Backer's Christmas Show Draws Record Crowds
More than 8,500 buyers from 2,702 retail and wholesale outlets attended H.H. Backer Associates' 38th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show and Educational Conference, held Oct. 8-10 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (Chicago), Ill...

PET AGE Presents 'Retailer Select' Awards
Buyers cast hundreds of ballots for their favorites among items displayed in the Product Showcase at H.H. Backer Associates' 38th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show and Educational Conference, held Oct. 8-10 in Rosemont, Ill...

Backer's Celebration of Style Draws 2,300 Groomers
More than 2,300 groomers from across the country attended the fifth annual Celebration of Style grooming competition, held Oct. 10-12 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., and 44 groomers entered 77 dogs to try to win nearly $17,000 in cash, trophies and gifts during the three-day event sanctioned by GroomTeam USA (Claremont, Calif.)...

WWPSA's SuperZoo West Shatters 54-Year Booth Record
More than 10,274 buyers, exhibitor personnel and guests attended SuperZoo West, held Sept. 22-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas...

ProGroom Las Vegas Draws 400 Groomers
About 400 groomers from 25 states took part in ProGroom Las Vegas, held Sept. 22-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in conjunction with the SuperZoo West trade show (see "WWPSA's SuperZoo West Shatters 54-Year Booth Record")...

Companies Turn Out in Force for PIJAC-Canada Shows
Enthused about the state of the economy in general and the state of the pet industry in Canada in particular, vendors and retailers turned out in force for the most recent trade shows sponsored by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada (Ottawa, Ontario)...

GLEE Petindex Attracts More International Visitors
A total of 24,761 buyers attended GLEE Petindex, held Sept. 19-21 at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham, England. The visitor count was down 4 percent from 25,886 visitors at last year's international garden and leisure exhibition...

Dog Breeders Meet at Hunte Conference
More than 1,300 professional pet breeders and pet industry leaders attended the fifth annual breeder's educational conference, sponsored Sept. 17-18 in Joplin Mo., by The Hunte Corp. (Goodman, Mo.)...

Groom Expo Draws 3,200 Pet-Care Professionals
Approximately 3,200 pet professionals attended Groom Expo, the Natural Pet Expo and Animal Behavior Conference, held Sept. 10-12 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pa...

Iams Switches Venues for Feeding Trials
Responding to pressure from animal welfare groups, The Iams Co. (Dayton, Ohio) said in October it will no longer conduct dog and cat feeding studies in external contract facilities and universities. Instead, it will conduct feeding studies in the Iams Pet Health and Nutrition Center, pet owners' homes or organizations where dogs and cats already live, such as animal shelters and groups that train assistance dogs...

Big (Holiday) Spenders
Despite rising gas prices and interest rates, shoppers will find a way to add a little extra money to their holiday budgets this year, according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation (Washington)...

New Bar Code Systems Take Effect in January
Come Jan. 1, 2005, U.S. and Canadian retailers must be able to accept new bar codes or risk having their computers crash...

PSAs Explain Overtime Security Rules
New public service announcements from the U.S. Department of Labor are urging employers and employees to learn how the Fair Labor Standards Act will strengthen overtime protections for 6.7 million American workers...

CITES Revises International Wildlife Trade Rules
International trade in the yellow-crested cockatoo and the lilac-crowned Amazon parrot was banned at the 13th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, held Oct. 2-14 in Bangkok, Thailand...

'Frankenfish' Found in Lake Michigan
A shore angler netted a northern snakehead fish in a harbor near Chicago's downtown in October-the first time the voracious predator has been discovered in the Great Lakes, the world's largest body of fresh water...

NASC Unveils Quality Seal
The seal assures consumers that the product was produced by a reputable manufacturer that has successfully completed an independent facility audit, according to the trade association...

Global Pets Forum Set for January
Set to the theme of "Who Is Moving My Boxes?" the sixth Global Pets Forum will take place Jan. 20-21, 2005, at the Marriott Hotel in Brussels, Belgium, providing an educational program and networking opportunities for attendees...

Japan Pet Fair Set for March
Set to a theme of "Heart to Heart, Affectionate Life With Pets," the Japan Pet Fair will take place March 24-27 at the Pacifico Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan...