CAIN & ABLE COLLECTION L.L.C. (Austin, Texas) is searching for the canine face of its 2007 marketing campaign. The winning dog will receive a year’s supply of the company’s all-natural bath products. For details, visit www.cainandablecollection.com. [March 2007 PET AGE]

CALIFORNIA—Cat Litter Labels. The California Department of Fish and Game expects manufacturers and distributors to be in full compliance by April 1 with a new law requiring that all cat litter for sale in the state include a statement on the package regarding the proper disposal of cat feces. For products already in the supply chain, manufacturers can satisfy the law, which took effect Jan. 1, by applying a sticker on the outside of an existing package as long as the content of the statement meets the requirement of the statute. [March 2007 PET AGE]

CANINE KINGDOM (Albany, N.Y.) is a new Web site offering goods and services ranging from proven dog-training methods to useful gifts for dogs and people. [March 2007 PET AGE]

CASCO GROUP INC. (Cerritos, Calif.) purchased Exhibit Art, a 20,000-square-foot production facility that previously supported the company’s San Diego distribution center, and Artes Acrilicos, a facility that will allow the company to expand its brand of acrylic aquariums and store fixtures into Mexico and South American markets. Both facilities are in Tijuana, Mexico. [March 2007 PET AGE]

“Cat-Minster: CFA International Cat Championship,” spotlighting the 19th annual CAT FANCIERS’ ASSOCIATION (Manasquan, N.J.) International Cat Show, will air at 8 p.m. EST on March 27 on GSN, a cable television network offering interactive game programming. [March 2007 PET AGE]

CENTER OF ATTENTION (Denver) launched a boutique at www.inthecenterofattention.com, offering the latest in canine apparel. [March 2007 PET AGE]

CENTRAL GARDEN & PET CO. (Walnut Creek, Calif.) in January declared a special dividend of two shares of Class A common stock for each outstanding share of common stock and Class B common stock. According to William Brown, chairman of the company’s board of directors, the stock was distributed to create an active trading market, and will allow the company to raise equity capital, pursue acquisitions and contribute to employee benefit plans once seasoned. [March 2007 PET AGE]

DIRECT PET HEALTH HOLDINGS INC. (Dallas), a provider of pet health-care services and products, in December signed a letter of intent to acquire FIRST PET LIFE INC. (Dallas), a provider of pet health insurance, pet supplies and boarding and grooming services. [March 2007 PET AGE]

DOGGY STYLE DESIGNS (Pawtucket, R.I.) signed a distribution deal with Valta, Russia’s largest distributor of pet products. [March 2007 PET AGE]

To help improve the public’s perception of pet adoption, DOSKOCIL MANUFACTURING/PETMATE PET PRODUCTS (Arlington, Texas) provided a selection of trendy lifestyle products, including beds and carriers, to Animal Haven Soho, a New York animal shelter, adoption center, boutique, salon and training facility. [March 2007 PET AGE]

DRS. FOSTER & SMITH (Rhinelander, Wis.) was accredited by PharmacyChecker.com L.L.C., becoming the first pet pharmacy to receive accreditation from a national online pharmacy verification service. [March 2007 PET AGE]

ETTA SAYS! (Seattle) celebrated its first anniversary in December. The company’s products, including three flavors of freeze-dried liver treats, now are sold in more than 100 independent retail stores in 10 states. [March 2007 PET AGE]

FIN, FUR & FEATHERS PET SHOP recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location—across the street from its previous location—in Quincy, Mass. Owners Katherine and John Blackadar also operate a full-line store in Hanover, Mass. [March 2007 PET AGE]

FLORIDA—Pet Warranty. A bill to amend the state’s pet warranty law was referred to the Agriculture, Regulated Industries and General Government Appropriations Committees. Senate Bill 14 would require any cat or dog offered for sale to be accompanied by an animal-purchase disclosure that includes information on the source of the animal, its breed (if known), whether it can be registered and if so, identifying information on the sire and dam, and a record of veterinarian treatment or medication received while in the seller’s possession. The measure also would increase the cap on reimbursements of veterinary fees to 1.5 times the cost of the animal and create a right to receive a partial reimbursement of the purchase price if the seller fails to provide registration documents. Violations carry a fine up to $10,000 and a one-year ban on the sale of dogs and cats. [March 2007 PET AGE]

ROLF C. HAGEN (USA) CORP. (Mansfield, Mass.) gave the 2006 Exo Terra Nactus Award to Brian Rasmussen of Randers, Denmark, whose reptile photograph received the most votes in an online poll. Rasmussen will be the official photographer on an Exo Terra expedition to Gabon. His award-winning photo—along with those of 11 finalists—will be published in the 2008 Exo Terra calendar. [March 2007 PET AGE]

JAKKS PACIFIC INC. (Malibu, Calif.) teamed with mobile entertainment provider Limbo 41414, marketing/promotions agency Media Cartel Inc. and Grammy-winning rapper Snoop Dogg for a “Dog Meet Dogg Sweepstakes” promoting the new JPI Pets Snoop Dogg line. Participants in the text messaging-based auctions in January received multiple Snoop Dogg prize packages, including Snoop Dogg pet products. [March 2007 PET AGE]

JEEP CONSUMER PRODUCTS (New York) signed VO-TOYS INC. (Harrison, N.J.) to develop a collection of rubber, plush and rope toys; car coats, T-shirts and bandanas; and carriers, slings, car barriers and car harnesses. [March 2007 PET AGE]

ELI LILLY AND CO. (Orlando, Fla.) endowed $250,000 to the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine (West Lafayette, Ind.) to fund an annual lecture series that will support veterinarians’ understanding of physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of the human-pet bond. [March 2007 PET AGE]

LOYALTY MARKETING INSTITUTE L.L.C. (Memphis, Tenn.) launched LoyaltyCoach.com to help retailers, small-business owners, entrepreneurs and service firms avoid the top five retail marketing mistakes. [March 2007 PET AGE]

MAPMUSE.COM, an online database that provides free listings for pet-related retailers and service providers, now offers premium listings—with an enhanced map presence, text links and more photos—for $10 per year. [March 2007 PET AGE]

OLD MOTHER HUBBARD (Chelmsford, Mass.) gave its President’s Award to Liz Wilshire of Torrington, Conn. The company also recognized Jackie Rockseth of Issaquah, Wash., as manager of the year and Bill Wilson of Williamstown, N.J., as territory manager of the year. [March 2007 PET AGE]

OXBOW PET PRODUCTS (Murdock, Neb.) awarded $1,000 Animal Rescue Grants to the House Rabbit Network, for promoting rabbit rehabilitation and rescue in Eastern Massachusetts and New England; Heartland Rabbit Rescue, for working to correct misconceptions regarding rabbits as household pets in Oklahoma; and the Red Door Animal Shelter, for rescuing and finding adoptive homes for rabbits in the Chicago area. [March 2007 PET AGE]

PENNSYLVANIA—Pet Warranty. Senate Bill 1252, to amend the state’s pet warranty law, died in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The measure would have extended the time allowed a buyer to certify an unfit condition and the time limit for coverage of a congenital or hereditary condition. The bill also would have doubled the cap on recovery of veterinary fees and provided for reimbursement if a seller “misrepresented” the dog’s pedigree to the purchaser. [March 2007 PET AGE]

The PET CARE TRUST (Bedford, United Kingdom) joined the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (West Sussex, United Kingdom) in a campaign to ask rescue centers in the United Kingdom to find out why they are receiving a high number of rabbits. [March 2007 PET AGE]

PET SUPERMARKET INC. (Sunrise, Fla.) signed NEW EDGE NETWORKS (Vancouver, Wash.) to design, build and manage a private network linking 110 store locations, primarily in the Southeast. [March 2007 PET AGE]

The PETLAND store in Naperville, Ill., reopened in January, after new franchisees Adam Stachowiak and Mike Isaac completed a two-month remodeling and expansion project. [March 2007 PET AGE]

The PETLAND store in Omaha, Neb., was named Small Business of the Month for January by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce. Franchisees Robert and Winnie Strachan operate the store, which employs approximately 30 pet counselors. [March 2007 PET AGE]

