Through a partnership with MassMedia Public Relations, the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.) now offers discounted public relations packages that can be customized to meet members’ specific needs. The triple project package includes a half-hour strategy-building session; three press releases, story pitches or other individualized special promotions; a half-hour follow-up session; and a follow-up summary report detailing project activities. The monthly retainer program offers savings over an agency’s standard minimum monthly retainer, and requires only a month-to-month agreement as opposed to a six-month contract. For more details, contact Tierra Griffith or Julie Rowe at MassMedia, (775) 322-0755, tierra@massmediapr.com, julie@massmediapr.com. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Aquascape Designs Inc. (Batavia, Ill.) is holding free “Plunge Into the Water Garden Business” seminars in more than 100 cities across the United States to introduce retailers and contractors to the water garden business. For more information, call 866-877-6637 or visit www.aquascapedesigns.com. [February 2006 PET AGE]

H.H. Backer Associates Inc. (Chicago) paid $60,000 in membership dues to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington), donated $25,000 to the pet industry coalition coordinated by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.) and contributed $10,000 to The Pet Care Trust (Arcadia, Calif.). [February 2006 PET AGE]

Bailey & Wags (Jupiter, Fla.), a new online store at www.baileyandwags.com, offers upscale canine couture, spa items, travel items and gifts. The site also offers live customer service 24 hours a day. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Bark Busters (Englewood, Colo.) signed a deal to provide dog safety training materials to Women’s Safety Education Group, a national organization that conducts safety and self-defense seminars for women and children. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Barrington Barkery & Pawtique (Barrington, Ill.) was named Chicagoland’s best dog bakery in a reader poll sponsored by ChicagoTails Pet Magazine. [February 2006 PET AGE]

A federal court ordered Bayer Animal Health (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) to permanently stop using an advertising campaign that falsely claimed its K9 Advantix flea/tick product was clinically proven to be superior to Frontline Plus flea/tick products by Merial Ltd. (Duluth, Ga.). Bayer, which now concedes that the cited study did not support its claims of test-proven superiority, also was required to send a letter of apology to the recipients of the misleading materials. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.) reported net sales of $323 million for the 2005 fourth quarter, up 4 percent from $311 million in the year-earlier period. In related news, the company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of its common stock to minimize the diluting impact of employee stock options. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.) formed marketing partnerships with the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and the University of California Golden Bears football teams to promote responsible pet ownership and differentiate its brands. The partnerships include in-game, online and retail promotions designed to appeal to fans with pets. Football-themed displays featuring special discount offers on products from various Central pet brands, including TFH/Nylabone, Four Paws, Kaytee, Super Pet and All-Glass Aquarium, tied into a Family Fantasy Day Sweepstakes for customers. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Chatwick & Tiller—Pet Outfitters (Northville, Mich.) launched an online specialty pet store at www.chatwickpets.com, providing innovative pet supplies and gifts for active pets and owners. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Church & Dwight Co. Inc. (Princeton, N.J.) reported sales of $442.7 million for the 2005 third quarter, up 5 percent from $420.3 million for the year-earlier period. At the product line level, pet products helped drive a 5 percent increase in sales of household products. At the brand level, sales of Arm & Hammer Super Scoop cat litter were higher than last year. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Digital Angel Corp. (South St. Paul, Minn.) in late November began selling an improved scanner that detects any RFID microchip used for pet identification in the United States. Developed in response to recent Congressional action calling for a universal microchip reader, the scanner reads most microchips using a 125-kilohertz radio frequency, including encrypted microchips, as well as those using a 134-kilohertz frequency, such as the ISO microchip commonly used in Europe. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Dog.com (Los Angeles), a discount dog supplies company, acquired Fish.com for $1 million. The all-cash sale set a new high-water mark for e-commerce transactions in 2005. [February 2006 PET AGE]

FLORIDA—Animal Purchaser Information. Senate Bill 470, requiring persons who sell more than two litters or 20 dogs or cats per year to provide each animal purchaser with information about the animal’s birth, origin and registration information, has been referred to committee. [February 2006 PET AGE]

FLORIDA—Pet Dealer Licensing. A bill to amend Florida’s pet dealer law has been referred to committee. Senate Bill 674 would require pet dealers to be licensed and inspected at least once a year. The bill would establish a dealer license fee of $100 for a pet dealer selling more than 25 animals per year, and a fee of $25 for pet dealers selling fewer than 25 dogs or cats. Pet dealers also would be required to display license information in advertisements. [February 2006 PET AGE]

FouFou Dog Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ontario) signed distribution deals with Jacquie Woodward of the United Kingdom, for western Europe, and Dimitry Van Raamsdonk of the Netherlands, for to eastern Europe. [February 2006 PET AGE]

FouFou Dog Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ontario) and Woof Cosmetics (Montreal) teamed to donate $500 gift baskets containing dog apparel and spa products to magazines that are conducting reader contests, sweepstakes or giveaways. At press time, they had donated baskets to Life & Style Weekly, Wag Magazine, LouLou Magazine, Gardening Life Magazine and Weekly Scoop. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Hartville Group Inc. (Canton, Ohio), a pet insurance provider, and OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) agreed to sponsor up to 750,000 interactive training DVDs for people adopting new pets from shelters participating in the PetsIncredible Shelter Helper Program. PetsIncredible is the pet media group of Franklin Media Brands L.L.C. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.). [February 2006 PET AGE]

The New York State Supreme Court in November rejected a claim by J.W. Childs L.P. (Boston) that an indemnity clause covering loss in value arising from products and inventory manufactured before the $300 million sale of The Hartz Mountain Corp. (Secaucus, N.J.) constituted a product sales guarantee. The court said that Childs had specifically explored the risk that a major product line was about to face substantial competition, yet had not proposed or requested a guarantee. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. (Topeka, Kan.) in November teamed with Meals on Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County, Texas, for its Meals on Wheels for Pets Holiday Program, delivering free Science Diet pet food to clients in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. [February 2006 PET AGE]

International Absorbents Inc. (Ferndale, Wash.) chose iRenaissance software by Ross Systems Inc. (Atlanta) to streamline manufacturing processes and ensure adherence to internal quality controls and industry regulations. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Jakks Pacific Inc. (Malibu, Calif.) signed licensing deals with The Cat Fancier’s Association (Manasquan, N.J.) and The Meow Mix Co. (Secaucus, N.J.) to develop branded toys, apparel and other accessories for cats and kittens. The products, to be marketed by Jakk’s pet division, JPI, are expected to ship nationwide this year. [February 2006 PET AGE]

The Kaytee Avian Foundation (Chilton, Wis.), in association with Tropical Nature Travel (Gainesville, Fla.) and the BioBrasil Foundation (Bahia, Brazil), will sponsor a trip to the Hyacinth Macaw Conservation Project in Brazil’s Parnaiba Headwaters National Park on June 13-22. For more details, contact Elizabeth Sanders at 877-888-1770 or liz@tropicalnaturetravel.com. [February 2006 PET AGE]

The Kong Co. (Golden, Colo.) launched a free newsletter at its Web site, www.kongcompany.com. The quarterly e-mail newsletter provides information about the Kong community, new product announcements, professional training tips, Kong Stuff’N recipes, contests and more. [February 2006 PET AGE]

High-end versions of dog-themed key chains by LittleGifts Inc. (Massapequa, N.Y.) were featured on the back cover of Bloomingdale’s Christmas 4 catalog. Bloomingdale’s offered 12 breed-specific key chains and one fire hydrant style. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Midnight Pass (Marshfield Hills, Mass.), best known for its Kittywalk pet containment products, hit $6 million in sales over the holidays. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Muttropolis Dog & Cat Boutique (San Diego) now offers downloadable podcasts on pet-related topics at its Web site, www.muttropolis.com. The company plans to install in-store kiosks so customers can download the podcasts when they visit any of the boutique’s five locations. [February 2006 PET AGE]

NEW JERSEY—Regulation of Dog Trainers. Assembly Bill 4425, which provides for the regulation and licensing of dog trainers, was referred to the Assembly Committee on Regulated Professions and Independent Authorities. [February 2006 PET AGE]

NEVADA—Pesticide Registration Fees. The Nevada Department of Agriculture increased the fee to register pesticides from $60 to $100, effective Jan. 1. Fifteen dollars of each fee will be used to monitor and dispose of pesticides, protect ground and surface water from pesticide contamination, and to control and eradicate noxious weeds. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Old Mother Hubbard (Chelmsford, Mass.) recently presented Valued Partner Appreciation Awards to Chalet Nursery (Wilmette, Ill.), Feeder’s Supply (Louisville, Ken.), Mad Cat (Madison, Wis.), Market Place Pet Supply (South Lyon, Mich.), McPets (Wauwatosa, Wis.), MVPets (Portage, Mich.), Pet Junction (Stow, Ohio) and Platinum Paws (Carmel, Ind.). The awards recognize stores for their knowledge, employees, customer service, understanding of pet nutrition and care, and user-friendly shopping environment. [February 2006 PET AGE]

ONTARIO—Pet Store Regulation. The Orangeville council adopted a bylaw requiring pet shops to know the sources of their animals, to keep animals in humane conditions and to provide information on each animal’s history to customers who purchase pets. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Paws for Health at www.pawsforhealth.net helps identify environmental and nutritional hazards to dogs’ health. [February 2006 PET AGE]

PENNSYLVANIA—Pet Restraint in Vehicles. House Bill 1737, to require that dogs and other pets be buckled into pet seats or confined in crates while in moving vehicles, was assigned to the House Transportation Committee. The law would expressly prohibit dogs from sticking their heads out of car windows. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Performance Foods Inc. (Broomfield, Colo.) signed a deal allowing Bosch Tiernahrung GmbH & Co. (Blaufelden, Germany) to produce and sell Totally Ferret food under the brand name Totally Ferret-bosch throughout Europe. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Pet Ecology Brands Inc. (Dallas) inked a distribution agreement with Premier Pet Products Inc. (Houston), reaching an additional 250 pet retailers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Pet Valu Inc. (Markham, Ontario) reported sales of $33.3 million for the 2005 third quarter, compared with sales of $32.28 for the year-earlier period. Comparable store sales decreased 0.8 percent in the United States and 1.5 percent in Canada versus the year-earlier period, due in part to unseasonably hot weather in July and August. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Pet-a-licious opened at 9403 Bell Road in Windsor, Calif., offering a variety of high-end boutique products for pets and people. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) won a 2005 Ad:Tech Award for best campaign optimization. With the help of marketing optimization services by Offermatica (San Francisco), Petco.com increased revenue per visitor by approximately 250 percent and conversion by almost 150 percent on a paid search landing page. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) reported net sales of $492.3 million for the 2005 third quarter, up 8.1 percent from $455.5 for the year-earlier period. Comparable store sales increased 1.5 percent from the year-earlier period. Service-related sales increased 22 percent versus the year-earlier period. Petco added 19 new stores net of relocations and closings in the quarter, bringing its base to 771 stores. [February 2006 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) reported net sales of $907.7 million for the 2005 third quarter, up 9.8 percent from $826.8 million for the year-earlier period. Comparable store sales increased 2.4 percent from the year-earlier period. Service-related sales were $71.5 million, up 23.9 percent from the year-earlier period. The company opened 35 new stores and closed one location in the quarter, bringing its base to 791 stores. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Radio Systems Corp. (Knoxville, Tenn.) acquired Reilor Holdings (Preston, England), maker of Staywell brand pet doors. Reilor will continue to operate at its current location as a solely owned subsidiary of Radio Systems. Roger Mathews, a 10-year veteran of Radio Systems, will be managing director of the facility.

S&M NuTec L.L.C. (North Kansas City, Mo.) reported $315 million in domestic retail sales of Greenies dental dog bones in 2004, making them the top-selling dog treats in the United States for the second consecutive year. [February 2006 PET AGE]

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Schering-Plough Animal Health Corp. (Kenilworth, N.J.) donated $50,000 to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (Schaumburg, Ill.) to support its Veterinary Medical Assistance Team program. [February 2006 PET AGE]

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (Marysville, Ohio) recently acquired Gutwein & Co., maker of Morning Song wild bird products, for $77 million. Morning Song products, with revenues of approximately $85 million and the No. 2 market share position, are sold at mass retailers as well as grocery, pet and general merchandise stores. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Snobby Paws (Canal Fulton, Ohio) launched an online store at www.snobbypaws.com and a home-party business, offering a variety of upscale items for dogs and cats. [February 2006 PET AGE]

TetraPond (Blacksburg, Va.) received a first-place Pepperpot Award in the single-piece communications category for its “Into the Pond” monthly electronic newsletter from the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Theo’s Treats (Greensboro, N.C.), launched in December, offers pet treats to local pet stores as well as online customers at www.theostreats.com. The company’s goal is to raise awareness about pet overpopulation and euthanasia. [February 2006 PET AGE]

UltraPet Co. Inc. (Anderson, S.C.) chose Howard, Merrell & Partners (Raleigh, N.C.) to develop a $10 million national branding campaign, including creative development, media planning and buying, package design and public relations. UltraPet makes and markets Earth-safe premium products for dogs and cats. [February 2006 PET AGE]

Wag Magazine hosted a fashion event on Dec. 15 at the Fat Cat Lounge in Modesto, Calif., drawing canine fashion designers and models from around the world to show off the hottest trends for 2006. The world’s largest dog fashion show, the event raised money for the Noah’s Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing animals in disasters. [February 2006 PET AGE]

The Winn Feline Foundation (Foster City, Calif.) established the Bria Fund to study feline infectious peritonitis, a disease of very young and senior cats for which there is no accurate blood test or cure. Visit www.winnfelinehealth.org for more information. [February 2006 PET AGE]