The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York) appointed Campbell Associates L.L.C. to help implement a licensing strategy for ASPCA-branded products. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Applica Inc. (Miramar, Fla.) reported sales of $104 million for the 2006 first quarter, compared with sales of $112.5 million for the year-earlier period. The company said sales of Littermaid branded products decreased $3.9 million due to supply shortages related to the transition to the next generation of automatic litter boxes. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Aquascape Designs Inc. (St. Charles, Ill.) and a handful of Certified Aquascape Contractors built five water features for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, held April 21-June 11 at Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center in Orlando, Fla. [July 2006 PET AGE]

ARKANSAS—Duties on Dog Leashes/Muzzles. Legislation to suspend the duty on dog leashes and dog muzzles until Dec. 31, 2009, was introduced in May. Senate Bill 2709 and Senate Bill 2710 will be considered part of the miscellaneous tariff bill that the Senate Committee on Finance is compiling. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Barking Baby (Los Angeles) debuted two new product lines—Barking Baby Sport novelty T-shirts and Barking Baby Baby accessories for puppies—as well as its spring fashion line at a dog fashion show held April 21 at Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan. [July 2006 PET AGE]

CALIFORNIA—Mandatory Spay/Neuter. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in April adopted a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance that requires dog owners in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County to spay or neuter their pets. The ordinance also requires owners to microchip their pets. Exceptions are made for law enforcement dogs and service animals, or dogs that qualify as a “competition dog.” Owners of intact dogs that qualify are required to purchase a $60 permit for each dog. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.) reported net sales of $401 million for the 2006 second quarter, up 6 percent from $379 million for the year-earlier period. Net sales for the pet products segment were $187 million, up 18 percent from the year-earlier period. Sales of branded pet products rose 23 percent, while sales of other manufacturers’ products increased 1 percent. The company attributed sales growth to the strength of its branded products as well as the completion of five strategic acquisitions. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Cheengoo Boutique L.L.C. (San Francisco) launched an online store offering fashions, gifts and accessories for pets and people at www.cheengoo.com. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Country Dog Bakery (Waco, Texas) received a marketing grant from the Go Texan Partner Program to help promote its line of all-natural dog treats throughout Texas and across the nation. Created by the Texas Department of Agriculture to help consumers spot Texas products at a glance, the program allows Texas-based companies to expand their marketing impact through dollar-for-dollar matching funds. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Crazy Pet L.L.C. (Azusa, Calif.) inked licensing agreements with Advance Publishers (Maitland, Fla.), to develop interactive media products for the supermarket, drug and mass market channels; and Wesco Ltd. (Cheshire, United Kingdom), to develop a full line of accessories for the United Kingdom and Ireland. [July 2006 PET AGE]

D&D Commodities Ltd. (Stephen, Minn.) received the 2005 Excellence in Labeling Compliance Award from the Missouri Department of Agriculture for adhering to the guaranteed nutrient values of its animal feeds. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Farnam Pet Products (Phoenix) agreed to sponsor 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.). [July 2006 PET AGE]

FouFou Dog Inc. (Richmond Hill, Ontario) signed a licensing agreement with Paws Inc. to design, produce and market upscale Garfield and Friends products, including plush toys, blankets, apparel and charms. [July 2006 PET AGE]

GPC Pet Products (Muscatine, Iowa) is sponsoring Animal Radio’s Alpha Dog Vehicle through May 2007. The broadcast vehicle will log more than 68,000 miles while attending animal-related consumer and trade shows, and covering news events that impact animals. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Jakks Pacific Inc. (Malibu, Calif.) reported net sales of $107.8 million for the 2006 first quarter, down 20 percent from $134.7 million for the year-earlier period. Company officials expect JPI Pet, AKC and White Bites pet oral care products to be strong contributors for the balance of the year. [July 2006 PET AGE]

JustPetStrollers.com (Milwaukee), a comprehensive buying guide, offers tips to help consumers choose the right stroller for a pet. [July 2006 PET AGE]

