Four-Legged Ambassadors

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The first quarter of 2017 has been anything but casual for Pet Age. We attended the Greater Philadelphia Pet Expo and the Pet Industry Leadership Conference in January. We covered the 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and were present at both Groom Expo West and Super Pet Expo in February. This month, of course, we’ll be taking in the Atlanta Pet Fair and Global Pet Expo (be sure to check out our annual guide, “What’s New At Global,” which gives an in-depth look at the event that’s been dubbed the “Greatest Show on Earth”).

On February 28, Pet Age and Pet Store Pro co-produced a free webinar on “How To Use Instagram to Grow Your Pet Retail Business.” Ironically, our March cover story, “Dogs of Influence,” is a feature article devoted to popular social media pets and the rising influence they’re having on the pet industry. The piece was inspired by Sam Carroll, owner of Tinkerbelle, the picturesque pup who graces our cover. Carroll was one of the first people to contact me after I joined the Pet Age staff in September, eager to introduce me to Tinkerbelle and her incredible exploits.

“Pet influencers” like Tink and the other animals mentioned in this month’s info-packed cover story have become a big part of our lives, and they’re now a driving force with startups and major brands that are interested in hiring them to hawk their products. Once-ordinary pets are becoming icons, celebrities and household names, starring in movies and having their own apps or product lines.

And of course, this being Pet Age, that is only the beginning of our coverage this month. We traverse the newest trends in dog kibble (p. 86), take a look at the latest lounge-worthy cat beds (p. 94) and report the results of our Retailer Sentiment Index (p. 6). On the aquatic side of the industry, we examine the newest species and products by GloFish (p. 98) and offer the best advice to get started with stocking this year’s pond products (p. 102). As always, after 45 years and counting, we welcome readers old and new to jump in, wherever and however you read Pet Age. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and see for yourself. Enjoy!

Glenn A. Polyn

Editor

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