PETQUIP (Kent, United Kingdom), an association formed to promote the development of international trade in the pet supplies sector, acquired government funding for eligible British companies exhibiting at Zoomark International (May 10-13 in Bologna, Italy) and H.H. Backer Associates’ Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show (Oct. 12-14 in Rosemont, Ill.). [March 2007 PET AGE]

PETSINCREDIBLE, a division of Animal Planet Media Enterprises (Silver Spring, Md.), partnered with Publix supermarkets to provide 400,000 free videos of “Training Your Adopted Dog and Your Adopted Cat: Everything You Need to Know About Your Newest Family Member” to people who adopted pets from shelters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. [March 2007 PET AGE]

PETSMART INC. (Phoenix) was a finalist in the RACie Awards for creativity, innovation and excellence in retail advertising and marketing. The awards are presented by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (Washington). [March 2007 PET AGE]

PETSTYLE.COM launched as a broadband pet channel offering video-oriented content about pet health and wellness, training, news and entertainment. [March 2007 PET AGE]

PLANETWISE PRODUCTS INC. (Pine Bluff, Ariz.) received a patent for Scoopable Feline Fresh clumping cat litter, enforceable in North America until October 2026. [March 2007 PET AGE]

THE PUPPY HUGGER and HUGGER DESIGNS L.L.C. (Greenwich, Conn.) launched ThePuppyHugger.com to serve pet owners and retail outlets. [March 2007 PET AGE]

RED BANDANNA PET FOOD opened its 11th store—but its first freestanding location—in the Piedmont Commons Shopping Center in Marietta, Ga. Managed by Sunny Braley, the freestanding store sports a classic doghouse design with bright red roof. [March 2007 PET AGE]

SCHERING-PLOUGH CORP. (Kenilworth, N.J.) launched the HomeAgain Proactive Pet Recovery Network for pets implanted with HomeAgain microchips. The network uses the same community-wide notification principles developed to help locate missing children. [March 2007 PET AGE]

SKAMPER INDUSTRIES L.L.C. (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) reported a 136 percent increase in profits for the 2006 fiscal year, attributed to expanded international distribution and sales, and greater efficiency in manufacturing. [March 2007 PET AGE]

SPECTRUM BRANDS INC. (Atlanta) at press time planned to realign its four operating segments into three product-focused global operating units, including batteries and personal care, home and garden, and pet supplies. The action is expected to enhance competitive focus, improve cost structure, allow faster introduction of new products and improve the ability to allocate resources on a worldwide basis, according to Dave Jones, chairman and chief executive officer of the company.
John Heil will continue as president of the global pet supplies unit. He also was named co-chief operating officer for Spectrum Brands. [March 2007 PET AGE]

SPORN CO. INC. (New York) signed K&W DISTRIBUTING (Clyde, Ohio) for distribution in Ohio and Michigan, and VETERINARY RESOURCE GROUP (Gig Harbor, Wash.) for distribution in Washington. [March 2007 PET AGE]

TEAM PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL (Pine Brook, N.J.) launched the first line of ASPCA-licensed pet travel and safety products under a new brand-licensing initiative by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York). The line consists of 22 products, including light-up collars, seat-belt restraints, no-spill water bowls and portable enclosures. [March 2007 PET AGE]

TETRAPOND (Blacksburg, Va.) received a second-place Keystone Award in the electronic communications category from the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for increasing brand awareness with its “Into the Pond” monthly electronic newsletter. [March 2007 PET AGE]

THAT FISH PLACE/THAT PET PLACE (Lancaster, Pa.) is using the PCS Profitability Software Suite by ProfitCenter Software Inc. (Uniondale, N.Y.) to improve store operations and marketing. [March 2007 PET AGE]

UP COUNTRY INC., a maker of collars and accessories for dogs and cats, moved to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at 76 Boyd Ave., East Providence, RI 02914. [March 2007 PET AGE]

WAGHAPPY (Los Angeles) is participating in a test program at Target stores, offering 15 pet-themed card styles through licensee American Greetings. Waghappy also is introducing knit tops for juniors and children to specialty and mid-tier retailers through Mighty Fine (Los Angeles), a design studio and brand innovator. [March 2007 PET AGE]