Approximately 600 dog clubs and organizations are expected to participate in Responsible Dog Ownership Days in September, a nationwide initiative by the American Kennel Club (New York) to educate the public about the importance of being a responsible dog owner and celebrate the deep bond between humans and their canine companions. [September 2010 PET AGE]

As of June 30, the American Kennel Club’s Companion Animal Recovery Canine Support and Relief Fund (Raleigh, N.C.) had donated nearly $400,000 to organizations across the nation, including recovery groups in Delaware and Vermont, and more than $215,000 in grants to search and rescue organizations. [September 2010 PET AGE]

The American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.) is accepting entries for the third annual APPA National Children’s Pet Poetry Contest. The contest is part of the organization’s public awareness campaign, Pets Add Life. To learn more, visit www.petsaddlife.org. [September 2010 PET AGE]

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (New York) and PetSmart Charities (Phoenix) have pledged $5.2 million to the Humane Alliance to open 80 low-cost spay-neuter clinics across the United States. [September 2010 PET AGE]

A 50,000-square-foot luxury pet resort by Best Friends Pet Care Inc. (Norwalk, Conn.) opened at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Bravo! L.L.C. (Vernon, Conn.) named Animal Supply Co. (Federal Way, Wash.) as its exclusive distributor in northern California and northern Nevada. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Canine Caviar Pet Foods Inc. (Norco, Calif.) opened its inaugural holistic pet nutrition retail store at Time Warner Center in Manhattan. The store at Columbus Circle is a partnership between Jeff Baker, the nutritionist founder of Canine Caviar, and Gunnar Larson, the young entrepreneur behind Virtu New York fitness apparel and NetworkGlobal.tv. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Tony de Vos, president of Cardinal Laboratories Inc. (Azusa, Calif.) is asking for votes as part of Fast Company Magazine’s Influence Project. To find out more or to vote, visit fcinf.com/v/apug. [September 2010 PET AGE]

The Company of Animals (Surrey, England) is updating its packaging. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Dad’s Pet Care (Meadville, Pa.) added 44 jobs at its Dumas, Ark., pet food manufacturing facility, increasing its work force by 75 percent. [September 2010 PET AGE]

DELAWARE—Breeding Limits. House Bill 95, to prohibit the possession of more than 25 breeding dogs at one time, died in committee with the Legislature’s adjournment. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Earthbath by Earthwhile Enterprises (San Francisco) took part in a fundraiser benefiting Squaw Valley’s Ski Patrol rescue dogs. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Ecological Laboratories Inc. (Malverne, N.Y.) opened a training center in Cape Coral, Fla., to promote understanding of its Microbe-Lift biotechnology and applications of new products. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Espree Animal Products Inc. in June opened an additional location in Grapevine, Texas, for warehousing, shipping and staff offices. Corporate offices and manufacturing operations remain at the original location.
The company also added new international distributors: Plastec Products in Russia, Kong’s Limited in New Zealand, Wang Ping Pet in Taiwan, Kodo Daisan in Korea and PetTouch in Greece. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Feline’s Pride (Elma, N.Y.) issued a voluntary recall of Feline’s Pride Raw food with ground bone for cats and kittens, Natural Chicken Formula, because of a possible salmonella contamination. The product is packaged in uncoded plastic containers and sold frozen to private consumers nationwide. For information, call 716-580-3096. [September 2010 PET AGE]

GEORGIA—Licensing Fees. The Georgia Department of Agriculture in July approved amendments that double current licensing fees for pet dealers, kennels, animal shelters and stables. Go to http://tiny.cc/g2gkm to see the new fee schedule. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Peggy Harris, a longtime professional groomer and certifier for the National Dog Groomers Association of America Inc. (Clark, Pa.), died July 10 as the result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was 51.

She began grooming in 1975. She achieved National Certified Master Groomer status in 1990 and became national coordinator for NDGAA’s certification program in 2004. A winner of multiple grooming contests and a seminar speaker, she also owned ABC & D Pet Salon in Phenix City, Ala.  In addition, she showed Brussels Griffons, giant Schnauzers, and German wirehaired pointers.

Survivors include her mother, Geraldine Blake; three sisters; and several nieces and nephews.

Condolences may be sent to Geraldine Blake, 11 Rusk Drive, Phenix City, AL 36870. Contributions to help pay Harris’ funeral expenses can be made to NDGAA Inc., P.O. Box 101, Clark, PA  16113 (note “Peggy Harris Fund” in the memo field). [September 2010 PET AGE]

Grooming products by John Paul Pet (Henderson, Nev.), created by John Paul DeJoria, chief operating officer and cofounder of Paul Mitchell, debuted on the television shopping network QVC in late June. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Landy Corp. (Federal Way, Wash.), manufacturer of Dr-Chew, added several distributors: Charjans Distributors Inc. (Loves Park, Ill.), New England Wholesale Pet Foods (Portland, Maine), All Creatures Distributing (Clinton Township, Mich.) and Burgham Sales Ltd. (Scarborough, Ontario). [September 2010 PET AGE]

