The American Humane Association (Denver) signed recording artist and “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul as pro-bono spokesperson for the Pets and Women’s Shelters Program. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Aunt Jeni’s Home Made (Temple Hills, Md.), which produces raw, holistic and all-natural foods and treats, celebrates its 10th anniversary this spring. [March 2009 PET AGE]

H.H. Backer Associates (Chicago) contributed $40,000 to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington) in support of its legislative and educational programs, and $10,000 to the PET CARE TRUST (Washington) for its educational outreach programs. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Big Apple Pet Supply, a division of Big Apple Herpetological Inc. (Holbrook, N.Y.), allows customers to donate 5 percent of an order directly to no-kill animal shelters, rescue organizations, humane animal education programs and wildlife rehabilitation centers through its online Give Back Program. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Camp Bow Wow (Boulder, Colo.), which has doubled in size since 2008, ranked No. 88 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2009 list of fastest-growing franchises in North America. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Del Monte Foods (Pittsburgh, Pa.) hired Draftfcb (Chicago) to develop marketing campaigns for its pet product lines, including Meow Mix, Milk-Bone and Gravy Train. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Everything Pets (Cincinnati) won the 2008 Best of Cincinnati Award in the Trade Fairs & Shows category from the U.S. Local Business Association (Washington). [March 2009 PET AGE]

Hamilton Animal Products L.L.C. moved its manufacturing operations to a new Ocala, Fla., location and its distribution operations to Dayton, Ohio, in the corporate building of its parent company, MiracleCorp Products. MiracleCorp also expanded its manufacturing with a new facility in Nicaragua. [March 2009 PET AGE]

The Humane Society of the United States (Washington) launched the youth-oriented “Cause for Paws,” to educate students in pet legislation, word-of-mouth activism and letter-writing campaigns. [March 2009 PET AGE]

IAMS, a brand of P&G Petcare (Dayton Ohio), pitted Cincinnati against Cleveland in pet adoption and football competitions during the 12-week Home 4 the Holidays Football Initiative. Nearly 2,500 animals were adopted, helping the national campaign exceed its goal of finding homes for more than 1 million pets during the holidays. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Liv-A-Littles dog and cat treats by Halo, Purely for Pets (Tampa, Fla.) were named the world’s best-tasting pet treat by the American Masters of Taste (Vallejo, Calif.), a culinary endorsement program. An independent panel of chefs took part in the triple-blind competition. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Mars Inc. (McLean, Va.) extended its NASCAR sponsorship agreement, which includes advertising and promotion for Pedigree pet food. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Miss Autumn’s Barkery (Jackson, Mo.) signed a nationwide distribution deal with RFG Distributing Inc. (Crystal, Minn.). [March 2009 PET AGE]

The Original Magnascapes Inc. (Medford, N.Y.) inked an exclusive U.S. sales team agreement with K&A Imports (Scranton, Pa.). [March 2009 PET AGE]

The National Dog Groomers Association of America (Clark, Pa.) launched a searchable online directory, allowing potential clients to search for NDGAA registered and/or certified groomers in their area. Members create their own listings, including e-mail address, Web site and list of specialties. To get started, visit www.nationaldoggroomers.com, scroll over “Members” and click “Groomers: Add a Locator Listing.” [March 2009 PET AGE]

Natura Pet Products (San Jose, Calif.) consolidated with Natura Manufacturing Inc. and promoted Don Scott to president and chief operating officer. Sean Delaney was named chief nutrition officer, Kari Lui was hired as core brand managing nutritionist and Sally Perea was hired as senior nutritionist. Also as part of the consolidation, Brian Streit was named vice president of manufacturing, Kent Cooper was named director of procurement and contract services and Andrew Kemp took the newly created position as chief financial officer. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Skateboarding bulldogs Tyson and Tillman represented Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc. (Pacoima, Calif.) in the Tournament of Roses’ 120th Rose Parade. [March 2009 PET AGE]

The Pet Care Trust (Washington) named Kenneth Oh to its board of directors. Oh is vice president of sales and marketing for J.W. Pet Co. Inc. (Teterboro, N.J.). [March 2009 PET AGE]

Pet Ecology Brands Inc. (Dallas) sold 10 million shares of common stock in a private transaction to secure $500,000 in financing. In turn, Pet Ecology will work with LifeLabs International L.L.C. (Miami) to market its products online. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Pets Best Insurance L.L.C. (Boise, Idaho) signed on with Aetna Insurance Company of Connecticut (Hartford, Conn.) to underwrite Pets Best policies in Alabama, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, North Dakota and Texas starting Dec. 12, 2008. [March 2009 PET AGE]

PetSmart Charities Inc. (Phoenix) named Bryan Harding director of brand strategy and marketing. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Pet Supermarket Inc., based in Sunrise, Fla., opened a Pet Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the company’s fourth luxury grooming facility. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Pet Supplies “Plus” (Farmington, Hills, Mich.) promoted Mike Ponkey to vice president of operations. Ponkey, from the Detroit area, joined the company as a shelf-stocker. [March 2009 PET AGE]

PetFirst Healthcare (Jeffersonville, Ind.) was endorsed by Bark Buckle UP, a San Diego-based program that promotes safe pet travel, as the group’s exclusive recommended pet insurance provider. [March 2009 PET AGE]

PetlanD Inc. (Chillicothe, Ohio) partnered with the Make-a-Wish Foundation of America (Phoenix) to give Brianna Sharp a shih-poo. The 12-year-old got her puppy from the Petland store in Naperville, Ill., operated by Mike Isaac and Adam Stachowiak. Nutro Products Inc. (Franklin, Tenn.) donated a lifetime supply of food, and Boulder Terrace Animal Hospital (Naperville, Ill.) will provide veterinary care for the puppy’s life. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Pet Sitters International (King, N.C.) expanded its online store to include backyard wildlife products for pet sitters and their clients. The e-commerce site now gives members access to more than 2,000 discounted pet products. It also allows them to participate in an affiliate program to receive commissions on products that clients purchase. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Purple Pebble L.L.C. (West Milford, N.J.), was named an approved vendor affiliate of Three Dog Bakery Inc. (Kansas City, Mo.). [March 2009 PET AGE]

Ryan’s Pet Supplies (Phoenix), an international mail order catalog business specializing in professional pet care and groomer supplies, is celebrating its 50th anniversary—350 in dog years, the company says. [March 2009 PET AGE]

The SKR4, a redesigned water escape ramp from Skamper-Ramp (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), won second prize in the Best New Product Awards at the 2008 International Pool, Spa and Patio Expo in Las Vegas. [March 2009 PET AGE]

Timmie Doggie Outfitters (Toronto) raised $10,000 for the Toronto Humane Society during the 12 Beds of Christmas Charity Auction, held in November. [March 2009 PET AGE]

VSI Pet Care Products (Liberty, Mo.) changed its name to Show-Me Animal Products. [March 2009 PET AGE]

The Groomer SuperShow, part of the annual Superzoo pet industry trade show to be held Sept. 15-17 in Las Vegas, will host its first Groomer’s Jackpot this year. The contest offers $40,000 in prizes, and a grand prize of $20,000. Jackpot contestants will be selected from previous contest winners and through a lottery system. For information, visit www.superzoo.org. SuperZoo is produced and managed by the World Wide Pet Industry Association Inc. (Monrovia, Calif.). [March 2009 PET AGE]

Zimmers Pets, formerly of Gilbertsville, Pa., moved back to Boyertown, Pa., at the corner of Philadelphia Avenue and Chestnut Street.  [March 2009 PET AGE]