ABKA (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will host a hospitality suite to promote its programs, services and benefits during H.H. Backer’s Pet Industry Spring Trade Show and Educational Conference. The suite will welcome pet-services professionals from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 16 in Room 316 of the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Md. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Veterinarians, dog walkers, animal trainers and pet sitters are among the 10 service providers garnering the fewest consumer complaints, according to consumer rating service Angie’s List. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Animal Planet Pet Video (Tampa, Fla.) teamed with Bayer Animal Health (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) to launch the Shelter Helper program, offering 2 million free training DVDs to people who adopt cats and dogs from participating shelters. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Aqua Zoo, a full-line pet retail chain, in December closed three stores in Jacksonville, Fla., after filing for bankruptcy, according to published reports. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Certified contractors from Aquascape Inc. (St. Charles, Ill.) created six water gardens for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, running through June 1 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. [May 2008 PET AGE]

AvianVideos.com launched as a free video-based resource of information and entertainment for bird lovers. [May 2008 PET AGE]

PetQuest 2008 will take place July 10-13 at The Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell, Ky. Organized by Barkleigh Productions Inc. (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), the trade show will include grooming seminars and demonstrations, an animal behavior conference, grooming contests sanctioned by the International Judges Association (Lexington, Ky.) and a new Super Model Dog Contest in which contestants will perform profile grooming on a yarn model dog. A companion event, The Pet Boutique & Spa Show, will feature products and equipment for upscale retailers and service facilities. For more information, call (717) 691-3388 or visit www.barkleigh.com . [May 2008 PET AGE]

The Blue Buffalo Foundation for Cancer Research (Wilton, Conn.) provided funding for two feline and four canine cancer research studies overseen by the Morris Animal Foundation (Denver). [May 2008 PET AGE]

CALIFORNIA—Pet Food Labeling. Senate Bill 1773, which would require pet food labels to include the brand owner’s telephone number and the pet food’s country of origin, was scheduled for an April hearing at press time. Current law requires only that ingredients be listed in order of predominance by weight. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Cardinal Laboratories Inc. (Azusa, Calif.) settled a lawsuit against Pet Botanics L.L.C. (Fairfield, Iowa) for infringing on Cardinal’s Pet Botanics trademark. Under terms of the settlement, the Iowa company will change its name and discontinue use of the name on all products. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Christian Manelopoulos, a Greensboro, N.C.-based dog groomer, handler and breeder, won the 2007 Cardinal Crystal Show Dog Groomer of the Year award sponsored by Cardinal Laboratories Inc. (Azusa, Calif.). [May 2008 PET AGE]

Care.com, a new nationwide pet sitter directory, features local listings searchable by ZIP code. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Casco Group (Cerritos, Calif.), Reef One Ltd. (Norwich, United Kingdom) and Petco Animal Supplies Stores Inc. (San Diego) donated $15,000 to Autism Speaks (New York), an organization that funds research into the causes, prevention, treatment and cure for autism. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Sibley Memorial Hospital chose Chateau-Animaux as the exclusive grooming shop in Washington, D.C., participating in its PerksCard employee benefit program. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Crazy Pet L.L.C. (Azusa, Calif.) launched a multiplatform microsite on Kabillion.com that uses games, streaming video, comics, contests and more to teach kids how to interact with pets. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Curlew Hills Pet Cemetery (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) is working with Fetching Communications, a public relations firm that works exclusively with the pet and veterinary industries, to promote its services in west central Florida. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Fe-lines Inc. (Fort Worth, Texas), maker of Sticky Paws pet behavior modification products, was certified as a women’s business enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Washingtonian Magazine ranked Featherle Pet Care salons in Sterling and Chantilly, Va., along with affiliate Canine Clippers School of Pet Grooming (Dumfries, Va.) among the 250 top pet-services providers in the Washington, D.C., area, based on a poll of more than 2,400 consumers. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Fetch! Pet Care (Berkeley, Calif.), a pet-sitting and dog-walking franchise, opened new locations in Phoenix, Lafayette, La., Aberdeen, Md., Houston, and Bothell, Wash. The company now operates 148 locations. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Fetch! Pet Care (Berkeley, Calif.) is recruiting retired people and senior citizens across the United States who are interested in pursuing careers in pet-sitting and dog-walking. Interested seniors may apply for a job with the company at www.fetchpetcare.com/jobs . [May 2008 PET AGE]

