The American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.) honored Ellen DeGeneres during Global Pet Expo for her outstanding contributions to the pet industry. DeGeneres, who has risen to the top of daytime television as the host of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” actively promotes the joys and benefits of pet ownership as well as the importance of pet adoption to her millions of viewers. She further demonstrated her love of pets last year by becoming part owner of Halo Purely for Pets (Tampa, Fla.). [May 2009 PET AGE]

Andis Co. (Racine, Wis.) named Russ Dann of Ewe Kids Inc. (Candia, N.H.) 2008 sales representative of the year in the animal division. The company also cited five distributors for outstanding sales achievement: Arcadia Enterprises (Moseley, Va.), H&H Distributing L.L.C. (Ann Arbor, Mich.), MWI (Meridian, Idaho), Nelson Wholesale Service (Brownwood, Texas) and Pet Agree Grooming Supplies (Cumming, Ga.). The awards were announced at Global Pet Expo in February. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Aquascape Inc. (St. Charles, Ill.) received an honorable mention on Crain Communications’ 2009 List of Best Places to Work in Chicago. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Aquatic Life L.L.C. (Los Angeles) hired Tom Truwe to represent the company to retail stores. [May 2009 PET AGE]

ARKANSAS—Licensing Fees. A bill that would establish steep license fees for owners of multiple dogs and cats—including pet stores—received its first hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and awaited further action at press time. Senate Bill 864 provides that anyone who owns 12 or more dogs, cats or combination of the two must annually obtain a license from the Arkansas Agriculture Department. The fee for 12 to 24 dogs and/or cats is $250; the fee for more than 24 such animals is $1,000. [May 2009 PET AGE]

The Banfield Charitable Trust (Portland, Ore.), awarded $150,000 to 20 organizations during its 2009 winter grant cycle. Major grant recipients included the Nebraska Humane Society for its Guardian Angel Foster Care program and the Assistance Dogs of Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio. For the complete list of grant winners, visit www.petage.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

An ingenious display at Bark! in Clarksville, Md., was one of three winners in the Innova Flex CANtastic contest sponsored by Natura Pet Products Inc. (Fremont, Neb.). Participating retailers built displays using at least 144 cans of Innova Flex dog and cat food. The other winners were Lemos Feed & Pet Supply in Paso Robles, Calif.; and An-Jan Feed in San Jose, Calif. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Bell Rock Growers Inc. (San Marcos, Calif.) hired industry veteran Howard Pickens to manage U.S. sales and also signed agreements with three major distributors. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Heidi Flammang, founder and chief executive officer Camp Bow Wow (Boulder, Colo.), joined the advisory board of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. [May 2009 PET AGE]

CONNECTICUT—Pet Limits. A proposed ban on the private ownership of exotic and wild animals in Connecticut would include many nontraditional pets, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington). Along with such animals as tigers and jungle cats, Senate Bill 994 would ban prairie dogs, poison arrow frogs, lemurs, certain species of tarantula, Gila monsters and dozens more. The bill resided in the Joint Committee on Environment at press time. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Robert Nager, founder and owner of Decadent Dog (Needham, Mass.), was named 2008 Pet Sitter of the Year by Pet Sitters International (King, N.C.) during the group’s annual conference in February. The award, sponsored by Business Insurers of the Carolinas, is the professional pet-sitting industry’s highest honor. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Winston, a Great Dane from Mosinee, Wis., won a Milk-Bone “spokesdog” contest held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of parent company Del Monte Foods (San Francisco). The title comes with a $100,000 contract. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Dogster Inc. (San Francisco) will donate $5 to the American Red Cross Bay Area for every enrollment in Together Tag, a pet recovery service. For information, visit www.togethertag.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Marco Giannini, chief executive officer of Dogswell (Los Angeles), was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Southern California. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Exclusively Pet Inc. (Milwaukee) launched a new Web site promoting its Exclusively Dog Cookies and Bark Avenue dog treats. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Fan-Tastic Vent Corp. (Imlay City, Mich.) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Media veteran Claude P. Sheer was named chief executive officer of FetchDog.com (Portland, Maine), a shopping and socializing site that recently completed a $4 million round of funding led by investors Borealis Capital Partners and Harbor Light Capital Partners. [May 2009 PET AGE]

