ABKA (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will hold its 30th Annual Convention & Trade Show Oct. 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento at Capitol Park in Sacramento, Calif. The convention will feature seminars on marketing, human resources and employment issues, dog day care and more. In addition, the expanded trade show will showcase the latest in products and services for pet-care professionals. For more information, visit www.abka.com/abka/abkatradeshow. [September 2007 PET AGE]

The American Microchip Advisory Board (New Orleans) offers “An Emergency Management Guide,” a free disaster preparedness manual, to state animal response teams, shelters and veterinarians at www.amacausa.org.  [September 2007 PET AGE]

Cain & Able Collection (Austin, Texas) gave a year’s supply of bath products and the chance to appear in marketing campaigns to Zoe Nelson, owned by Jennifer Nelson, as the winner of its 2007 Haute Dog Super Model Search. The company also gave products to the first and second runners-up, and retail coupons to all contestants. [September 2007 PET AGE]

california—Animal Care Standards in Pet Stores. Assembly Bill 1347, to establish criteria and procedures for the appropriate care and humane treatment of pet store animals, in July passed the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee and awaits action in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The detailed bill allows animal control officers discretion to issue a “fix-it” ticket for noncompliance with certain provisions, specifying the alleged violation, the corrective action to be taken and the deadline for doing so. In the case of repeat offenses or serious problems, enforcement officers may take a number of other corrective actions, including issuing infraction citations or initiating criminal action under the Penal Code.  [September 2007 PET AGE]

california—Mandatory Spay/Neuter. Assembly Bill 1634, to mandate the sterilization of most cats and dogs by the age of 6 months, in July was withdrawn by its sponsor before facing a vote in the Senate Local Government Committee.  Despite numerous amendments, the controversial bill continued to face stiff opposition from the American Kennel Club and other breeder organizations. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Components of the brand campaign for Zilla reptile products by Central Aquatics (Franklin, Wis.) won 19 Addy awards from the American Advertising Federation. The “Where Reptiles Rule” campaign, including print ads, posters, handbooks and binders, was created by Howard, Merrell & Partners L.L.C. (Raleigh, N.C.). [September 2007 PET AGE]

Camp Bow Wow (Denver), a chain of day and overnight camps for dogs, is taking extra steps to educate customers about preventing and treating cancer in dogs as well as helping raise funds for the Morris Animal Foundation’s Canine Cancer Cure Campaign (www.curecaninecancer.org).  [September 2007 PET AGE]

Central Aquatics (Franklin, Wis.) launched a Web site for its Aqueon aquarium products, www.aqueonproducts.com, allowing retailers to download high-resolution images and post information about events, sales and promotions. The site also allows hobbyists to get information on fishkeeping and a wide range of aquarium products. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Chimpfeet.com (Palm Springs, Calif.), an online retailer of gifts for pets and people, was named Best New Web Site by Multichannel Merchant for continuing to acquire new customers and generating repeat purchases. [September 2007 PET AGE]  

Comp-Ware Systems Inc. (Christmas, Fla.), which supplies point-of-sale solutions for pet retailers, now offers software to place and confirm orders electronically through the Hagen Direct operation of Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. (Mansfield, Mass.). [September 2007 PET AGE]

The Consumer Wellness Center (Tucson, Ariz.) posted a detailed nutritional review of 570 common ingredients in canned and dry pet food at www.newstarget.com/Report_pet_food_ingredients_0.html, including ingredients that are said to promote disease. [September 2007 PET AGE] 

Dog trainer and behaviorist Harrison Forbes demonstrated the Bumble Ball from Crazy Pet L.L.C. (Azusa, Calif.) on “Live With Regis and Kelly” as part of the show’s Top Dog Week. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Del Monte Pet Products (Pittsburgh) is the official pet food and snack provider for Animal Friends, a pet adoption and companion animal resource center in Pittsburgh. During the three-year partnership, the center will serve a variety of Del Monte products in animal living quarters and during training sessions, and sell them at its on-site store. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Morris the Cat, famed icon of 9Lives cat food by Del Monte Pet Products (Pittsburgh), in June returned to the Chicago-area shelter where his namesake was discovered more than four decades ago to launch the second annual 9Lives’ Morris’ Million Cat Rescue Campaign. The national initiative to save 1 million homeless cats so far has rescued 250,000. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Doctors Foster and Smith (Rhinelander, Wis.), an Internet and catalog retailer of pet supplies, in July made its first foray into retail sales, debuting dog food and furniture in nearly 900 Target stores across the nation. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Espree Animal Products (Grapevine, Texas) signed Everich Pet Food Ltd. to distribute its products in Taiwan. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Fetch! Pet Care (Berkeley, Calif.), a provider of pet-sitting and dog-walking services, opened new franchises in Bethesda and Silver Spring, Md., and Tulsa, Okla. The company now operates 87 locations. [September 2007 PET AGE] 

florida—Exotic Reptiles. Gov. Charlie Crist in June signed into a law a measure to regulate ownership of many exotic reptiles, including Burmese pythons. The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2008, sets uniform standards for the possession of dangerous, exotic or invasive wildlife. The law requires owners of certain reptiles to pay a $100 annual fee. [September 2007 PET AGE]

GPC Pet Products (Muscatine, Iowa) signed Dulce Distribution L.L.C. (Miami), Wilson Pet Supply Inc. (Hanover Park, Ill.) and Tractor Supply Co. (Nashville, Tenn.) to distribute World’s Best Cat Litter.  [September 2007 PET AGE] 

Halo, Purely for Pets (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) recently launched a nationwide TV infomercial featuring company founder Andi Brown on several networks, including MSNBC, USA, Discovery and Soap. [September 2007 PET AGE]

The Humane Society of the United States (Washington) in June filed a class-action lawsuit in Florida’s Broward County Circuit Court alleging that dog dealer Wizard of Claws (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) defrauded customers by misrepresenting the origin of the puppies it sells and selling dogs from puppy mills with severe health problems and genetic defects. The class includes members of HSUS and more than 100 people from Florida and other states. [September 2007 PET AGE]     

International Absorbents Inc. (Ferndale, Wash.) reported sales of $8.4 million for the 2008 first quarter, up 26 percent from $6.6 million in the year-earlier period. [September 2007 PET AGE]  

Kennelwood Pet Resorts (St. Louis) recently introduced Baby Steps classes designed to help expectant parents prepare their pet for the arrival of a new baby. Each one-session class includes a lecture plus discussion covering behavior, safety and lifestyle changes. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Lil’ Pals Pet Photography (Memphis, Tenn.) opened mobile pet photography franchises in Phoenix and Kansas City, Mo., bringing its total to nine locations. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Lily&Me Inc. (Fairfield, Iowa) signed Aux Mille et Une Pattes of Quebec, Limestar of the United Kingdom and Pet Fx of Australia and New Zealand to distribute ThePetCheckup home health-screening kit for cats and dogs. [September 2007 PET AGE]

A Kansas U.S. District Court in July ruled in favor of MGP Ingredients Inc. (Atchison, Kan.) on four patent construction claims in its patent infringement case against Mars Inc. (McLean, Va.). MGP alleges that Mars infringed on a patented formula used to make Greenies dog treats after Mars acquired S&M NuTec L.L.C. (North Kansas City, Mo.), which developed the dog treats. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Mars Inc. (McLean, Va.) in June completed its acquisition of the global pet food operations of Nutro Products Inc. (City of Industry, Calif.). Nutro now operates as a stand-alone organization within the Mars family of companies, and continues to serve the pet specialty channel. [September 2007 PET AGE]

MASSACHUSETTS—Pet Shop Investigators. A bill that would create a new division of investigators specifically charged with enforcing state humane law in pet shops in June was heard in the committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure. House Bill 3841, introduced as a substitute for House Bill 150, now can be voted on by the full House. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Rachel Monroe, an independent copywriter and marketing consultant for the pet industry, launched “Pet Industry Marketing,” a free monthly newsletter that provides ideas for promoting products and services. For information, visit www.rachelmonroe.com.  [September 2007 PET AGE]

Moochie & Co. (Columbus, Ohio) launched an online gift registry offering more than 3,800 pet products, and chose Fahlgren Mortine Public Relations to broaden the regional and national visibility of its brand. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Multipet International Inc. (Moonachie, N.J.) is contributing a portion of the proceeds from sales of its pink Loofa Dog toy to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The toy is available nationwide in PetSmart, Petco, Pet Supplies “Plus” and other retail operations. [September 2007 PET AGE]

