More than 14,000 consumers with a penchant for pets attended the fourth annual America’s Family Pet Expo in Novi, Mich., held Nov. 16-18 by the World Wide Pet Industry Association (Monrovia, Calif.).

One sign of the event’s growth: More than 300 pets from Detroit rescue organizations found new homes during the expo, 58 percent more than the previous year.

Another sign: Participation in the Kids’ Aquarium Contest rose 30 percent. The contest, sponsored by Seachem Labs Inc./JurassiPet (Madison, Ga.), offers children the chance to win a free 10-gallon aquarium setup as they learn to become responsible pet owners.

“The 2007 Pet Expo in Novi emphasized the importance of our mission, which is to promote responsible pet care to consumers,” said Doug Poindexter, president of WWPIA. “We’re pleased that thousands of animal lovers experienced a weekend of entertainment while learning about all kinds of animal species and proper pet care. From the many animals present to the top-notch animal performing acts and the overwhelmingly popular Kids’ Aquarium Contest, the Pet Expo was a big hit.”

Other highlights included educational performances by The Rock-N-Roll K9’s Performance Team, dog trainer Renee Jones and The Birdman of Las Vegas.
In addition, hundreds of companies and breeders from around the country touted new products and pet care.

Event sponsors included The Petco Foundation (San Gabriel, Calif.), Nutro Products Inc. (City of Industry, Calif.), Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc. (Topeka, Kan.), Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc. (Pacoima, Calif.), Oster Professional Products (Boca Raton, Fla.), the Pet Care Trust (Arcadia, Calif.), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington), Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy magazines (Los Angeles), JeffersPet.com (Dothan, Ala.), Pet Food ’N More (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Renewal by Andersen (Cottage Grove, Minn.).

Upcoming editions of America’s Family Pet Expo will take place April 11-13 in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Nov. 14-16 in Novi, Mich. For more information, visit wwwpia.org. [March 2008 PET AGE]