Retailers can access one-click dog registration for the American Kennel Club (New York) with the free online pet inventory software suite by PetKey Portal (Wixom, Mich.). To sign up for a free tutorial, call 800-361-3647. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Responsible Dog Ownership Day events sponsored by the American Kennel Club (New York) are scheduled across the country through September. For events in your state, visit www.akc.org/rdod. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Aquascape Inc. (St. Charles, Ill.) now offers a rainwater harvesting certification program for landscape contractors and pond installers concerned about environmental issues. The Certified RainXChange Professional Program covers water conservation issues, design and installation. For information, visit www.rainxchange.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Cathy Foster has been promoted to managing editor of PET AGE and Katie Voss has been promoted to assistant editor. PET AGE is published by Chicago-based H.H. Backer Associates Inc. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Bravo! (Vernon, Conn.) is sponsoring the world’s No. 1 dock diving dog, Pico, also known as “The Incredible Flying Picoroni.” [September 2009 PET AGE]

Buzzy’s Bow Wow Meow (Narbeth, Pa.) was named Best Pet Store for the third consecutive year and Best Pet Grooming Salon for the first time by The Main Line Times, a publication serving several suburban Philadelphia communities. [September 2009 PET AGE]

CALIFORNIA—Limit on Intact Animals. A bill that would prohibit any person from having more than 50 unsterilized dogs and cats remained alive after first failing in committee. Assembly Bill 241 passed the Senate Committee on Public Safety after a second vote was taken; a committee member who had been absent during the first vote cast the deciding vote. The bill, which has already passed the Assembly, resided in the Senate Committee on Appropriations awaiting further action at press time. [September 2009 PET AGE]

CALIFORNIA—Mandatory Spay/Neuter. Legislation mandating spay/neuter for dogs and cats at 6 months of age was heard before the Assembly Committee on Appropriations and was sent to the committee’s suspense file. At press time, the committee was expected to schedule a Suspense File hearing. [September 2009 PET AGE]

DELAWARE—Retail Dog Licensing. Gov. Jack Markell signed House Bill 233, requiring owners of retail dog outlets to apply annually for a license in the county in which the outlets are located. The law becomes effective Jan. 1, 2010. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Del Monte Foods Co. (San Francisco) reported net sales of $1.06 billion for its fourth quarter ending May 2009, up 20.7 percent from the year-earlier period. Net sales in pet products totaled $488.6 million, up 21.6 percent from the year-earlier period. The company’s fiscal 2009 net sales totaled $3.63 billion, up 14.1 percent from the previous fiscal year. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Dog Dog Cat (Lake Tahoe, Calif.), celebrating its fifth anniversary, launched Dog Dog Cat Pet Supplies at www.dogdogcat.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

DogTime.com, a San Francisco-based online community for pet owners, recently hit 22.19 million unique visitors a month, according to comScore Media Metrix (Reston, Va.). [September 2009 PET AGE]

The fifth annual Ferret Frolic will be held Sept. 19 in Gardnerville, Nev. Activities for ferrets and owners include ferret games, a gift exchange, auctions, a veterinarian question-and-answer session, and photo and costume contests. Ferret owners from California are asked not to bring their pets. For information, call 775-265-6744. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The Innovators Zone, where entrepreneurs can showcase products, is a new addition to GLEE, the garden, pet and leisure trade show set to be held Sept. 20-22 at NEC in Birmingham, England. For information, contact Mark Correll at mark.correll@emap.com or visit www.gleebirmingham.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

HBH Pet Products (Springville, Utah) retained Fetching Communications (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) to promote its new No Grainers line of dog biscuits and treats. [September 2009 PET AGE]