FetchDog (Portland, Maine) and Quabaug Corp. (North Brookfield, Mass.), the North American manufacturer of Vibram Pet Products, will donate $1 for every Chewy Shoe toy sold at www.fetchdogs.com to help American veterans recovering from war. The Puppies Behind Bars initiative pairs soldiers with dogs trained by prison inmates. Trained dogs help injured veterans with tasks like closing doors and retrieving food and help soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder cope with anxiety. [May 2009 PET AGE]

As part of a promotion at Global Pet Expo, FlexiUSA (Cincinnati) awarded Glam retractable leashes and Swarovski crystal gifts to: Kyle Evans of UPCO Inc. (St. Joseph, Mo.); James Stanley of Summit Pet Product Distributors (Greensboro, N.C.); Renee Forte of Veterinary Services Inc. (Fresno, Calif.); Ann Tucci, Care-A-Lot Pet Supply (Newport News, Va.); and Angie Scott of Feeders Supply (Louisville, Ky.). [May 2009 PET AGE]

Four Muddy Paws L.L.C. (St. Louis) raised more than $1,500 at its second annual Dogs and Suds Benefit Dog Wash in January to benefit OpSpot, which promotes spaying and neutering. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Grupo Dibaq (Fuentepelayo, Spain), a manufacturer of pet food and aquaculture feed, acquired 80 percent of the controlling entity of Rodi Petfood Group (Heino, Netherlands), a leading pet food, snack and biscuit manufacturer in central and northern Europe. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Amy LaTessa, a certified exhibition manager, has been promoted to trade show manager at H.H. Backer Associates Inc. (Chicago). LaTessa joined the company, which produces the Pet Industry Spring and Christmas trade shows and publishes PET AGE, in 2005. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Happytails Canine Spa (Los Angeles), specializing in eco-friendly spa, grooming and wellness products, celebrated its five-year anniversary in April. [May 2009 PET AGE]

The India International Pet Trade Fair, held Jan. 30-Feb. 1, at the Delhi International Expocentre in Noida, drew fewer international attendees than it did the previous year, according to Delhi-based Creature Companion magazine, which produces the show. Visiting buyers represented 12 countries, versus 21 countries in 2008. Dates for the 2010 event were not available at press time, but will be posted at www.iiptf.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Kurgo (Salisbury, Mass.) partnered with PetWorldSource (Southport, England) to expand its European distribution. The companies jointly partnered with Lick, a distributing company in Leeds, England. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Lauren International (New Philadelphia, Ohio) launched the social networking site NurturedPetSpace.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Lux Pet Products (Clemmons, N.C.) hired Robin K. Underhill as information technology manager. She also will oversee communications and advertising. [May 2009 PET AGE]

MISSOURI—Unlicensed Breeders. The Missouri Department of Agriculture in March launched Operation Bark Alert in an effort to crack down on unlicensed pet breeding facilities. The Department also is reviewing internal policies and procedures related to the Animal Care Facilities Act to develop a more consistent and effective standard of practice. [May 2009 PET AGE]

MONTANA—Dog Breeder and Pet Store Inspections. Legislation introduced to impose new requirements for dog breeding kennels and pet stores was amended in the House Agriculture Committee to strike several specific standards and unannounced inspections. House Bill 548 would still require facility owners to register with the Department of Agriculture and pay a biennial $415 registration fee. The bill awaited a hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock & Irrigation at press time. [May 2009 PET AGE]

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and Pet Sitters International (King, N.C.) called attention to the importance and value of home pet sitters during Professional Pet Sitters Week, which was celebrated March 1-7. [May 2009 PET AGE]

The National Association of Pond Professionals (Epworth, Ga.) is seeking qualified participants for its industry survey. For information and instructions, go to www.napp2009survey.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. (St. Louis) under the name Nestec S.A. filed a patent infringement case in October 2008 against Wysong Corp. (Midland, Mich.) relating to foods that contain probiotics. The case is being heard in Missouri Eastern District Court. [May 2009 PET AGE]

