BUSINESS - Singer Miranda Lambert Creates Pet Product Line

MuttNation™ Fueled by Miranda Lambert collection of pet products from Petmate® is now available at pet specialty and online retailers.

Miranda Lambert

The country music sensation has joined other stars, like Ellen DeGeneres, in the pet product industry.

Lambert is no stranger to the dog adoption cause with her MuttNation FoundationTM that she founded with her mom Bev in 2009, and sales of her pet products will help fund the Foundation’s rescue and adoption programs.

"I am really excited to see all our hard work and great product now available, I hope y'all love it as much as we do. I know my dogs do!" Lambert said in a release.

"I really hope that we can raise awareness to the joy of adopting a shelter pet through our MuttNation product line."

The collection features a country chic feel with a rock & roll flair, vintage prints and antique hardware that are all inspirations of Lambert's signature style.

The product line, which includes bedding, collars, leashes, toys, apparel, accessories, feeding and watering products, is highlighted by the Rescue Mutts collection of six plush dogs.  Each Rescue Mutt is based on a real-life rescue dog with its own story.

Lambert’s collection is likely to ride the pet industry wave - a pattern of year after year growth despite any economic uncertainty - and benefit many homeless dogs.

MuttNationTM provides aid to animals across the US through efforts such as:

• Spay and neuter campaigns
• Medical treatments
• Adoption events, pet transportation, and pet ownership education
• Mill rescues
• Legislative changes
• Service dog training and placement
• Food and supplies for animal shelters.

BUSINESS - Ellen DeGeneres Launches Pet Product Line

(Business Wire)

With pet industry spending coming in at a record $60.28 billion in the United States last year, it’s not surprising that Ellen DeGeneres - a pet lover and design icon - is entering the market.

Partnering exclusively with PetSmart, the ED pet lifestyle line will include pet apparel, beds, bowls, collars, leashes, harnesses, toys and pet carriers, as well as shampoo and other at-home grooming supplies.

“We are thrilled about this collaboration with the ED brand and Ellen, who shares our view that pets make us better people. She is passionate about pets, a tremendously creative design talent and people relate to her and love Ellen’s view on life. She is extremely relevant, especially among millennials, an important demographic that is moving into pet parenthood at a significant rate,” said Ted Passig, EVP of Buying and Sourcing for PetSmart.

The collection is expected in all 1,450 stores early next year with seasonal updates.

When announcing the record pet industry spending numbers, Bob Vetere, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA), stated, “The pet humanization trend is alive and well and continues to drive growth at the premium end of the market. As millennials prepare to take the reins from the baby boomer generation as the primary demographic of pet owners, they stand to further develop this trend.”

Ellen’s foray into the pet industry seems to support Vetere’s prediction of continued growth and development.

BUSINESS - Largest Ever Interzoo

Interzoo, the leading trade fair in the international pet industry, closed its 34th edition saying it was the largest ever.

About 39,000 attendees (up 5 percent) from over 90 countries learned about the latest in pet food and grooming supplies, accessories and services for pets.

The number of exhibitors was up 7 percent with 1,818 suppliers from 61 countries.

Norbert Holthenrich, President of the German Pet Trade & Industry Association believes that the show of products and services for the global pet market gave both journalists and visitors a sense that “the market is flourishing.”

This impression is backed up by international economic data from market research institute Euromonitor: “The overall global market has grown to more than €92 billion,” reported Holthenrich at the Interzoo press conference, “and the European pet market accounts for €28.8 billion of that total.”

The next Interzoo will be held once again in Nuremberg, Germany from May 8th May 11th, 2018.

BUSINESS - Pet Tech: So Much More Than a Fad

Sometime between iPhone editions, advancements in pet technology have made leaps and bounds and the obsession in the consumer market has transcended into the pet world.

PlayDate

Certainly, if North Americans can track every detail of their lives – from every step, breath, heartbeat and calorie ingested – it seems like a natural progression for pet lovers to dabble in the various technologies that can alleviate racing home on time to feed their Fido, throw a ball on autopilot or speak to their anxiety-ridden pup through the convenience of a computer.

As California and the U.K. vie for the title of animal tech capital of the world, the innovations are constant and dynamic. From auto pet feeders, to activity trackers to spying devices – the conscientious pet owner can literally keep her pet entertained, fed and exercised from the remote click of a button.

Here are some of the top trends for the tech-obsessed pet lover on the market right now:

Exploding from a grassroots Kickstarter campaign in 2013, iFetch was the end product for the Hamill family of Austin, TX – who realized an auto-pitch device to throw balls for toy poodle Prancer was more than just a great distraction for their precious pet, it was the beginning of a great prototype.