HomeoPet L.L.C. (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.) hired industry veteran Jim Boyd as its Western territory manager. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Jim Howell, who spent more than 40 years in the pet industry, died June 30 after a battle with cancer. He was 62. Howell’s work in the pet industry focused on sales and consultation, most recently for Synergy Labs Inc. (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). He also worked for Cardinal Laboratories Inc. (Azusa, Calif.), Virbac Corp. (Fort Worth, Texas), and he spent 10 years at Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Inc., a division of Mars Fishcare North America Inc. (Chalfont, Pa.). The Howell family asks that memorial donations be made to his ministry, Eagle’s Wings; for details, go to www.eagles-wings-ministry.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The Humane Society of the United States (Washington) in June accused 95 percent of Petland stores of supporting puppy mills by purchasing dogs from large-scale dog brokers or puppy mill operations. HSUS said the accusations stem from a six-month search of public animal transport records in multiple states.
In a news release, Chillicothe, Ohio-based Petland Inc. said it was “outraged and disappointed at the latest accusations” and called HSUS “a radical animal rights group with no affiliation with local humane societies.” [September 2009 PET AGE]

The Humane Society of the United States (Washington) launched a national hotline—877- 847-4787—to report illegal animal fighting. Calls leading to an arrest and conviction could result in $5,000 reward thanks to a grant from the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation. The hotline was established after the nation’s largest series of dog fighting raids led to several arrests in July. [September 2009 PET AGE]

ICO Polymers North America, a division of ICO Inc. (Houston), has acquired Chroma Corp. (McHenry, Ill.). [September 2009 PET AGE]

International Absorbents Inc., the parent company of Absorption Corp. (Ferndale, Wash.), reported sales of $8.48 billion for its 2010 first quarter, up from $8.46 billion for the year-earlier period. [September 2009 PET AGE]

National Pet Memorial Day, designated by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries (Ellenburg Depot, N.Y.), is Sept. 13. It will be marked by ceremonies and open houses across the country, including a candlelight vigil sponsored by Chance’s Spot, a nonprofit group in Clarksville, Ind. For information, visit www.honoringtheanimals.org. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Kaytee Pet Products (Chilton, Wis.), a division of Central Avian and Small Animal,  signed Marc Morrone as spokesperson for a national informational campaign to promote the benefits of owning birds and small animals during tough economic times. Morrone owns Parrots of the World, a pet store in Rockville, N.Y., appears regularly on Martha Stewart’s syndicated TV show and hosts a weekly satellite radio program. [September 2009 PET AGE]

King’s Cages L.P. (East Brunswick, N.J.) promoted Tabitha Pappalardo to international sales manager, heading the company’s overseas sales division. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Kurgo, a division of Motivation Design L.L.C. (Salisbury, Mass.), will donate 5 percent of profits from its pink Tru-Fit Smart Harness and Wander Leash to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (New York). [September 2009 PET AGE]

My Good Dog, a division of Quabaug Corp. (North Brookfield, Mass.), met the stringent requirements of California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, or Prop 65. To become certified, the company submitted to seven months of chemical analysis plus product testing by two independent labs. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (Mount Laurel, N.J.) is accepting nominations for its 2010 Pet Sitting Business of the Year Award through Sept. 1. For the first time, the association also will accept nominations from the public. The winner, chosen by selection committee, will receive a free trip to the 2010 NAPPS conference. For information, visit www.petsitters.org. [September 2009 PET AGE]

September is National Preparedness Month. You can find helpful resources about disaster-related animal care, checklists and more at www.ready.gov, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and www.humanesociety.org/prepare, sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Natura Pet Products (Fremont, Neb.) now requires all of its distributors to pass certification by the American Institute of Baking International, which includes independent inspections, training and food supply safety audits to demonstrate their ability to protect the safety of the food supply chain.  Natura manufactures Innova, California Natural, EVO, HealthWise, Mother Nature and Karma foods. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Natura Pet Products (Fremont, Neb.) and Gil’s Bike Shop (Lancaster, Calif.) donated a bike for a raffle at Canine Creek Pet Wash & Boutique (Tehachapi, Calif.). Proceeds from the raffle will buy pet food for German Shepherd Rescue (Cummings Valley, Calif.), a no-kill sanctuary for aged and unadoptable dogs still recovering from the fire that destroyed the rescue facility. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. (St. Louis, Mo.) launched a pet accessories line called Purina Pet Gear to be sold at stores like Kmart, Safeway, Meijer, Stop & Shop and Giant. For information, visit www.purinapetgear.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

