recruiting a special international team.

"It was an awesome show for us," said MD and founder Henrietta Morrison.

"It was our first international trade fair so we weren't too sure what to expect and whether the Lily's Kitchen evangelism that we have seen in the UK would translate abroad! We were delighted with the response from international retailers and distributors.

"We have a very long list of follow-ups with around 30 countries and I think I am going to have to recruit an international team rather quickly!

"It was a remarkable show in that there were very few 'time wasters'  – everyone we met was a valuable contact who wanted to do business.

"The only down side is half my team were stuck in Bologna for a whole day as their BA flight was cancelled. But I'm not complaining because the trip has certainly paid dividends already."

On her return from Italy where her company exhibited the new Fisherman's Daughter range of products, Jill Angell, from Angell Associates, said:  “We had a fantastically successful Zoomark – the best one we have ever attended actually.”

"We met lots of our old customers there – and some really good new ones as well. Distributors were practically fighting over us in the aisles, all wanting to be the first in their country with our new Fisherman’s Daughter brand.
 
"The keys to the interest were two-fold – the new Icelandic Fish Treat production factory – which can now make lots of different types of fish treats – absolutely superb quality and much better than Chinese production. 

"Also we launched our new ‘Maltese Miracle’ ingredient – Padina Pavonica, which is a cell-regenerator, helping strengthen bones, fixate calcium in the joints, rejuvenate keratin and collagen. 

"PP has been in the human and veterinary agricultural sectors for over 10 years and is well-established in these industries – however this is the first time it has ever been introduced to the companion animal industry.”

Zoomark was the first-ever trade show for Crate Ideas and owner Jonothan Goodman admitted he did not know what to expect.
 
"From the first day so many visitors stopped to look at our exciting and unique products we knew we made the right decision to exhibit.
 
"We had so many enquiries from all over Europe including Russia, Finland and Hungary, that we feel that that the show should give us the coverage in Europe we want.
 
"We were very pleased to take a few orders at the show which really was the icing on the cake.”

And Paul Hunter, from Barking Heads, said: "Zoomark 2013 was the best show for us yet!

"We are extremely pleased with the results both on the sales side and also new business side.

"The British Pavilion and PetQuip team did an outstanding job and we would all like to thank them very much for the support we were given.

"We have had some big players showing a strong and genuine interest in the brands. The position of the stand was very strong and encouraged a lot of traffic to flow through.

"Hans Sleegers, our newly appointed International Exports Manager, is already in final discussions with a number of clients.

"We are extremely positive and excited at the future of Barking Heads and Meowing Heads especially now Zoomark 2013 has taken place."

A spokesperson for the KONG Company stated:  "Zoomark 2013 was a great success. We met with most of our major mainland European distributors – it’s always wonderful to see them and shows such as Zoomark are the perfect showcase for our new product launches."

The owners of a fire-ravaged Fulham pet shop have vowed to rebuild their half century-old business and have thanked the community for it's 'humbling' support in the wake of Monday's devastating blaze.

Scores of animals were killed when the fire broke out at The Fish Bowl in Dawes Road in the early hours of the morning, including the shop's beloved cat, Jasper, and its three parrots, one of which had been there 28 years.

Despite losing much of their stock, which included fish, birds, rabbits, lizards, snakes and guinea pigs, and seeing most of the shop damaged by smoke, owners Jenny and Peter Johnson were back trading on Tuesday morning, selling what little goods they had left.

Mrs Johnson, who started the business with her husband 49 years ago, says she has been overwhelmed by the support of the community following the tragedy, and said she owed it to her eight staff and loyal customers to rebuild the shop.

"I feel very humbled by the support," she said. "It's going to be a massive clean-up job but we will do it. We were out here the morning after at the front door, serving people what we could. The Fish Bowl isn't going to go anywhere."

Mrs Johnson said the loss of Jasper and her parrots was particularly hard to take. "It's horrible for everyone. We were Jasper's fourth owners after he just turned up one day. He used to chase dogs out of the shop he didn't like and everyone loved him.

"The only saving grace is there were no human lives lost."

Nearly 60 firefighters battled the flames for more than three hours and evacuated 18 surrounding flats as a precaution. The brigade said the shop had no smoke alarms.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation but it is not thought to be suspicious.

Pictured: The Fish Bowl owner, Jenny Johnson, and staff member Dan Bristow outside the shop in Dawes Road (Pic: Fulham Chronicle).

