A total of 8,491 buyers from 2,495 qualified firms attended the Pet Industry Spring Trade Show in April in Atlantic City, N.J., according to final figures released by H.H. Backer Associates Inc. (Chicago).

Bamboo (North Hills, Calif.), a division of Munchkin Inc., launched www.bamboopet.com to give retailers access to distribution partners, and to provide consumers with a product-specific store locator and extensive pet care information.

BowTie Inc. (Los Angeles) acquired Kennel Club Books Inc. (Allenhurst, N.J.). Kennel Club Books will remain in New Jersey as part of BowTie Press, and will retain its current staff. Separately, BowTie acquired Doral Publishing Inc. (Phoenix), known for publishing fiction and nonfiction titles about dogs. Doral also will become part of BowTie Press.

BowwowsBest.com (Delray Beach, Fla.) went live in April, allowing consumers from around the world to access the online retailer’s selection of unique pet supplies, jewelry, toys, bedding and more.

Cat Specialties by Zoey (Easley, S.C.) now offers its line of scratching posts, catnip pillows, upholstered pet beds, herbal pet bed warmers and cat and dog tapestry tote bags via Amazon.com.

Central Garden & Pet Co. (Lafayette, Calif.) reported net sales of $359 million for the second quarter of 2004, up 8.6 percent from $330.5 million for the 2003 period. Net income was $18.8 million for the second quarter, up 39.3 percent from $13.5 million for the 2003 period. The company attributed improved results to the continued growth of its branded products, including contributions from the recent Kent Marine Inc. (Acworth, Ga.) and New England Pottery acquisitions, as well as improved gross margins and lower interest expense.

Lara Riedel, founder of Charming Pet Products (Westlake Village, Calif.), recently opened Uptown Hound in Westlake Village, Calif. Part manufacturing and part retail, the store allows Riedel to test-market new Charming products as well as serve local pet owners with other products.

Crazy Pet Co. L.L.C. (Azusa, Calif.) previewed its Crazy Pet animated TV series at the Licensing 2004 International Show in New York in June. Produced by Double Take Productions (La Jolla, Calif.), the series stars a cast of cartoon dogs and cats who run the Crazy Pet Rescue Center to rehabilitate stray pets and find them responsible homes.

Dad’s Pet Care (Meadville, Pa.) received a “Superior” rating, the highest rating a pet food company can achieve, from the American Institute of Baking (Manhattan, Kan.) following an audit that covered food safety, sanitation and maintenance.

Diamond Pet Foods (Meta, Mo.) recently implemented IFS Applications business software at its plants in Meta; Lathrop, Calif.; and Gaston, S.C. The company uses the software for financial, distribution, electronic data interchange and production control purposes, as well as to automate shipping processes.

Doane Pet Care Co. (Brentwood, Tenn.) reported net sales of $270.9 million for the first quarter of 2004, up 4.2 percent from $259.9 million for the same period in 2003. The company’s first-quarter domestic price increase and solid European volume growth were largely offset by lower domestic sales volume, including reduced shipments related to the closure of the Mexican border to pet food products exported from the United States.

Halo, Purely for Pets (Palm Harbor, Fla.) was featured in the June 7 edition of Forbes magazine. Andi Brown launched the company with only $3,000 in 1991, and kept it in the black ever since.

Hartville Group Inc. (North Canton, Ohio) in May finalized an agreement to purchase a property and casualty insurance company, which will allow it to place its own policies and reduce premiums by 5 percent or more.

Nixon’s Top Dog Bakery and Boutique (Dallas) recently launched FoxyPaws.com to capture a portion of the online market for canine couture. The company also shifted the product mix in its brick-and-mortar stores to include dog apparel among gift and collectible items.

The North American Water Garden Society (Batavia, Ill.), a new non-profit organization, plans to participate in public education and regulatory issues on a national scale. Key issues include water restrictions, plant and fish regulations, mosquito-borne pathogens, and building, safety and insurance regulations. For more information, visit www.nawgs.com.

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) reported net sales of $1.33 million for the first quarter of 2004, up 4 percent from $1.28 million for the first quarter of 2003. The company attributed increases to new product introductions, a growing customer base and marketing and promotional programs.

An advertising campaign created by Matrix Partners Ltd. (Chicago) for Swheat Scoop Natural Wheat Litter won a Gold Effie Award in the pet care category from American Marketing Association. Swheat Scoop is made by Pet Care Systems Inc. (Detroit Lakes, Minn.).

Pet Friendly Inc. (Fairhope, Ala.) recently launched www.petfriendly.com to market its expanded line of pet products, including two-story doghouses, handcrafted pet beds, dog breed owners’ guides, portable water and feeding systems, all-natural pet treats, and private-label pet shampoos.