NORTH CAROLINA—Commercial Breeding License. A bill that would define a commercial breeder as anyone who maintains 15 or more intact females of breeding age and 30 or more puppies passed the Senate Committee on Finance and remained under consideration in the Senate at press time. Senate Bill 460 also calls for the Department of Agriculture to develop care and condition standards for commercial breeders. Companion legislation, House Bill 460 and House Bill 733, remained in the House Committee on Agriculture awaiting public hearing at press time. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Nurtured Pets (New Philadelphia, Ohio) now offers online ordering at store.nurturedpets.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Nurtured Pets (New Philadelphia, Ohio) donated $3,500 in anti-lick strip products for gift bags presented to guests at the Lewyt Humane Awards luncheon, held June 3 in Garden City, N.Y., by the North Shore Animal League, the world’s largest no-kill animal adoption and rescue organization. At the luncheon, the President’s Award for Humanitarian Excellence was presented to television personality Rachael Ray for her dedication and commitment to animal welfare. [September 2009 PET AGE]

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) received a 2008 CaseStack Delivered Green Award for its sustainable product shipping methods. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Pet Food Express (San Leandro, Calif.) opened a 9,000-square-foot store in the Crossroads Shopping Village in Carmel, Calif. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The 1,000th store to register for Pet Store Pro, an online retailer resource from the Pet Industry Distributors Association (Bel Air, Md.), will win a free trip to Global Pet Expo, March 25-27, 2010, in Orlando, Fla. For information, visit www.petstorepro.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington) redesigned its Web site to include a Legislative Action Center, paid for with a grant from the American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.). In the new section, members can review legislation and contact their representatives directly. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Pet’s Discount (Honolulu) donated $869.89 to Kalakaua Middle School to promote education in the community, according to owner Dan McDougal. The donation was based on a percentage of profits from a one-day sale at the Pet’s Discount Warehouse location. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Pet-Aire L.L.C. (St. Charles, Ill.) hired MassMedia Corporate Communications (Reno, Nev.) to manage its nationwide public relations campaign. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Canada’s pet retailing industry is undergoing a major overhaul, with Petcetera L.P. (Richmond, British Columbia) shuttering its 45 stores and Pet Valu Inc. (Toronto) agreeing to be acquired by Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group. Roark plans to expand Pet Valu, which has 295 stores in Ontario and Manitoba and 61 stateside, by adding more U.S. stores. At press time, the deal had yet to be approved by Pet Valu’s majority shareholders and the courts. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Petmate and Aspen Pet Products merged in June to form Doskocil Manufacturing Co. Inc. d.b.a. Petmate. The company will remain headquartered in Arlington, Texas, and will operate an office and distribution center in Denver. Acquired in 2006, Aspen had been operating as an independent division of Doskocil. [September 2009 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) promoted Robert F. Moran to chief executive officer. Moran has been the company’s president and chief operating officer since 2001, and will retain his title as president. He succeeds longtime chairman and CEO Phil Francis, now executive chairman of the board.
PetSmart also named Emily Dickinson senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Dickinson succeeds Scott Crozier, who retired from the post in April. [September 2009 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) ranked No. 70 in the Stores Magazine list of Top 100 Retailers. The list is based on annual revenues reported in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, public statements by the companies and estimates based on Planet Retail research. Stores Media is the publishing and communications group of the National Retail Federation (Washington). [September 2009 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) now offers product lines from Dean Koontz, Tamar Geller and Animal Planet. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Pets and Lifestyle Television, an in-store TV network designed specifically for pet retail locations, launched in the United States after beta-testing in Canada. It was created and is managed by Redstone Media Group Inc. (Peterborough, Ontario.).
“We’ve spent a lot of time and effort making this a top-notch network,” said Tim Hockley, president and chief executive officer of Redstone. “PALTV is a fun, dynamic and cost-effective way to build customer loyalty and reach targeted customers where they buy—at the point of purchase, and retailers love the professional look it creates in their stores.”
The U.S. launch started in Michigan and expanded to California.
Advertisers include Kong Co. (Golden, Colo.), Natura Pet Products (Freemont, Neb.), Canidae Pet Foods (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp. (Mansfield, Mass.). [September 2009 PET AGE]

