America’s Family Pet Expo, scheduled for Nov. 19-21 at the Novi Expo Center in Novi, Mich., has signed several sponsors: All-Glass Aquarium Co. Inc. (Franklin, Wis.), Canidae Pet Foods (Wonder Lake, Ill.), Feller Stone Inc. (Veyo, Utah), The Iams Co. (Dayton, Ohio), Precise Pet Products (Nacogdoches, Texas) and Python Products Inc. (Milwaukee). The show is organized by the World Wide Pet Supply Association (Arcadia, Calif.). [September 2004 PET AGE]

After a four-year absence, America’s Family Pet Expo will return to the Fairplex at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, Calif., Nov. 11-13, 2005. Together with its sister show, to be held April 15-17 in Costa Mesa, it will give Southern Californians a better opportunity to learn about responsible pet care. The expos are organized by the World Wide Pet Supply Association (Arcadia, Calif.). [September 2004 PET AGE]

Aquascape Designs Inc. (Batavia, Ill.) broke ground in July for Aqualand, its new environmentally advanced headquarters in neighboring St. Charles, Ill. Boasting one of the largest naturally growing green roofs in North America to save energy, water and other resources, the facility is scheduled for completion in August 2005. [September 2004 PET AGE]

H.H. Backer Associates Inc. (Chicago) recently launched new Web sites for PET AGE (www.petage.com) and for the Spring and Christmas Pet Industry Trade Shows (www.hhbacker.com). Mimicking the streamlined look of PET AGE magazine, the sites are easier to navigate and offer more user-friendly features, including a detailed calendar of events and industry statistics. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Giddy Kitty catnip and OzzyAtt cat grass by Bluegrass Buddy Corp. (Atlanta) recently debuted in more than 450 PetsMart stores across the country. Additionally, the company’s complete line of pet products is available through the Jeffers Pet catalog and Jeffers’ Web site. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Central Garden & Pet Co. (Lafayette, Calif.) revised its revenue guidance for the fiscal year ending Sept. 26 downward to approximately $1.25 billion. According to Glenn Novotny, president and chief executive officer, the company’s garden products segment did not meet expectations for June and the third quarter due to unusually cool and wet weather across most of the country. However, the pet products segment performed within its forecasted 5 percent to 7 percent sales growth range, and benefited from acquisitions including completed earlier this year. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Chomp Inc. (Lebanon, N.J.) has expanded distribution of Yip Yap, Sniffers and Pit’r Pat “pet candy” to Australia, Costa Rica, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Panama, the Philippines, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The products also are sold in 20,000 stores in the United States and Canada. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Del Monte Foods Co. (San Francisco) reported net sales of $915.9 million for the quarter ended May 2, versus net sales of $756.8 million for the year-earlier period. The company attributed sales increases in part to the performance of its pet food and snacks division, which racked up net sales of $789.3 million in 2004 versus $758.5 million in 2003. [September 2004 PET AGE]

A new online pet supply retailer called Dogality.biz (Glen Mills, Pa.) went live in June, offering the latest in apparel and hard-to-find merchandise for dogs. The site donates a portion of proceeds to participating animal charities. [September 2004 PET AGE]

EkkWill Waterlife Resources (Gibsonton, Fla.) enhanced its online capabilities by adding downloadable availability lists to its Web site (www.ekkwill.com). The site also offers virtual tours, technical information and a photo gallery. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Fishbizforums.com (Mobile, Ala.) offers bulletin boards and networking opportunities specifically for aquarium specialty retailers, fish breeders, aquarium maintenance service operators, and manufacturers and distributors of aquarium products, as well as business-building educational materials and an aquarium industry business directory. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Grain Processing Corp. (Muscatine, Iowa) formed GPC Pet Products to market its World’s Best Cat Litter line as well as to create new pet products and explore acquisitions. GPC also relaunched www.worldsbestcatlitter.com. The easier-to-navigate site offers information about the customer rewards program, an enhanced retailer locator page and downloadable marketing support material for retailers and distributors. [September 2004 PET AGE]

The Honest Kitchen Inc. (San Diego) added two regional wholesale distributors for its dehydrated raw dog foods: Rojan L.L.C. (Puyallup, Wash.) for Washington state; and Sweet Bay Hol-Sale Inc. (Westmont, Ill.) for Illinois. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Idea Factory Inc. (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) added Loveland Pet Products (Mason, Ohio) as a distributor in the Midwest. [September 2004 PET AGE]

International Absorbents Inc. (Ferndale, Wash.) reported sales of $5.5 million for the first quarter ended April 30, up 22 percent from $4.5 million for the year-earlier period. The company manufactures consumer and commercial products derived from recycled, renewable materials, including pet bedding and litter. [September 2004 PET AGE]

