SPECIALUpdate
Pet Food Recall Expands
More than six weeks after Menu Foods Inc. (Streetsville, Ontario) launched the biggest pet food recall in U.S. history, revelations about contaminated ingredients in pet foods not on the original recall list as well as the possibility that contaminants had entered the human food supply indicate that the current crisis may just be the tip of the iceberg....

Menu Foods Recalls Nearly 100 Pet Food Brands
In one of the biggest pet food recalls in U.S. history, Menu Foods Inc. (Streetsville, Ontario) on March 16 voluntarily recalled 60 million containers of “cuts and gravy”-style dog and cat foods produced at two of its U.S. facilities between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007, because the foods were linked to the deaths of 14 pets. The company later asked retailers to remove all varieties of impacted foods from store shelves, regardless of date codes, to eliminate the chance of consumers buying recalled items...

Central Garden and United Pet Group Team on Pro-Fish Campaign
Through a partnership that is unprecedented in the aquatics industry, Central Garden & Pet Co. (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and United Pet Group Inc. (Cincinnati), the industry’s largest manufacturers, have decided to work together to promote the aquarium hobby among consumers...

Buyers Focus on New Products at 2007 Global Pet Expo
Climate-controlled pet carriers, speaking dog bowls and flat-screen wall aquariums were among the hundreds of new products on display at Global Pet Expo 2007...

U.S. Pet Industry Sales Will Hit $40 Billion in 2007
American pet owners will spend $40.8 billion on their furry, finned, feathered and scaly companions this year, driven by a strong interest in protecting pets’ health and investing in pet-care services, according to new projections from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (Greenwich, Conn.)...

Fast Growth Makes Pet Industry Ripe for Consolidation
Although the $40 billion pet industry is growing by leaps and bounds, it remains highly fragmented and ripe for consolidation, providing opportunities for companies and private-equity investors alike, according to a report by The Mercanti Group, a boutique investment bank headquartered in Minneapolis...

WWPIA Launches PetSource.org
The World Wide Pet Industry Association (Arcadia, Calif.) in February launched PetSource.org, a Web site designed to be a one-stop source of information for consumers and retailers looking for information about all kinds of pets...

Consumer Demand Drives Illegal Trade in Mexican Parrots
Bird lovers’ desire to own yellow-headed parrots, orange-fronted parakeets and other beautiful parrots native to Mexico could be a major factor in the birds’ extinction if current trends continue, finds a new report from Defenders of Wildlife (Washington)...

Rhode Island Considers Dog Warranty Law
Legislation introduced in January would impose numerous requirements on Rhode Island pet sellers that would essentially make them liable no matter what the health of the dog they sold, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington)...

Iowa Considers Wild Animal Ban in Iowa
A bill introduced in March would regulate the ownership and possession of “dangerous wild animals,” including water monitors, venomous snakes and certain constrictors such as pythons and anacondas...

Government Agencies Collaborate to Fight Bird Flu
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in March announced an agreement with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization to tackle a broad range of issues—including animal diseases—that impact agriculture. The first priority: the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza...