Alabama Pug Rescue and Adoption Inc. (Birmingham, Ala.) won the grand prize in the Pro Plan Rally to Rescue Doing More for Pets Rescue Stories Contest, sponsored by Nestle Purina PetCare Co. (St. Louis). Its story about a boxer named Faith received the most online votes of the 20,000 cast. Balloting included 10 stories from the more than 100 stories submitted. [February 2010 PET AGE]

All American Pet Co. (Beverly Hills, Calif.) says it will offer nonexclusive licenses to select products from its portfolio, including Heart Healthy Dog Food and Grrr-nola Natural Food Bars, in an effort to achieve nationwide distribution. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The American Kennel Club (New York) added the bluetick coonhound, Boykin spaniel and redbone coonhound to its list of 164 registered breeds. The next breeds in line for full recognition by AKC are the Icelandic sheepdog, cane corso and Leonberger; they will be eligible for AKC registration on June 1 and for competition in the herding and working groups on June 30. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York) partnered with Fresh Step by The Clorox Co. (Oakland, Calif.) and 9Lives by Del Monte Foods (San Francisco) to create the Cat Assistance Program to help cat owners keep their pets through difficult financial times. Learn more at www.freshstep.com/aspca. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Whether you have a job opening or are hunting for a position, Animaljobhunter.com (Huntersville, N.C.) may be able to help. The site connects job posters and job hunters in three categories: pet supply, pet food and pet services. For information, visit the site or e-mail clientcare@animaljobhunter.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Aquascape Inc. (St. Charles, Ill.) acquired Aqua Rock Fountain Kit (Shakopee, Minn.), which manufacturers stone fountain kits. [February 2010 PET AGE]

H.H. Backer Associates (Chicago) recently contributed $50,000 to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington) to support the organization’s legislative and educational programs. The contribution is 25 percent more than the company’s 2008 contribution.
“I’m really behind PIJAC. I think it’s very important in this time of economic hardship and dwindling support that we stand behind this organization, which does so much good for the entire pet industry,” said Patty Backer, president of H.H. Backer Associates, which produces the Pet Industry Spring and Christmas Trade Shows and publishes PET AGE. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Adrienne Zepeda joined H.H. Backer Associates Inc. (Chicago) as a trade show sales assistant, and Katherine Hajduch joined the company as editorial assistant for PET AGE. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Bell Rock Growers (San Marcos, Calif.) signed distribution and retail agreements so its wheatgrass products can be sold in the 48 contiguous states. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Robin Kershner and Mike Bennett launched Blue Skies L.L.C. (Alexandria, Va.), a manufacturer’s rep company that covers the East Coast. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Bravo Raw Diet (Vernon, Conn.) published Bravo! Beginnings: Raw Diets for Cats, an 18-page booklet on feeding raw food to felines. A companion to Bravo! Beginnings, it explains the different steps involved I transitioning cats to a raw diet. Bravo retailers can obtain copies or more information from their distributors. [February 2010 PET AGE]
 
Nancy Cullen opened Bulldog Marketing & Sales Inc. (Bronx, N.Y.), which specializes in branding, packaging and sales for start-ups, entrepreneurs and small groups in the pet category. For information, visit www.bsulldogms.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Butler Animal Health (Dublin, Ohio) and Henry Schein Animal Health (Melville, N.Y.) are partnering to form Butler Schein Animal Health, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The CATalyst Council (Timonium, Md.) teamed with several veterinary and animal welfare groups to produce educational video clips. They are available at www.catalystcouncil.org/resources/video/?Id=75. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Castor & Pollux Pet Works (Clackamas, Ore.) hired Robb Caseria as its chief executive officer and Andrew Mitchell as vice president of sales and marketing. [February 2010 PET AGE] 

Good Buddy Pumpkin & Apple and Mimi’s Favorite macaroni and cheese dog cookies by Castor & Pollux Pet Works (Clackamas, Ore.) were named two of the top items introduced in grocery stores in 2009 by Progressive Grocer magazine (New York). [February 2010 PET AGE]

Central Garden & Pet (Walnut Creek, Calif.) reported net sales of $363 million for the fourth quarter of 2009, down 12 percent from $414 million in the year-earlier period, and net income of $8 million versus a net loss of $13.9 million. Net sales for the pet products segment were $204 million, down 10 percent from $226 million in the year-earlier period. Sales of branded pet products were $169 million, down 9 percent from the year-earlier period. Sales of other manufacturers’ products were $35 million, down 13 percent from the year-earlier period. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Conceptual Creations Pet Products (Phoenix) hired Tom White as president of business development. White previously worked for T-Rex Products (Chula Vista, Calif.). [February 2010 PET AGE]

D&D Commodities Ltd. (Greeley, Colo.) received its first Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program award from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Washington). [February 2010 PET AGE]

DuckyWorld Products Inc. (Minneapolis) hired Dan Cook as vice president of sales, replacing Kelly Dietz. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Energetic Solutions Ltd. (Austin, Texas) hired Russell Murray to oversee global sales of shoo!TAG products. [February 2010 PET AGE]

EzyDog (Sandpoint, Idaho) products are now available from Frontgate.com (West Chester, Ohio). [February 2010 PET AGE]

FetchDog (Portland, Maine) acquired the online network “Urbanhound: The City Dog’s Ultimate Survival Guide,” which was shut down in September. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The Ferrets Anonymous Round Up will be held March 20 in San Diego. For information, visit www.ferretsanonymous.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Fish4Dogs (Worchestershire, England) hired Dominic Ebery as its international marketing and sales manager. [February 2010 PET AGE]

FLORIDA—Python Ban. Senate Bill 373 survived a markup session in December in which the bill was amended to include nine constrictor snakes: Burmese python, northern African python, southern African python (pictured), reticulated python, green anaconda, yellow anaconda, Beni or Bolivian anaconda, DeSchauensee’s anaconda and boa constrictor. House Resolution 2811, the companion to the Senate bill, banned only the Burmese python and the African rock python at press time. [February 2010 PET AGE]

A Guy & His Dog Co., dba Zuke’s Natural Treats for Dogs and Cats, hired Verde PR and Consulting as its public relationship firm. Both companies are located in Durango, Colo. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Great China International Inc. (Corona, Calif.) ceased operations in the fall, but key employees formed Petlou Inc., headquartered in Alhambra, Calif. For information on pending orders and inventory, contact Laurah Marretti at l.petlou@gmail.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Hartz Mountain Corp. (Secaucus, N.J.) partnered with United Supermarkets L.L.C. (Lubbock, Texas) to donate more than 17,000 Hartz products, worth more than $100,000, to five Texas animal shelters. [February 2010 PET AGE]

HomeoPet L.L.C. (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.) hired Tereza Buddasingh as its southern regional sales manager. She previously worked for Nature’s Variety (Lincoln, Neb.) and was named Sales Superstar Across the Nation in 2007. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The Honest Kitchen Inc. (San Diego) is transitioning production of its chicken-based foods to use sustainably farmed free-range chicken from Petaluma Poultry (Petaluma, Calif.), a division of Coleman Natural Foods (Golden, Colo.). [February 2010 PET AGE]

Kiki’s Pet Spa and Boutique opened a 7,000-square-foot cageless indoor pet resort in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The International Cat Association (Harlingen, Texas) partnered with Embrace Pet Insurance (Mayfield Village, Ohio) to offer TICA members discounts on pet insurance. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Lambert Vet Supply (Fairbury, Neb.), ranked 2,197 on the most recent Inc. 5000 list, based on five-year sales growth of 58.5 percent. [February 2010 PET AGE]

IDTag.com, a division of LittleGifts Inc. (Secaucus, N.J.), launched a new Web site to make it easier to locate lost pets. [February 2010 PET AGE]