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.). [September 2004 PET AGE]

MeToo Pet Products Inc. (Scottsdale, Ariz.) named MACS—Marketing and Creative Sales (Chesterfield, Mo.) the exclusive distributor of its product lines for people, dogs, cats, wild birds and fish, including accessories, gifts, novelties, toys, edibles and music. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Neeps Inc. (Wilkes-Barre Township, Pa.) recently launched CritterStore.com to retail products for rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rats, chinchillas, prairie dogs and hedgehogs. The new site complements TheFerretStore.com, now in its 10th year and sporting enhanced search capabilities, easier navigation, faster load times and a customer-friendly look. [September 2004 PET AGE]

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. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Pet Friendly Inc. (Fairhope, Ala.) 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. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Pet Supermarket (Sunrise, Fla.), the nation’s largest independently owned pet specialty store, opened its 99th store in June. The new store is located in Richmond Heights, Ohio. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) said in June that affiliates of Leonard Green & Co. and Texas Pacific Group would sell 5 million shares of the company’s common stock with an expected price to the public of $32.10 per share. [September 2004 PET AGE]

About 25 search, arson, detection and patrol dogs have received health care this year thanks to the Public Service Canine Healthcare Fund created in January by Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) and the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation (Ojai, Calif.). The grant-making program assists working dogs whose handlers cannot pay the full cost of medical care. [September 2004 PET AGE]

PetMed Express Inc. (Pompano Beach, Fla.) in June was added to the Russell 3000 Index, which consists of the 3,000 largest U.S. stocks as of May 31. The index is used by managers for index funds and as benchmarks for passive and active investment strategies. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Pets International Ltd.—Super Pet (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) now offers replacement parts for Super Pet small-animal homes on its Web site (www.superpetusa.com), allowing consumers to extend the life and value of any home in the line. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Prevue Pet Products (Chicago) now offers “direct to retail prices” through its regular distributors. The Prevue Select Program, offering select merchandise for up to 40 percent off distributor prices, includes bird cages in more than 20 styles and small-animal cages. For more information, contact Prevue at customerservice@prevuepet.com or visit www.prevuepet.com. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Royal Pet Supplies Inc. is expanding its facility in Pompano Beach, Fla., to accommodate growth of its distribution business in the Southeast. An additional 21,000 square feet will allow the distributor to offer a greater variety of products as well as bring in several new product lines. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Ruff-doggie Inc. (Brightwaters, N.Y.) recently added six distributors: Great Western Pet Supply (Phoenix), Nash Finch Co. (Minneapolis), Paramount Distributors (Albuquerque, N.M.), Stuff Distributing (Barnegat, N.J.), Waterloo Mills Co. (Waterloo, Iowa) and West Plains Pet Supply (West Plains, Mo.). [September 2004 PET AGE]

Sherpa’s Pet Trading Co. (New York) partnered with pinkribbonjewelry.com to design a pink leather dog collar adorned with pink ribbons and a leash with a pink ribbon charm to help fight breast cancer. The items sell for $15, with a portion of the proceeds donated to breast cancer research. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Sherpa’s Pet Trading Co. (New York) recently introduced a CD catalog in six languages—English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Designed for dealers, the CD includes company press releases, product images, logos and sizing information suitable for Web pages or print catalogs. [September 2004 PET AGE]

The first shipment of PetRefresh, a chemical-free bottled water for pets by Springmill Products Inc. (Everett, Wash.), left for Singapore in June. The shipment included 10,944 2-liter and 591-milliliter bottles in four flavors. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Southern Tropical Fish Hatchery (Lakeland, Fla.) has discontinued shipping to customers throughout the country so it can focus on breeding more varieties of tropical fish, including some totally new to production in Florida. The company will supply other Florida-based shippers, including EkkWill Waterlife Resources (Gibsonton, Fla.), according to Bill Dwight, president of Southern Tropical. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Herb Axelrod, the former owner and director of T.F.H. Publications Inc. (Neptune City, N.J.), was arrested June 15 in Germany on a warrant issued by a federal judge after he failed to appear in April in U.S. District Court in New Jersey for arraignment on an indictment. The indictment charged him with conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. At press time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office intended to extradite Axelrod pursuant to international treaty. [September 2004 PET AGE]

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. [September 2004 PET AGE]

Wysong Corp. (Midland, Mich.) in June launched its first national advertising campaign, asking, “Does America owe an apology to its pets?” to emphasize near-epidemic levels of adult-onset degenerative diseases associated with feeding processed foods. Rolled out market by market, the TV, print and online ads launched in Maine. According to the company, many Maine stores reported selling out of Wysong foods the first weekend of the campaign. [September 2004 PET AGE]

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. [September 2004 PET AGE]