Interzoo cautions exhibitors of EU pet food importation requirements

Interzoo show organizers are encouraging exhibitors for the pet product show to check in well ahead of the May event to ensure the pet food from their country is allowed to be imported into the EU and Germany and avoid problems with Border Inspection Posts.
According to show organizers, in principle, food for pets and ornamental fish that contains animal by-products may only be imported from third countries that meet requirements of the valid version of Chapter II Section 1, Table 2, No. 12 of Regulation (EC) 142/2011. In exceptional cases, companies can apply for an import license if petfood from unlisted third countries and companies is to be imported for exhibition purposes only, which requires the petfood must be rendered harmless and disposed of at the importer's cost at the end of the exhibition. The pet product exhibition's organizers say each consignment of petfood must be registered for inspection by the official veterinarian at an approved Border Inspection Post by submitting a Common Veterinary Entry Document, at least one working day in advance, in accordance with Regulation (EC) 136/2004.  

Pets live longer as veterinary care advances

Since 2001, nearly 1,000 people have applied to Guinness World Records with claims to have the oldest pet for its species, says a recent FT Magazine article that looks into the growing obsession with pets' ages.  
With overall pet spending in the US of more than US$50 billion in 2011, according to the American Pet Products Association, pets are being treated to better veterinary care as owners become more attached to their pets and try to keep them alive as long as possible.
“During the 20th century, human life expectancy increased 30 percent, [due to] clean food, water, hygiene. The same thing has happened, no doubt, to pets,” says Steven Austad, a professor and expert in ageing at the University of Texas. “The feeling is that pet animals are living longer,” says Dan Brockman, a professor at the Royal Veterinary College. “We certainly see more old cats in particular, and old dogs. The three cornerstones are the genetic coding, better understanding of nutritional needs and the care [the animals] receive.” 

Polish market for dog, cat food worth more than PLN1 billion (US$2.15 billion) in 2011

Reports estimate the value of Poland's petfood market for cat and dog food products surpassed PLN1 billion (US$3.15 billion) in 2011, an increase of 7% year-on-year, which has one petfood manufacturer looking to capture a largest market share.
Currently, petfood manufacturers Mars and Nestle are the largest in the Polish market.
But, Polish food company Mispol may be looking to invest, according to president Petras Jasinskas, who expects Poland's petfood market will grow by an additional 10% in 2012. The company has not yet disclosed the amount it plans to invest. 

Natural pet food company, pet advice center launched in Bahrain

Bahrain's first all-natural pet food brand, Tails, was recently launched by co-founders Ahmed Al Sharaf and Najat Tarradah, who also offer petfood delivery and animal nutrition advice.
The company says it aims to provide healthy pet food, which is free of preservatives, added colors and flavors, and uses 100 percent natural ingredients consisting of fruit, vegetables, meat and fresh chicken. Al Sharaf and Tarradah also say all ingredients are human grade and locally sourced. In addition, Tails pet food company delivers directly to customers' doors, and has a center for free pet advice, where owners can schedule face-to-face visits with the company's animal behavior and nutrition experts.  

Pet industry grows by engaging in digital marketing, social media

The Internet has not only helped the pet industry grow online among consumers looking for pet-related news and entertainment, but also has provided new marketing channels for pet food and pet product retailers.
A recent article, "[Four] Ways the Pet Industry has Gone Digitial," says one way the pet industry has been following digital trends is in it its adoption of subscription models. Similar to Netflix, the pet industry has services like Petflow, which ships pet food and pet products, and BarkBox, which was launched in November 2011 and donates a portion of its petfood and treat sales to rescues or shelters, according to co-founder Carly Strife. 
Pet brands are also engaging in ecommerce via social media. Sites like online pet supply retailer Wag.com encourage consumers to enter contests, respond to polls, post photos and other pet content to its Facebook page. Pet food brand GranataPet Food engaged consumers through Foursquare API with 10 billboards in Munich and Berlin, Germany, that "dispensed" dog food into a bowl on the ground each time a user "checked in." Pedigree hosted its "Every Dog Deserves..." campaign through social media as well, in which the brand donated a pound of dog food to a shelter for every "Like," post or tweet about the campaign.  New pet-related smartphone applications are catching on, too, including DoggyDatez, a location-based application for finding both human and dog friends; Petcentric, an application from petfood brand Purina that lets users locate pet-friendly hotels, restaurants and parks; Rate My Puppy, which allows users to upload and rate dog photos; and MyPedED that allows users to carry their pet's medical records, which are also following the digital trend as veterinarians move to computerized medical charts and digital pet X-rays. 

Bakers pet food brand airs TV ad aimed at dogs in UK

A new petfood commercial recently aired in the UK featuring high-pitched tones that only dogs can hear, which the pet food company hopes will make dogs bark and make pet owners pay attention to the dog food product being advertised.
The commercial, by Nestle Purina's Bakers pet food brand, airs tones above 18,000 Hz that are inaudible to humans, but sound like a dog whistle to dogs. The minute-long commercial also includes normal tones that humans can hear as well, such as whistling, barking and bell ringing.
"With these special sounds we hope this delivers enjoyment for both dogs and their owners," said Mark Zaki, brand manager for Bakers.
Bakers tested the advertisement by playing it to 12 dogs that were distracted by a toy, and researchers found that all 12 of the dogs reacted to the commercial's high-pitched tones, according to a report. 

Westminster Kennel club switched sponsors due to Pedigree ads with sad dogs, economic reasons

Petfood manufacturer Pedigree was replaced by Nestle Purina as the sponsor of the 2012 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, partially because the club's previous longtime sponsor aired commercials featuring sad, homeless pets.
Westminster Kennel Club says the Pedigree ads, featuring shaking, abused pets up for adoption, did not represent the dog show's atmosphere. “We want people to think of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show as a celebration of the dogs in our lives,” said David Frei, the club’s director of communications. Frei said the club expressed its concern to Pedigree, a 24-year sponsor, but made the switch to Nestle Purina in Spring 2011, whose commercials feature more athletic, silly dogs. Frei said the switch was also partly for economic reasons. "Show me an ad with a dog with a smile; don’t try to shame me,” Frei said. “We told them that, and they ignored us.”