KittYwalk (Port Washington, N.Y.) signed a deal allowing Pet Rageous Products (Burlington, Mass.) to distribute its outdoor containment systems and high-end strollers for pets to stores, catalogers and online retailers. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Lixit Corp. (Napa, Calif.) launched PettoVet L.L.C., a veterinarian-based pet safety network that telephonically notifies owners when pets stray, assures reception and care by any veterinarian, guarantees veterinary payment and rewards rescuers. At press time, the company was seeking licensing for the new service through major corporations. [July 2006 PET AGE]

MAINE—Pesticide Registration Fees. Legislators in April passed House Bill 1460, to increase pesticide registration fees from $125 to $150, based on recommendations from the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Mars Inc. (McLean, Va.) agreed to buy Doane Pet Care Enterprises Inc., the parent company of private-label pet food manufacturer Doane Pet Care Co. (Nashville, Tenn.), from Teachers’ Private Capital, the private equity arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Doug Cahill, president and chief executive officer of Doane, will manage the newly combined Mars North American Pet business in Nashville, which will include Doane’s 20 plants and two distribution centers in the United States. Doane sells to approximately 650 customers around the world and serves many top pet food retailers in North America. Mars brands include Pedigree and Whiskas. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Driving Growth and Shareholder Value: The Distribution Value Map, a book providing a practical framework and hundreds of ideas for driving growth, profitability and shareholder value in a competitive economy, is available from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (Washington) at www.nawspubs.org. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Smart Investments: Developing Top Performers in Wholesale Distribution, a book outlining five strategies that successful wholesaler-distributors use to find and retain top-quality employees, is available from the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (Washington) at www.naw.org/smart. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Neeps Inc. (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) launched its 14th e-commerce store, MyLittleK9.com, offering products specifically for puppies and toy breeds. [July 2006 PET AGE]

NEW YORK—Ear Cropping and Tail Docking. Assembly Bill 11242, a bill to prohibit ear cropping and tail docking, was introduced in May. Violators of the law would be guilty of a misdemeanor and could be sentenced to up to one year in jail and/or fined up to $1,000. The law also would allow any dog owner or animal rights organization to sue anyone who violates the provision. The bill was assigned to the Assembly Agriculture Committee. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Nortia Capital Partners Inc. (Atlanta), a merchant banking company, in May acquired a non-control equity interest in All American Pet Co. (Encino, Calif.) in return for arranging $1.8 million in equity financing for the company. All American Pet develops and markets pet nutrition products. [July 2006 PET AGE]

NutraCea (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), a leader in stabilized rice bran technology, signed a deal to allow direct marketing giant Famous Discoveries (St. Petersburg, Fla.) to market NutraCea’s PetFlex under the Dr. Vetz PetFlex brand name in infomercials, TV shopping channels, the Internet and retail distribution channels. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Nutro Products Inc. (City of Industry, Calif.) is celebrating its 80th anniversary, and this year will open a new production facility in Victorville, Calif., to handle the growing demand for its superpremium pet foods. [July 2006 PET AGE]

OHIO—Novel Ingredients. The Ohio Department of Agriculture in May proposed a rule to allow the use of glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane in pet food, providing certain labeling requirements are met.

Old Mother Hubbard (Chelmsford, Mass.) gave its 2006 Tom J. Devito Contribution to the Industry Award to Braxton’s Animal Works (Philadelphia), for providing customers with resources to improve pets’ lives; and its 2006 Eastern Area Retailer of the Year Award to Pet Goods, with stores in Scarsdale, N.Y., and northern New Jersey, for providing exemplary education and service to its customers. [July 2006 PET AGE]

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) retained S.M. Berger & Co. Inc. (Beachwood, Ohio), an investor relations firm, to increase its visibility in the investment community. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Paw Palace, a luxury pet boutique in Red Bank, N.J., redesigned its Web site (www.pawpalaceonline.com) to include a dog gift registry for walk-in and online customers. [July 2006 PET AGE]