Ancol Pet Products has invested over £250,000 in hi-tech machinery to give a much needed boost to the UK leather industry.

In recent years, increased costs have forced companies such as Ancol to outsource leather manufacturing to Asia. However, by investing in two new machines, Ancol will ensure that the manufacturing of 95% of their leather dog collars and leads remains in the UK.

“We are under enormous pressure from raw material suppliers. Leather has experienced double digit percentage inflation recently and because it’s a commodity, there are many influences on its price," said Ancol director Simon Lane.

"Our new state-of-the-art leather cutting machine will help improve quality and performance, reduce waste and help us to offset these price increases.”

Ancol’s new edge finishing production line machine will improve the ‘cut edge’ by polishing and hot glazing the leather in preparation for receiving two coats of high performance ink. This method is commonly used in high-end human belt production which is proven to add quality without increasing prices.

For more information on Ancol’s full range of products visit www.ancol.co.uk

Raccoons entering homes through unsecure pet doors are a major cause of concern for cat owners in the USA.

However, the raccoons at Shepreth Wildlife Park have tried and failed to break into the new SureFlap microchip-operated pet door, which has innovative security features designed to stop even the craftiest of intruders from breaking into the flap.

Alex Perry, Head of Section, explains the product testing she and the raccoons have been doing with SureFlap: “Raccoons are highly dextrous, and have incredible problem-solving abilities, so we were intrigued to see what they would make of the flap. 

“SureFlap made us a big feeding box, which the raccoons could enter via the pet door. At first we deactivated the door so they could come and go as they pleased. We put some of their favourite food items inside the box so they could get used to the flap. As soon as they realised there were eggs inside they were in there like a shot!

“We then activated the SureFlap Pet Door to see if the raccoons would be able to break open the flap. Neither of our raccoons could manage to force the flap open, after many attempts!”

The SureFlap Pet Door will only unlock if it reads a resident pet's microchip, therefore an owner's cat can gain access, while other animals – in this case racoons – are kept out.

Dr Nick Hill, inventor and founder of SureFlap, said: “We wanted to put the pet door up to the ultimate test and see how it fared. In the USA, raccoons break into cat flaps to steal food and are a real problem for cat owners. Raccoons are wild animals, and can seriously injure resident cats if they try to defend their territory. 

“These incidents really demonstrate the importance of making sure your home can’t be subject to home invasions. We have had reports of all sorts of animals coming in through non-secure cat flaps – from raccoons and pine martens to chickens!"

Home invasions are something Nick is only too familiar with, and was part of the inspiration behind the SureFlap Cat Flap.  When his cat Flipper was being terrorised by neighbourhood cats coming through his cat flap, Nick realised the potential of using Flipper’s microchip to operate his cat flap.

The new pet door has been built with a curved polycarbonate door and strong hinges to withstand the attentions of the most persistent would-be intruder. Two independently sprung locks prevent the door twisting even when an intruder pushes hard against one corner, which is a common tactic, and double magnets hold the door securely in place.  During the tests the pet door’s enhanced security mode was activated, which provides even greater security against intruder animals.

Recent research commissioned by SureFlap has investigated the severity of home invasions in the UK. Jon Bowen, lead researcher for the Neighbourhood Cat Campaign and animal behaviour consultant at the Royal Veterinary College comments:

“51.1% of households with an unsecured cat flap experienced some kind of feline home invasion. For the resident cat this will be extremely stressful – a common trigger for behavioural problems and health issues such as cystitis and skin conditions.

To see a YouTube video of the raccoons in action go to http://bit.ly/10igG2s

For the team at Durstons Garden Products cricket is part of everyday life. It’s officially the company’s favourite sport, so-much-so that Wes Durston (son of Director Steve and brother to Director Dan Durston), plays cricket for Derbyshire’s County Cricket Club, where Durstons is also a regular sponsor.

So it's not surprising that the sales team at Durstons was left a little astonished this month when they discovered that Durstons growing media is a firm favourite for the flying variety of crickets too!
 
Steve Evans, general manager of Sheffield based Livefoods Direct, sent through an email to the Durstons team to let them know how much his breeding colony of crickets was enjoying the superior quality of Durstons Seed & Cutting Compost and its Growbags.
 
“They’re not interested in anything else,” said Steve. “Excuse the pun!, but they appear to be ‘bowled over’ by the blend of rich growing media, and I’d  be completely ‘stumped’ without it. They really are very particular, and like most of us appreciate a little luxury, and the superior quality of Durstons is exactly what they enjoy.”
 