The Lazy Dog Cookie Co. Inc. (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) won a Sofi Award from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (New York) for its Original Pup-Pie Happy Birthday. Award are given to the outstanding foods and beverages of the year. [September 2010 PET AGE]

SmartTag, a brand of LittleGifts Inc. (Secaucus, N.J.), partnered with Best Friends Animal Society (Kanab, Utah) to give free SmartTags to people adopting pets from participating facilities, and offer a 60 percent discount on lifetime subscriptions to IDTAG’s pet recovery program. [September 2010 PET AGE]

SmartTag, a brand of LittleGifts Inc. (Secaucus, N.J.), kicked off a television advertising campaign in late June to promote the pet recovery system to more than 200 million households and help retailers by increasing awareness of the brand. The infomercial-style spots aired on a variety of cable networks that target the pet-owning demographic. 
SmartTag now is available at PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix), merchandised in stores on “As Seen on TV” end caps. [September 2010 PET AGE]

LOUISIANA—Reptile Regulation. Gov. Bobby Jindal in late June signed into law a bill that requires wholesale and retail dealers to obtain permits for the sale, importation or handling of native reptile and amphibian species. The new law also provides that venomous snakes and constrictor snakes longer than 8 feet may only be kept by permit from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Products by Martha Stewart Pets (New York) now are available exclusively at PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) stores and www.petsmart.com. The line includes more than 50 toys, collars, harnesses and leashes, quilted dog beds and food bowls. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Merrick Pet Care Inc. of Amarillo, Texas, recalled some cases of its 10-ounce Beef Filet Squares for Dogs pet treats because of a potential salmonella risk. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Miss Autumn’s Barkery (Jackson, Mo.) signed El-Mel Inc. Feed & Supply (St. Charles, Mo.) as a distributor for the Midwest and St. Louis metro area. The company also signed Bob Vella of NV Pets Sales and Marketing (Bakersfield, Calif.) to represent the line in the West. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Nano Pet Products L.L.C., doing business as Dog Gone Smart Pet Products (Wilton, Conn.), signed The Company of Animals (Surrey, England) as its distributor in the United Kingdom. [September 2010 PET AGE]

The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (Mount Laurel, N.J.) will hold its 2011 annual conference and small business forum, “Jazzing Up Your Business in the Big Easy,” Jan. 28-30, 2011, at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans. The three-day event includes educational sessions by renowned speakers, information on the latest pet products and services, and a chance to network with fellow professionals. Broadway animal trainer Bill Berloni will give the keynote speech, and Arden Moore, the Pet Edu-Tainer, will lead a cat behavior seminar. For more information, visit www.petsitters.org. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc. (Pacoima, Calif.) voluntarily recalled some lots of Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Chicken Dry Dog Food because of a possible salmonella contamination. For information, call 800-829-4493. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Neater Feeder by Neater Pet Brands, formerly Tower Star Pets L.L.C. (Malvern, Pa.), is now available through Central Pet warehouses in Seattle, Sacramento and Santa Fe, Calif., and Mahwah, N.J. [September 2010 PET AGE]

NEW YORK—Bird Sales.  Pet dealers would be prohibited from knowingly selling any bird that has not been fully weaned under Assembly Bill 7694 and Senate Bill 4130. The companion bills also would require disclosure of the breeder’s name and address, immunization records and in-store postings. The bills resided in committee at press time. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Sponsors of the 2011 New York City Pet Show (New York) are offering early bird rates on booths as well as special booth pricing for members of the American Pet Products Association (Greenwich, Conn.). The consumer event, co-sponsored by APPA, debuted in May.
The floor plan features 45,000 square feet of vendor space.
For details, contact CCK Events at 212-888-4646 or colleen@cckevents.com. [September 2010 PET AGE]

NORTH CAROLINA—Commercial Breeding. Companion legislation that would have created standards of care, licensing and inspection for commercial kennels died in committee with the General Assembly’s adjournment. House Bill 460 and Senate Bill 460 also would have classified as a commercial breeder any person who maintained 15 or more adult female dogs a year in order to sell their offspring. [September 2010 PET AGE]

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Washington) granted Nurtured Pets, a division of Lauren International Inc. (New Philadelphia, Ohio), a patent on its Anti-Lick Strip Prevent pet bandages. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Steve McMaster has joined Nutri-Vet (Boise, Idaho) as corporate controller. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Oscar Newman L.L.C. moved to a larger office-warehouse space in Batavia, Ill., in July. [September 2010 PET AGE]

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) appointed William L. Lechtner as an advisory member of its board of directors. [September 2010 PET AGE]

OurPet’s Co. (Fairport Harbor, Ohio) is acquiring some assets of Cosmic Pet Products (Hagerstown, Md.), including the iconic Cosmic Catnip brand name. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Pet Industry Advisory (Wells, Maine) will hold a conference on Internet Marketing and Social Media Strategies for the Pet Industry Nov. 15-16 at the Tuscany Suites and Casino in Las Vegas. Sessions will cover ways to maximize Internet marketing dollars, build brands, boost customer loyalty and increase online revenue. Speakers include Andrew S. Katz of PetEdge (Beverly, Mass.), Stewart Langille of Mint.com (Mountain View, Calif.) and Brock Weatherup of PetFoodDirect.com (Montgomeryville, Pa.). For information, visit attend.petindustryadvisory.com. [September 2010 PET AGE]