MASSACHUSETTS—Breeding Regulations. Senate Bill 774 would require any owner of four or more dogs to obtain a kennel permit and would limit ownership to 25 dogs. It also would restrict breeding ages, impose strict engineering standards for kennels and allow for warrantless inspections. The bill received a hearing in the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, where it awaited further action at press time. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Grooming industry innovator John Nash, who founded the Nash Academy in Cliffside Park, N.J., and Lexington, Ky., passed away at his home on Dec. 17, 2009. He was 58. 
Born Robert John Nakashian, Nash was devoted to the art of dog grooming. He was known for his perfectionism and his tireless efforts to improve the grooming industry.
Nash joined the grooming industry in 1974. He started developing a standardized curriculum to train professional dog groomers and opened his first school in 1979. With his wife, Vivian, he opened the Kentucky school in 1988. He later sold the New Jersey school to Joey Villani.
 In 1991, Nash received the Cardinal Crystal/Mary Bucklew Award for Outstanding Service to the Grooming Industry.
A judge for dog grooming competitions for 25 years, Nash co-founded the International Judges Association in 1998. Its goal was to standardize and promote fair and equitable placement of contestants through a panel of judges rather than a single judge.
Nash was an active member and past president and vice president of the Kentucky Association of Career Colleges and Schools. In addition, he created student exchange programs with schools in Japan and Germany. Nash Europe opened in January 2009.
Survivors include his wife, Vivian; and their daughter, Tanya, who is the president of the Nash Academy. Condolences can be sent to Vivian Nash at 2000 Hillgate Drive, Lexington, KY 40515. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Nash Academy (Lexington, Ky.) plans to branch out by designating select salons across the country as training sites, internship sites and on-the-job training sites. Nash also is looking for salon owners who can teach students practical skills courses that are part of its diploma program. For more information, contact Kim Royalty at 888-491-2064 or kim@nashacademy.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Natura Pet Products (Fremont, Neb.) hired Chad Colhoun of Vancouver, B.C., as a sales representative for British Columbia and Lisa Nicholson of Frederick, Md., as sales manager for the mid-Atlantic territory. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort (Farmington, Pa.) opened Woodlands Animal Care Center, a full-service veterinary care facility to serve animals staying at the resort as well as pets from the region. Dr. Stephanie Shepherd will be the lead veterinarian at the hospital, canine rehabilitation facility and training center. [February 2010 PET AGE]

New Era Aquaculture Ltd. (Thorne, South Yorkshire) signed a contract with Merlin Entertainments Group (Poole, Dorset) to supply the 30 European SeaLife Centres, the world’s second largest entertainment company after Disney. [February 2010 PET AGE]

NEW JERSEY—Licensing. Assembly Bill 1173 would raise the penalties for kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds that violate state licensing. The bill was assigned to the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. [February 2010 PET AGE]

NEW JERSEY—Breeding Limits. Assembly Bill 1591 would limit the selling of cats and dogs as pets to 25 animals per year per breeder. A breeder is defined as any person who owns or operates a breeding facility and sells more than five cats or dogs per year. The bill was referred to the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Iams, a brand of P&G Pet Care (Cincinnati), will be the title sponsor of the Everything Pets Expo, April 9-11 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. For information, visit www.everythingpetsexpo.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Iams, a brand of P&G Pet Care (Cincinnati), partnered with The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals (New York) to increase pet adoption through the company’s Home 4 the Holidays campaign. The goal was to place 1.5 million dogs in homes between October and Jan. 4. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Pawsitively Gourmet (Greenwood Village, Colo.) added Lone Star Pet Supply (Schertz, Texas) as a distributor for Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. [February 2010 PET AGE]

PENNSYLVANIA—Consumer Protection. Senate Bill 50 would expand the state’s Unfair Trade Law to give a new pet owner 14 days (instead of 10) to determine if a dog is clinically ill or died from a contagious disease. The bill also would give veterinarians 90 days (instead of 30) to determine if a dog died from a congenital or hereditary defect. The bill was assigned to the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Pet Airways (Delray Beach, Fla.) added Fort Lauderdale to the list of cities it serves. [February 2010 PET AGE]