Luckily for Steve, Durstons run is far from over, with its product range increasing year-on-year to include a variety of composts and soil conditioners.

For more information visit www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk or call 01458 442688 or to contact Livefoods Direct visit  www.livefoodsdirect.co.uk or call 01905 518888.

Burns Pet Nutrition is sponsoring a project that has helped countless children across the UK and America to learn to read with the help of a four-legged canine friend.

Danny is a rescue greyhound who was found wandering the streets of Cork in Ireland. He was adopted by Tony Nevett who specialises in animal assisted therapy.

Tony immediately noticed qualities in Danny that would be suitable for a programme that had been designed to help young children learn to read with the help of a canine companion.

Danny is the second of Tony’s dogs to participate in the READ programme which was developed in America by Intermountain Therapy Animals but has now been adopted by many countries throughout the world.

By reading to a dog as opposed to a parent or teacher, a child starts to build up their confidence which ultimately improves their reading and communication skills. As well as visiting schools around the UK and across America, Danny appears in his own set of children’s books which tell of his adventures including his trip to America in 'Danny strikes out in America'.

The book was taken on by the Cedar Rapids Kernels Baseball Team as part of their summer reading programme providing assistance to schools and libraries in Iowa.

Danny has since gone on to be something of a celebrity and is supported by a number of well known faces from the world of pop music, stage and screen and has even visited the Prime Minster at 10 Downing Street. He is the only dog to be given a mention in an Ofsted Report.

Burns Pet Nutrition provides Danny’s food and helps with his travelling expenses. Danny is a big fan of Burn’s Original Recipe Range which is washed down with the occasional pint of Guinness (although this is not recommended as part of a balanced diet!)

“We are absolutely delighted to be sponsoring Danny," said Steve Chilvers, Burns marketing director.

"It is such a marvellous project and helps to promote dogs in such a good light. We are hoping to help Tony and Danny to translate their books into the Welsh language as well so that schools that teach in the Welsh medium will also have the opportunity to benefit from this scheme.”

• Conna Powles, Buying Director, Haskins Garden centres
• Simon Moore, Head of Garden Buying, Wilkinson Stores
• Jo Wood, Garden, DIY and Security Buyer at QVC 
• Mike Wyatt, Editor, Garden Trade News
• Tim Rumbold, Editor, Amateur Gardening magazine
• Peter Burks, Chairman of the Garden Centre Association

• Pet Care, Aquatics and Wild Bird Care
• Garden Care Products
• Growing and Planting Equipment and Sundries
• Outdoor Leisure, Garden Structures and Features
• Plants Seeds and Bulbs
• Tools, Machinery and Implements
• Garden Landscaping
• Garden Retail Related Products
• Point of Sale Material
• Consumer Product Packaging
• Marketing Communication

More than 20,000 visitors attended the London Pet Show 2013 at Earls Court Two at the weekend with organisers and stand holders declaring the event a huge success.

“We increased space for the show by 40% this year with over 180 exhibitors selling some fantastic products and services. Many stand holders sold out of some of their lines on the first day, having to stock up overnight. It was by far our best show yet,” said Nicole Cooper, Director of London Pet Show. 

Adam Whiteley, head of pet insurance at headline sponsor Direct Line, said: “Our aim in supporting the show was to raise awareness of the importance of protecting your pet with insurance. We also wanted to help improve owners knowledge of their pets’ welfare by sponsoring the talks and clinics in the discover dogs and cats zone.

"Direct Line’s own vet nurse, Madeleine Pike, had a tremendous audience of keen dog and cat owners wanting to keep their pets healthy. We were amazed by the number of entrants for our pet friendly holiday at our stand. It was a great day out for all the visitors that came along.”

Gemma Duffield at Royal Canin, sponsor of Discover Cats, said: “We were really pleased to be able to support the London Pet Show event for the second year and feel the show continues to get bigger and better year on year! Fantastic footfall all weekend with a great buzz of passion and excitement filling the room. It was an opportunity to meet new customers and talk to them about a shared passion – putting their pets first to ensure all their nutritional needs are met, helping them fulfil a healthy and happy life!”

ITV2’s Top Dog Model Simba and his fellow finalists opened the show in a lively ceremony on Saturday, appearing alongside performances by the UK’s top freestyle dog trainers Donelda Guy and Mary Ray, hosted by BBC Radio London dog lovers Jo Good and Anna Webb, who launched their new book at the show.