NEVADA—Dog Breeding. A bill that would regulate anyone who wants to breed and sell dogs, regardless of number, would require all breeders to pay a $500 annual fee. Senate Bill 241 also would impose numerous other regulations and subject breeders to random inspections. The bill awaited a hearing in the Committee on Natural Resources at press time. [May 2009 PET AGE]

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) reported net revenues of $3.1 million for the 2008 fourth quarter, up 15.7 percent from $2.7 million for the year-earlier period. Dr. Steven Tsengas, president and chief executive officer, said the results were encouraging given the company’s recent SmartScoop litigation, the higher price of materials and the economic downturn. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Jack Drasner joined Paws Aboard (Tampa, Fla.) as vice president of sales. [May 2009 PET AGE]

PawsPlus Inc. (Sarasota, Fla.) issued a statement clarifying that former company president Gary L. Brown—who was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud in February—left the company in 2006. The company, which in 2006 was called SkyLynx Communications Inc., later turned its attention toward animal health and acquired Vetco Hospitals. The company changed its name to PawsPlus Inc. in late 2008. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Pet Sitters International (King, N.C.) launched an accreditation recertification program. The organization requires recertification every three years through approved classes, publishing, seminars and community service. For information, visit www.petsit.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Petco Animal Supplies Stores Inc. (San Diego) hired Elisabeth Charles as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Petcurean Pet Nutrition Inc. (Chilliwack, British Columbia) named Ryan Hinson as national sales manager for the United States. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Petfinder.com Foundation (Tucson, Ariz.), with Merial Ltd. (Duluth, Ga.), donated $1 million worth of Honda power generators to help 500 shelters and rescue groups with disaster preparedness. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Petland Inc. (Chillicothe, Ohio) recently opened its first store in Mexico and two new stores in Shanghai. Also in February, Petland was ranked 292 in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 30th Annual Franchise 500 list. [May 2009 PET AGE]

PetManufacturers.com (New York) launched a new Web site that allows pet retailers to easily shop for merchandise by animal type, type of product, color, size and more—and take advantage of favorable wholesale pricing, manufacturers’ volume discounts and rebates. The site promotes online community through detailed product reviews, a message board and more, as well as a store locater to drive consumer traffic to participating retailers’ stores. [May 2009 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) reported net sales of $1.36 billion for the 2008 fourth quarter, up 2.3 percent from the year-earlier period. Comparable stores sales grew 3 percent in the quarter. Pet services sales were $130.7 million, up 6.9 percent from the year-earlier period. [May 2009 PET AGE]

PetVitamins (Pompano Beach, Fla.) is closing its e-commerce division. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Precise Pet Products (Nacogdoches, Texas) named Richard “Kirk” Young executive vice president and director of sales and marketing. The company also signed Howard, Merrell & Partners (Raleigh, N.C.) as its branding firm and agency of record. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Dr. Kurt Weingand, a global crisis team leader for P&G Pet Care during the 2007 pet food recall, launched SciComPro L.L.C. (Mason, Ohio) to advise human and pet healthcare companies on scientific communication, professional relations and clinical research. For information, visit www.scicompro.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Sergeant’s Pet Products Inc. (Omaha, Neb.) acquired Chomp Inc. (Weymouth, Mass.) and its brands Yip Yap Breath Treats for Dogs and Pit’r Pat Tasty Treats for Cats. [May 2009 PET AGE]

Sittercity.com (Chicago), a child and pet care resource site, partnered with SurePayroll (Glenview, Ill.) to help its members with payroll and tax needs. The system tracks a sitter’s wages, taxes and payment history. For information, visit www.sittercity.com. [May 2009 PET AGE]              

Texas—Pet Limits. House Bill 458 would give county commissioners in counties of 1 million or more the ability to limit the number of dogs that an individual may keep at a residence in a residential subdivision in unincorporated areas of the counties. As written, the bill would allow county commissioners to make the number of dogs as low as one or two. The bill was heard in the Committee on County Affairs and awaited further action at press time.  [May 2009 PET AGE]   

Vetoquinol USA, a division of Tomlyn Products (Buena, N.J.), hired Charlie Passantino as national sales manager and Teresa Hanson as director of marketing and product management for the United States. [May 2009 PET AGE]