The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington) now publishes a twice-monthly electronic newsletter called PIJAC E-News, containing information on legislative and regulatory measures that PIJAC is addressing at state and federal levels as well as updates on other PIJAC activities. To ensure delivery, members may provide their e-mail addresses to Nancy Knutson, director of member services, at members@pijac.org. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Pet Sitters International (King, N.C.) now offers three new specialty contracts at www.psistoreonline.com for pet sitters who provide at-home care for horses, birds and fish. The contracts, each divided into four sections, cover pertinent details related to the pet owner, the residence, the animal and specific terms and conditions. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Pet Supplies “Plus” (Farmington Hills, Mich.) is encouraging its franchisees to sign the “puppy-friendly pet store pledge” promoted by the Humane Society of the United States (Washington). [September 2010 PET AGE]

Pet industry expert Charlotte Reed launched PetCentricAuthors.com, a site feature reviews of pet-related books, podcasts and interviews with authors and publishing industry experts. [September 2010 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) moved up one space on the STORES Magazine list of top 100 retailers. The business is ranked No. 69, reporting $4.76 billion in sales for 2009. [September 2010 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) will start carrying Wellness brand pet food and snacks in stores and online at www.petsmart.com this fall. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Planet Dog Foundation, the nonprofit grant-making arm of Planet Dog (Portland, Maine), will host Woofminster 2010 on Saturday, Oct. 2, to benefit canine service organizations nationwide. For information, visit www.planetdogfoundation.org. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Precision Pet Products (Costa Mesa, Calif.) promoted Matt Wurtzel to vice president of sales for the East Coast. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Radio Systems Corp. (Knoxville, Tenn.) recalled power adapters sold with PetSafe Heated Wellness Sleepers due to a potential fire hazard. According to the company, the metal connector can cause arcing when is removed from the bed, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. For information, call 800-732-2677. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Scotts Songbird Selections Brand Wild Bird Food, a brand of The Scotts Co. (Marysville, Ohio),  donated $50,000 to the National Wildlife Federation’s Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund and also will match contributions made through scottswildbirdfood.com, up to $50,000. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Shazam Pet Products, a national distributor in Bohemia, N.Y., that supports only independent pet stores, launched its website at www.shazampetproducts.com. [September 2010 PET AGE]

PlaqClnz, made by SmartHealth (Phoenix), launched www.groomeroralcare.com with information and special offers for grooming professionals, as well as www.plaqclnz.com, a consumer-focused website where groomers can list their business contact information. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Snap 2 It L.L.C. (Fort Worth, Texas) expanded into international distribution, signing Good Guys Pet Supplies (Enfield, Nova Scotia) to a three-year agreement as its exclusive Canadian wholesale distributor. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Chicago-based Tails Pet Media Group partnered with EQAL, an online social entertainment company based in Los Angeles, to build a centralized online pet community. For information, visit www.eqal.com.
In addition, Austin Wilson, formerly chief executive officer of Phoenix-based Draft Publishing, joined Tails Pet Media as chief operating officer, a new position. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Texas Farm Products Co. (Nacogdoches, Texas) earned a superior rating for its pet food manufacturing plant from the American Institute of Baking (Manhattan, Kan.). [September 2010 PET AGE]

TFH Publications Inc. (Neptune City, N.J.), a subsidiary Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.), won seven Benjamin Franklin Awards—the highest national honor in independent book publishing—and swept every category in which it received nominations. The Benjamin Franklin Awards are presented by the Independent Book Publishers Association—the largest nonprofit organization representing independent publishers. [September 2010 PET AGE]

United Pet Group (Cincinnati) voluntarily recalled all unexpired lots of Pro-Pet Adult Daily Vitamin supplement tablets due to possible salmonella contamination. For information, call 800-645-5154. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Wahl Professional Animal Division (Sterling, Ill.) updated its website, www.wahlanimal.com. [September 2010 PET AGE]

World’s Best Cat Litter, a division of GPC Pet Products (Muscatine, Iowa), is expanding its “Buy The Best. Or Smell The Rest” campaign through September. Consumers can visit www.worldsbestcatlitter.com to receive a free bag through the mail-in rebate program. [September 2010 PET AGE]

Vo-Toys Inc. (Harrison, N.J.) signed a deal with Veteran’s K-9 Corps. (Smithtown, N.Y.) to develop a line of licensed dog products with the American VetDogs name. The line—including rubber, nylon, vinyl, canvas and plush toys, flotation vests and toys, T-shirts, harnesses, grooming accessories, ID tags, feeding bowls, travel accessories and a full line of pet containment merchandise—is scheduled to launch fourth quarter 2010. [September 2010 PET AGE]