There were over 450 animals for visitors to meet and popular activities and exhibits ranging from show jumping rabbits to racing micro-pigs, a new pony club area and exciting dog agility and flyball displays entertained the crowds who were there to find out more about what pet was right for them, how to care for their pets and to buy the latest pet products and gadgets. 

Sir Bruce Forsyth joined the Endal Awards organised by Dogs Today magazine to see his daughter Debbie Matthews receive an award for her Vets Get Scanning campaign to help owners find their stolen and lost pets, along with other pet heroes who received awards. He thrilled the audience with an impromptu speech.

The show included four dedicated zones: Small Furries sponsored by Burgess Pet Care; Cats sponsored by Royal Canin; Dogs, sponsored by James Wellbeloved; and Aquatics and Exotics sponsored by RC Hagen, each with a huge range of animals to meet and demonstrations. Home hygiene experts Zoflora sponsored the Animal Action Arena, the World of Cats and Cat Talks. 

Top animal charities including the RSPCA, Cats Protection, Wood Green and People’s Trust for Endangered Species and many more popular animal organisations including the Kennel Club, the Pony Club, Governing Council of the Cats Fancy, TICA and the Rabbit Welfare Association supported and exhibited at the show.

Companies interested in participating in London Pet Show 2014 should contact Tanya Cohen or Norman Grodentz on 07753 301 093 or email tanya@londonpetshow.co.uk or norman@londonpetshow.co.uk. For sponsorship contact Nicole Cooper on 01273 857820 or email nicole@londonpetshow.co.uk 

Dogs are being allowed access to the Eden Project for the first time this weekend…

Only registered assistance dogs had been allowed into the world-renowned visitor attraction but due to popular demand the owners have decided to relax the rules for this weekend only.

Eden’s Operations Director Ian Williams said: “Lots of visitors have asked us if we would consider letting dogs in. We will see how Dog Weekend at Eden goes and how it is well received by dog owners and general visitors and will then make a call on whether we have more dog days in the future.”

Dog owners can take their animals into the Eden Project at no extra charge, to enjoy the miles of paths within the former china clay quarry but they won’t be allowed in the Biomes or other undercover areas.

Dog litter bins and drinking water will be provided, and there will be activities including a display by a police dog-handler.

“We’ve always aimed to be dog friendly by providing shaded parking shelters in four car parks,” said Ian. “The shelters in Orange car park have a water tap, and stewards supply water to the other three car parks, Melon, Cherry and Lemon.”

Applaws has introduced a small kibble size to its 75% meat dry food range which is suitable for small breeds of dogs.

“Dry food doesn’t always mean healthy food especially if it’s packed with cereals or grains like wheat, maize, barley rice, sorghum or soya,” says Mark Frampton, Product Development Manager at Applaws.

“As a general rule, the higher the meat content the better it is for your dog, and Applaws are proud to offer the world’s first 75% meat complete dry dog food to be made without cereal (the other 25% being vegetables and natural extracts).”

Applaws complete dry food can help dogs maintain a healthy and active lifestyle because it doesn’t contain cereals or grain and is therefore low in carbohydrate, which means less build-up of body fat which is ideal for small breeds of dogs.

It is also good news for those dogs that suffer from food intolerances and allergies. The food is also packed full of natural omega oils, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to help with your dog’s joints, coat, skin, eyesight, muscle tone and immune system.

It also contains both pre-biotics and an active Pro-biotic from Beta-gulcan both of which may help which may encourage the presence of protective and friendly bacteria in the gut which in turn can help to improve both immune and digestive systems.

Applaws Dry Complete has been formulated to have a meat only protein level comparable to fresh whole chicken (When compared on a dry weight basis). Apart from the obvious health benefits, this also means that you can actually feed your r dog less than many other dry foods and they will still feel full and satisfied.

This make Applaws excellent value, costing as little as 22p per meal for a normal diet (based on 2kg pack- 70meals-22p per meal).

For further information on any of Applaws products, visit their website: www.applaws.co.uk or Tel: 08707 508 606

Look North Grooming and Training Centre Ltd, based in Keighley, has been named UK Top Grooming School or College 2013 at the inaugural Liz Paul Awards held at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

“We were absolutely thrilled to win Top Grooming School,” says Look North director Joanne Angus.

“This is a tremendous honour and tribute to our fantastic team of award winning trainers. They deliver first class training to all groomers, whether they are just starting out or wishing to develop specialist skills.”