As part of a high-profile publicity campaign, Pet Care Systems Inc. (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) turned a fleet of semi-trailer trucks into mobile billboards for Swheat Scoop Natural Wheat Litter. The trucks will generate tens of thousands of brand impressions every month for years to come, according to Mark Hughes, national sales manager. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Pet Ecology Brands Inc. (Dallas) signed distribution agreements with Webster Veterinary Supply (Sterling, Mass.), the second-largest national distributor of supplies to veterinary clinics; and Supreme Pet Supplies (Houston), which services more than 250 specialty pet retailers throughout Texas. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Pet Naturals of Vermont (Essex Junction, Vt.) established a scientific advisory board to provide guidance on improving existing formulas, refining quality assurance methods and developing next-generation products. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Pet Protect PetHealthAlert (Naples, Fla.) launched an Internet-based service offering free medical alert tags and a national registry providing critical health alerts for pets that become lost, stranded or displaced during natural disasters or when traveling, and for everyday pet emergencies. The free service is at www.pethealthalert.com. [July 2006 PET AGE]

The Petco Foundation, the nonprofit charitable arm of Petco Animal Supplies Stores Inc. (San Diego), raised more than $1.7 million during its four-week Spring a Pet fund-raiser to aid more than 1,000 animal welfare organizations nationwide. [July 2006 PET AGE]

The Planet Dog Foundation, the nonprofit charitable arm of Planet Dog (Portland, Maine), awarded a $2,500 grant to the National Education for Assistance Dog Service, part of which will be used to sponsor the training of a service dog named Mazey. In addition, Planet Dog donated collar-and-leash sets for all graduates of the NEADS Puppy Early Education and Training Program. [July 2006 PET AGE]

PremierPetSupplies.com (Chesterland, Ohio) launched a redesigned Web site that is easier to navigate and features detailed product descriptions and high-quality images. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Romy & Jacob Inc. (Mount Royal, Quebec) took second-place in the business operation, processing and production category of the eighth annual Quebec Entrepreneurship Contest, which awards prizes to companies that offer the most interesting prospects for international development. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Royal Pet Supplies Inc. (Brentwood, N.Y.) recently launched the pet industry’s only free customer rewards program. Through Royal Rewards, stores that make qualifying purchases earn points that can be accumulated and redeemed for brand-name merchandise and services. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Royal Pet Supplies Inc. (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Pet Vision Network L.L.C. (Weston, Fla.), a digital advertising company, launched a digital signage-based advertising network for independent pet stores. The network features full-color LCD displays that use TV-quality video and animation to present products to pet owners. Customized to individual stores, the advertising is transmitted and managed over the Internet. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Ruff Wear (Bend, Ore.) signed a distribution agreement with Animal Supply Co. (Auburn, Wash.), to distribute Ruff Wear gear to pet retailers and farm and feed retailers in Alaska, northern California, Idaho, northern Nevada, Oregon and Washington. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Sergeant’s Pet Care Products Inc. (Omaha, Neb.) received a 2006 Excellence in Business Award from the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce for demonstrating financial growth and success. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Spectrum Brands Inc. (Atlanta) reported net sales of $625.1 million for the 2006 second quarter, up 20 percent from $521 million for the year-earlier period. The Global Pet segment, comprised of United Pet Group (Cincinnati), Tetra (Blacksburg, Va.) and Jungle Laboratories Corp. (Cibolo, Texas), contributed net sales of $137.8 million for the second quarter, up 4 percent from segment revenues of $132.8 million for the year-earlier period. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Super Pet (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) will donate $50,000 from proceeds from sales of its CritterTrail Pink, a special edition of the CritterTrail One small-animal home, to support breast cancer research. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Virbac Corp. (Fort Worth, Texas) reported revenues of $19.7 million for the 2006 first quarter, up 3 percent from $19.1 million for the year-earlier period. [July 2006 PET AGE]

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Bentonville, Ark.) is stocking four varieties of Natural Life pet foods by Natural Life Pet Products (Girard, Kan.) in 1,500 locations across the country. [July 2006 PET AGE]

West Paw Design (Bozeman, Mont.) was recognized in May by its local Red Cross chapter for donating $5,000 for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.[July 2006 PET AGE]