The Pet Care Services Association (Colorado Springs, Colo.) awarded its highest honor, the Golden Scoop, to Joanne Morris, vice president of Morris Animal Inn (Morristown, N.J.), during its annual convention, held in October.
Morris was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the industry. Morris served on PCSA’s board of directors for three years, working on membership and communications activities. She also served on the search committee for a new chief executive officer.
“I’ve grown up in the pet care business and it has always been my goal to raise the standards of the industry and quality of pet care,” said Morris. “Being involved with the PCSA has allowed me to contribute at the national level and I am honored to be recognized for my service.”
Pet Peeves Inc. (Woodbury, N.Y.), which provides financial support for animal shelters, pet rescue groups and pet therapy programs, donated $5,000 to Save-A-Pet Animal Rescue and Adoption Center (Port Jefferson, N.Y.). [February 2010 PET AGE]

Pet Sitters International (King, N.C.) redesigned its online store to target pet sitters and pet-sitting businesses. See more at www.psistoreonline.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Pet Supermarket (Sunrise, Fla.) opened three new stores in Florida—in Miami, Cape Coral and St. Cloud. The chain now has 110 stores in 11 states. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Petco (San Diego) received a 2009 Workplace Excellence Award from the San Diego Society for Human Resource Management. Nine out of 122 companies considered were recognized. Petco won in the largest employer category. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Petfinder.com (Somerville, N.J.) in March will launch Fur Keeps, a program designed to decrease the number of surrendered pets by offering information and resources to potential pet owners. For information, visit www.petfinder.com/furkeeps. [February 2010 PET AGE]

PetFoodDirect.com (Montgomeryville, Pa.) donated 10 percent of sales during Thanksgiving week to help raise $100,000 for animal caregivers. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Pethealth Inc. (Oakville, Ontario) launched the e-commerce site www.thepetangostore.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Petland Inc. (Chillicothe, Ohio) promoted Brian Winslow to director of animal welfare education.  [February 2010 PET AGE]

Joel Silverman, dog trainer and host of Animal Planet’s “Good Dog U,” will be the keynote speaker at the 2010 Petfood Forum, set for April 12-14 in Chicago. The forum is presented by Petfood Industry magazine (Rockford, Ill.). See the full schedule at www.petfoodindustry.com/petfoodforum.aspx. [February 2010 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) reported net sales of $1.29 billion for the 2009 third quarter, up 3.5 percent from $1.25 billion in the year-earlier period. Net income was $38.1 million, up 6.4 percent from $35.8 million in the year-earlier period. Comparable store sales grew 0.3 percent. Pet services sales were $136.7 million, up 8 percent from $126.6 million in the year-earlier period. [February 2010 PET AGE]

POShuddle.com (Charlotte, N.C.), a social networking site for the retail technology industry, debuted in December. It features blogs, forums, interest groups, live chat, and news sharing functions. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Pet pharmaceutical company Putney Inc. (Portland, Maine) closed a $6.7 million round of funding to increase staffing and product development in 2010. [February 2010 PET AGE]

SIP L.L.C. (Wilton, Conn.) launched the social network site  www.dogparkcommunity.com. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Songbird Essentials (Mexico, Mo.) acquired the Wild Bird gift lines from Eklunds Ltd. (St. Cloud, Minn.). The line includes the “mad bluebird” image, photographed by Michael L. Smith. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Super Pet, a division of Central Avian and Small Animal (Elk Grove Village, Ill.), redesigned www.superpetusa.com to make the site more fun and more informational for all bird and small-animal enthusiasts. [February 2010 PET AGE]

Veterinary Ventures Inc. (Reno, Nev.) partnered with Q&D Construction and Western Nevada Supply, both based in Sparks, Nev., to donate a pet drinking fountain to Reno’s Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. [February 2010 PET AGE]