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (Mount Laurel, N.J.) updated its Web site, www.petsitters.org, with a new look, upgraded features and more streamlined information. [September 2007 PET AGE]

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (Mount Laurel, N.J.) launched a corporate partner membership program, offering a variety of benefits to affiliate individuals, nonprofit associations and professional corporations. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Natura Pet Products Inc. (San Jose, Calif.) added a test for cyanuric acid to the 120-point quality-control program it uses in producing pet food. Commonly used as a water treatment stabilizer for swimming pools and hot tubs, the metabolite of melamine was found in some of the tainted ingredients responsible for the recent pet food recalls as well as in the tissue and urine of some pets that ate contaminated food. [September 2007 PET AGE]   

OREGON—Animal Care Standards in Pet Stores. House Bill 2928, to impose pet care requirements on retail pet store owners, in June died in committee when the 2007 legislative session adjourned. The bill’s provisions ranged from specifying cage size to providing adequate veterinary care. [September 2007 PET AGE]

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) added a 36,000-square-foot extension to its warehouse to accommodate growing demand for its products. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Paws & Remember (Broadview, Ill.), a company that offers cremation services and memorial products for pets, launched a franchising program projected to open 12 locations within 12 months. With current operations in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Ind., the company plans to open 40 franchises within three years. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Petco Animal Supplies Inc. (San Diego) has noted a significant decrease in product return rates since adding the Rating & Reviews online application by Bazaarvoice (Austin, Texas) to its Web site, www.petco.com. [September 2007 PET AGE]

PetEcommerce L.L.C. (Calumet, Iowa) plans to launch a program offering fully stocked online stores for pet retailers this fall. The company will handle all day-to-day operations of the online stores, including order fulfillment, payment processing, customer service, Web site maintenance and returns processing, for a small monthly fee. In exchange for marketing and promoting an online store, retailers will receive a 20 percent commission on all sales. For more information, visit www.petecommerce.com. [September 2007 PET AGE]     

PetSmart Charities (Phoenix) gave a $420,750 grant to the University of California’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Davis) to fund an academic position for extension veterinarian in shelter medicine over three years. [September 2007 PET AGE]

PetSmart Charities (Phoenix) celebrated the 3 millionth pet adopted through adoption centers operated in PetSmart stores in conjunction with more than 3,400 animal welfare agencies. [September 2007 PET AGE]

A Pet’s World (Manchester Center, Vt.) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in business.  [September 2007 PET AGE]

PlanetWise Products Inc. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) signed Advance Marketing Group (Barrington, Ill.) and All Points Marketing (Lake Elsinore, Calif.) to represent it products in the Midwest and West, respectively. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Pooch Inc. (San Francisco), a luxury product catalog and Web site, implemented SAP Business One, a business-management application from SAP America Inc. (Newtown Square, Pa.), to drive business growth and create an effective e-commerce platform. [September 2007 PET AGE]

PupGear Corp. (Los Gatos, Calif.) launched the Puppy Life Vest Exchange Program, allowing customers to exchange life vests for the next size up until puppies are full-grown. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Sergeant’s Pet Care Products Inc. (Omaha, Neb.) is using a “Look at the Label” national consumer educational campaign to remind pet owners to follow specific label directions when using flea and tick control products. [September 2007 PET AGE] 

A putative class-action lawsuit alleging that Spectrum Brands Inc. (Atlanta) made materially false and misleading statements that led the public to buy securities at artificially inflated prices was dismissed in June. The lawsuit was filed in October 2006 in the U.S. District Court for the northern district of Georgia. [September 2007 PET AGE]

Pet retailers have the chance to win a day at Discovery Cove and swim with a bottlenose dolphin in the Mardel Specialty Retailers Sweepstakes sponsored by Virbac Corp. (Fort Worth, Texas).  The grand prize includes roundtrip airline tickets to Orlando and two nights at the Renaissance Resort at Sea World. Retailers may enter online at www.mardelsweepstakes.com through Sept. 30. [September 2007 PET AGE]    

Whisker Wash Grooming Salon (Grapevine, Texas), owned by Espree Animal Products Inc. (Grapevine, Texas), hired Cindy Sinnema as top professional groomer and product evaluator. She completed her training at Texas Allbreed Grooming School (Arlington, Texas). [September 2007 PET AGE]