Pet Supermarket (Sunrise, Fla.), the nation’s largest independently owned chain of pet specialty stores, opened its 98th unit, this one in Strongsville, Ohio.

Pet Valu Inc. (Markham, Ontario), which operates company-owned and franchised pet specialty stores, operates reported sales of $22.6 million for Canadian operations for the first quarter of 2004, up 12.4 percent from $20.1 million for the 2003 period. It reported sales of $7.8 million for U.S. operations, down 4.9 percent from $8.2 million for the 2003 period. Pet Valu.

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) reported net sales of $425.9 million for the first quarter of 2004, up 13.7 percent from $374.7 million for the 2003 period. Sales for comparable stores increased 6.3 percent. The company attributed increases to its continued change from lower-margin pet food sales to higher-margin categories, such as pet accessories, supplies and services. At press time, the company had 669 locations, and planned to open approximately 90 more stores in 2004.

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) and the Petco Foundation (San Gabriel, Calif.), in partnership with Petfinder.com (Tucson, Ariz.), found homes for more than 12,000 animals during their seventh National Adoption Days in May.

Customers, vendors and associates of Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) donated more than $1.5 million for the company’s annual “Spring a Pet” fund-raiser, which ran from March 7 to April 11. The donations will benefit grass-roots animal welfare organizations located close to Petco stores.

PetMed Express Inc. (Pompano Beach, Fla.) ranked No. 1 in BusinessWeek’s annual list of 100 Hot Growth Companies, published in the June 7 issue. According to BusinessWeek’s three-year analysis, PetMed experienced an average increase in sales of 102.2 percent, a 173.9 percent average increase in profits and a 51.5 percent average return on capital. PetMed, which sells pet medications under the 1-800-PetMeds banner, reported net sales of $21.5 million for the first quarter of 2004, up 44 percent from $14.9 million for the 2003 period.

PetsMart Inc. (Phoenix) reported net sales of $796.3 million for the first quarter of 2004, up 14.5 percent from $695.5 million for the 2003 period. Sales for comparable stores increased 8.7 percent. Pet-services sales were $58.4 million, up 28.2 percent from $45.6 million for the 2003 period. The company achieved its 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year gross margin expansion. At press time, the company operated more than 660 stores in the United States and Canada.

Ruff Wear (Bend, Ore.) is celebrating its 10th anniversary by constructing a new office and warehouse facility that is environmentally friendly as well as dog-friendly. The building will be located in NorthWest Crossing, a mixed-use development created to preserve traditional and local design principles.

Curt Nuenighoff, pond products manager for Tetra/Second nature (Blacksburg, Va.), will cover current trends in the water gardening industry at Pondapalooza 2004, Aug. 1-5 in Wilmington, Del. For more information, call 888-356-9895.

VCA Antech Inc. (Los Angeles) in June acquired National PetCare Centers Inc. for $76.5 million in cash, less assumed debt. NPC operates 68 animal hospitals in 11 states with annual revenues in 2003 of $81.7 million. With the merger, the companies operate 316 animal hospitals in 36 states.

World’s Best Cat Litter (Muscatine, Iowa) signed Anipet Animal Supplies Inc. (Surrey, British Columbia), Central Pet—Houston and General Pet Supply Inc. (Milwaukee) as distributors. World’s Best Cat Litter is a subsidiary of Grain Processing Corp.

World’s Best Cat Litter (Muscatine, Iowa) offers cat owners $28 dollars in coupons toward purchases when they join the company’s customer rewards program. Owners must collect UPC codes from nine same-size bags of litter and mail them to the company in a provided pre-addressed envelope. Registration forms are available from participating pet stores and at www.worldsbestcatlitter.com.

Making a stop for her Jobs Tour Across Iowa, Iowa Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson visited World’s Best Cat Litter (Muscatine) in May. Pederson visited six Iowa cities, taking a closer look at leading companies and talking with local business leaders about ways communities are creating more jobs.

Worldwise Inc. (San Rafael, Calif.) recently launched the Wiseguide, a free online resource at www.worldwise.com, to help consumers make healthier, more sustainable lifestyle choices. The guide includes a section called “Choosing Better Products,” which rates products in more than 100 categories and identifies features of the best to worst choice in terms of sustainability and health.

Beginning in November, Zenkoku Pet Kourigyo Kyokia, a national association of pet dealers in Japan, will launch a sanitation and health certification program for stores in conjunction with the Japanese Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Japan Veterinary Medical Association. Currently, Japanese pet traders are required to file reports with local authorities before opening a store.