Current directors Alison Thomas and Joanne Angus started working for Look North back in 1977 as Saturday girls. Today, Joanne together with lead tutor Zoe Duffy and head stylist Chris Swain all hold the highest achievable qualification available for dog groomers – LCGI. 

All training takes place within the salon so students experience what it’s like to work in a commercial grooming business.

Original Look North owner, Diana North, won the lifetime achievement award and Zoe Duffy was a finalist in two categories, UK Groomer of the Year and UK Speaker of the Year.



The Look North Team are pictured with their award: back row, left to right, Chris Swain, Alison Thomas, Joanne Angus; front row, Pippa Murray, Zoe Duffy.

Meanwhile, dog grooming equipment supplier Redcape won two awards.

Beating runners-up Dezynadog and Christies Direct to take the top slot as UK Grooming Supplier of the Year,  the company also won, in partnership with Groom Team England, Grooming Event of the Year for Premier Groom, which it helps to organise. 

“We were absolutely delighted to be nominated for three categories and to win two is amazing,” says Redcape MD Simon Cheung.

“Winning supplier of the year is testament to our policy of providing outstanding service and support to our customers.

"We are constantly seeking ways to improve and will continue to work hard to maintain this level. It is also gratifying to be recognised for all the hard work that goes in to organising Premier Groom with Groom Team England. We would like to thank everyone who voted for us.”

Dog owners who have pets dangerously out of control are sometimes as much to blame, a leading lawyer has said.

Jolyon Canlin has even gone so far as to say the title of the law governing dangerous dogs should more accurately refer to the contribution that dog owners may make to the dangerous behaviour of their animals.
 
Mr Canlin, a lawyer in the Serious Crime team of Nottingham law firm Challinors, says the Dangerous Dogs Act may have been more appropriately named.

"I would suggest something along the lines of the Dangerous Owners of Dogs Act or even the Dangerous and Careless Dog Owners Act. The reason is simple – it is not the dog, for the most part, that is the problem, it is the owner.
 
"The owners are culpable for the penalties under the law so perhaps the wording should have been more clear from the outset?
 
"Dangerous dogs are never out of the public eye for long," Jolyon says. "An incident occurs and suddenly public debate comes to the fore once more.  It seems that what defines a breed of dog as being dangerous depends on the most recent horrific incident.
 
"Rottweilers, Dobermans and German Shepherds have all been given considerable negative press over time, but the Dangerous Dogs Act in fact makes it clear that any breed can be deemed dangerous, including Laparatsu and Chihuahua. The Act states dogs are defined as dangerous if they are 'dangerously out of control in public'.
 
"As a criminal lawyer with years of experience of cases of this type, there is one common thread running through this area of the law, the dog owners.  Perhaps if the law had been labelled more clearly people would not be so prejudiced against the dogs but have more regard to the negligent and careless owners."

Veterinary associations have welcomed the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee (EfraCom) response to the Government’s draft Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill, which calls for preventive measures such as Dog Control Notices, and has called on the Government to think again.

The Committee took on board evidence from the British Veterinary Association and British Small Animal Veterinary Association, as well as a number of key dog welfare organisations and enforcers, and reiterated the call for consolidated legislation on dog control including strong preventive measures.

Whilst consolidated legislation would have been preferable, BVA and BSAVA accept that the Government’s plans are entirely concerned with amending the current legislation under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Both organisations are pleased to note that EfraCom supports the principle of ‘deed not breed’ in terms of not extending the list of banned breed types, since, as the report states, “any dog may become aggressive on an irresponsible owner”.

Commenting, BVA President Peter Jones (left) said: “We are delighted that this cross-party group of MPs has given such strong support for more preventive measures. We all support the proposed changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act but they simply don’t go far enough.=

“Instead of making more mistakes with hastily made legislation we are asking the Government to think again and reconsider introducing Dog Control Notices. DCNs have already been introduced in Scotland and have the support of veterinary surgeons, dog welfare organisations, and enforcers, as well as many parliamentarians.”

Professor Michael Day, President of BSAVA, added: “EfraCom has clearly listened to the contributions made by BVA and BSAVA in this report. There are challenges remaining to make sure that any amendments to the Act are effectively enforced, and so we are glad to see that EfraCom recognises how vital it is that dog warden and enforcement services are properly resourced by local authorities.

“We hope the Government takes the Committee’s report on board and looks again at the legislation.”