Chuck Simons, co-owner of The Pet Salon in Margate, N.J., and inventor of the Groomer’s Helper, recently founded Save America’s Pets, a 501(c)(3) charity to promote animal adoption and help reduce the number of preventable pet deaths. It will distribute funds to groups that promote adoption and responsible pet ownership. For information, visit www.saveamericaspets.org. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, confirmed a reorganization plan by Spectrum Brands Inc. (Atlanta) on July 15, but then stayed the confirmation order until July 27. Spectrum, the parent of United Pet Group and UPG Aquatics, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 reorganization protection in February. [September 2009 PET AGE]

PublishChicago.com chose Chicagoland Tails, a magazine for urban pet lovers published by Tails Pet Media Group Inc. (Chicago), as one of the 10 best periodicals in the Windy City. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Washington) in June granted an appeal filed by Web-based ConsumerAffairs.com regarding a Freedom of Information Act request for lab results and consumer complaints related to Nutro Products Inc. (Franklin, Tenn.). [September 2009 PET AGE]

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division, confirmed a reorganization plan by Spectrum Brands Inc. (Atlanta) on July 15, but then stayed the confirmation order until July 27. Spectrum, the parent of United Pet Group and UPG Aquatics, voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 reorganization protection in February. [September 2009 PET AGE]

SuperZoo, set for Sept. 15-17 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, will host the Groomer SuperShow, a series of contests and seminars for pet groomers, in a partnership with Oster Professional Products (Boca Raton, Fla.).
Other show highlights include the Rescue Rodeo, a competition that challenges groomers to make over rescue dogs from local Las Vegas shelters. Winning groomers will receive prize money, and the shelters providing the winning dogs will receive cash donations.
The show is produced by the World Wide Pet Industry Association (Monrovia, Calif.). For details, visit www.superzoo.org or call 800-999-7295. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Vitakraft Sun Seed Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) added 24,000 square feet to its Weston, Ohio, warehouse as part of an expansion plan to convert the facility into the company’s central manufacturing and distribution center for North American, South American and Asian sales. The facility now covers 120,000 square feet, with production, office and warehouse space. [September 2009 PET AGE]

Wag’N Enterprises L.L.C. (Herndon, Va.) donates a portion of products sold—$2 for every specially marked Wag’N Well Fed Mayday Pet First Aid Kit and $1 for every Wag’N Skinny Mayday Pet First Aid Kit—to the Canine Cancer Campaign sponsored by the Morris Animal Foundation (Englewood, Colo.). [September 2009 PET AGE]

Wag’n Tails Mobile Conversions (Granger, Ind.) launched an online store to sell parts for a wide variety of grooming vehicles, from home-built to conversion vans. Various shipping options are available. Access the Wag’n Tails Store at www.wagntails.com. [September 2009 PET AGE]

The World Wide Pet Industry Association Inc. (Monrovia, Calif.) is considering a new name: the World Pet Association. Members will vote on the proposed name—which better reflects the trade and consumer programs of the Monrovia, Calif., organization—during their annual meeting at SuperZoo in Las Vegas. WWPIA changed its name in 2005 from the World Wide Pet Supply Association. [September 2009 PET AGE]

World’s Best Cat Litter (Muscatine, Iowa) is launching a new logo, packaging, product names and Web site this fall. [September 2009 PET AGE]