“There wasn’t anything like this available and we’ve captured a small piece of a growing high-tech segment of the market,” said iFetch president, Denny Hamill, who thought up the device with the help of grandson, Grant.

Dubbed as ‘the world’s first truly interactive pet camera,' enter PlayDate – a pet camera in a smart ball.

According to pet techies, the beauty of PlayDate is that it can be handled from its owner’s mobile device app to ‘Play. Anytime. Anywhere.’

So as not to ostracize the feline persuasion, PlayDate has a cat version that includes a slit in the polycarbonate shell for ribbon inserts; this outer shell is said to be thick and shatterproof.

For the more elite pet techies, Dogtra offers up the ‘world’s finest e-collars’. These e-collars are said to be user-friendly and designed for the ‘most demanding training conditions’.

The possibilities for pet tech appear endless. As the digital age continues to evolve, these technologies will only continue to improve and close the distance gap between working parent and fur-clad offspring.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

Open Farm Launches First Certified Humane® Dry Cat Food

Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), the leading non-profit certification organization dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter, announced that Open Farm is launching the first ethically-sourced dry cat food in the U.S. and Canada with the Certified Humane® Raised and Handled® label.

Open Farm launched their Certified Humane® dog food products in stores across Canada and the U.S. in late 2014 and early 2015.

“Since then, cat owners have been begging for a Certified Humane® cat food option,” Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC, said in a release.

This demand comes as no surprise with the trend of humanization of pet food and increase in popularity of more natural food sources.

Under the Certified Humane® label, Open Farm will use only meat and poultry products in their cat food that come from Certified Humane® farms and ranches.

The Certified Humane® label assures consumers that farm animals are raised on farms where they can express their natural behaviors, such as flapping wings and moving around freely in their environments, and where they can live free of cages and gestation crates.

The farm animals also must also be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and must not be fed any animal by-products.

“Cats are obligate carnivores and require meat to survive, so giving pet parents a humane option allows them to be assured that their cat’s food is coming from a good place,” said Jacqueline Prehogan, President of Open Farm, in the release. “With the launch of our cat food, pet owners can finally provide their cats with premium nutrition while taking comfort in knowing that our entire farm-to-bowl supply chain is audited and certified.”

Global Pet Expo 2016: New Records, New Products, New Trends

Global Pet Expo 2016 saw more attendees than ever before along with a record-setting number of new product launches.

They experienced an increase in domestic buyers at 4,679, 8.4% more than last year, with a total of 6,170 buyers in attendance. The show also boasted more than 3,000 new pet product launches, 1,087 exhibitors and 3,218 booths sold. Total show attendance came to 15,478 people.

With more than 3,000 new products being introduced at Global Pet Expo, it’s a great place to identify industry trends.

Knoxville, Tennessee-based PetSafe brand, maker of pet behavioral, containment and lifestyle product solutions, unveiled 14 new products. Several were the high-tech variety including the Flitter and Whimsy automatic teaser toys both of which have ‘Play while you are away’ modes, the Automatic Ball Launcher and ScoopFree Ultra Self-Cleaning Litter Box.

All great examples of one of the industry trends identified by petbusiness.com - high-tech is in high demand.

Petbusiness.com identified five key trends based on their observations at the event.

A fresh approach to packaging. Much of the new packaging was clearly inspired by what can be found in human consumer products.

Topping off a healthy diet. Pet food toppers were in full force at Global Pet Expo 2016.

Promoting healthier digestion. There was a plethora of products that utilize prebiotics and probiotics to foster healthy digestion in pets.

Scaling down is going up. Many pet product manufacturers introduced items designed specifically for small-breed dogs, as well as smaller bag options for their established diets.

High-tech is in high demand. With electronic gadgets taking over human lives, it’s not surprising there are more gadgets, apps and high tech toys for pets.

Interested in new products? Global Pet Expo's new product showcase winners can be found here. 

Global Pet Food Stores makes aggressive expansion into Western Canada

Global Pet Food Stores Inc. is making a major push into Western Canada. With six stores in Southern Alberta already, the largest Canadian-owned chain of specialty pet food and supply stores expects to open an additional five to six stores in Calgary over the next 18 months. 

"Western Canada has been the fastest growing portion (of the chain's expansion) over the course of the last probably 18 months," said Global Pet Food Stores president, Jim Walker. 

According to a report by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in July 2011, the pet food industry is a growing market in Canada. The overall pet food market in the country jumped from $1.347(US) billion in sales in 2005 to $1.633(US) billion in 2010.

The Consumer Trends, Pet Food in Canada report said it’s estimated that 35 per cent of Canadian households owned a cat in 2010 and Canadian cat food sales are expected to grow to $738 million in 2015.

It’s also estimated that 32.3 per cent of Canadian households owned a dog and dog food sales are projected to grow to $1.1 billion in 2015.