FURminator Inc. (St. Louis) in February received a patent for the FURminator deShedding Tool from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Furminator Inc. (St. Louis) in March filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against PetEdge Inc. (Beverly, Mass.) in U.S. District Court, alleging PetEdge grooming tools and replacement blades infringe on its FURminator deShedding Tool patent. [May 2008 PET AGE]

GoToRovers.com (Portland, Ore.), formerly doing business as RoversRepsOnline.com, launched as a wholesaler of pet supplies and gifts. [May 2008 PET AGE]

GPC Pet Products (Muscatine, Iowa) gave World’s Best Cat Litter Distributor of the Year Awards to Evergreen Pet Supply (Kent, Wash.) and SuperDog Pet Food Co. (Leola, Pa.) for significant sales growth in 2007. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Halo Purely for Pets (Tampa, Fla.) updated its brand, product line, packaging system and graphics with help from Catapult Thinking (Boston), a design consultant firm. [May 2008 PET AGE]

The Honest Kitchen Inc. (San Diego) donated $8,000 worth of food to Best Friends Animal Society (Kanab, Utah), $7,000 worth of food to Baja Animal Sanctuary (Rosarito Beach, Mexico) and $5,000 worth of food to Help for Pets (Alpine, Calif.) to care for unwanted dogs and cats. [May 2008 PET AGE]

IOWA—Dog Sale Limits. Recently introduced legislation would restrict the number of dogs that dealers and commercial breeders could sell in one year. Under Senate Bill 2293, dealers and breeders would not be allowed to breed, buy for resale, sell or exchange more than 20 litters of domestic dogs or cats, or more than 100 domestic dogs or cats, in any 12-month period. The bill also would allow the Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship to inspect a federally licensed commercial kennel or public auction if it receives a complaint. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Jakks Pacific Inc. (Malibu, Calif.) partnered with the Discovery Commerce division of Discovery Communications Inc. (Silver Spring, Md.) to make licensed Animal Planet pet products, including toys, apparel, costumes, collars, leashes, tags, feeders, bowls, training aids, treats and grooming aids for dogs and cats. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Dog behaviorist Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Channel’s hit show “Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan,” is launching a line of branded merchandise for sale exclusively at Petco stores nationwide. Comprised primarily of organic, eco-friendly products, the Dog Whisperer line includes items made by The Bramton Co. (Dallas), Castor & Pollux (Clackamas, Ore.), JLA Pets (Plainfield, Ill.) and Planet Pets (Bedford, Texas). [May 2008 PET AGE]

Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc. (Pacoima, Calif.) and Petco stores nationwide are donating 50 cents from the sale of each bag of Natural Balance pet food and asking Petco customers to round up purchases to the next dollar to raise finds for Guide Dogs of the Desert (Palm Springs, Calif.), an organization that trains dogs to assist blind people. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. (St. Louis) and The International Kennel Club of Chicago raised more than $322,800 for the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (Raleigh, N.C.) to support canine health research. [May 2008 PET AGE]

NEW HAMPSHIRE—Puppy Sale Limits. A bill that would have sharply limited the number of puppies commercial kennels could sell died in March after failing to pass the Senate. Senate Bill 504 sought to deny a license to anybody selling or transferring 20 or more litters, or 100 puppies, during any 12-month period. Although the bill is dead for the 2008 legislative session, it could be re-introduced in the next session, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (Washington). [May 2008 PET AGE]

NEW JERSEY—Pet Food Liability Law. Recently proposed legislation would let owners of a companion animal that becomes injured, ill or dies from ingesting adulterated pet food bring civil action for damages against the manufacturer and distributor of the contaminated food. Under Assembly Bill 1965, retail sellers also could be sued if they did not properly respond to a recall notice or knew the food was adulterated. An almost identical bill died in 2007 when the legislature adjourned. [May 2008 PET AGE]      

NexPet Retailer Group (New York), a co-op of independent pet retailers, launched the 90 Days Same as Cash and 180 Days Same as Cash programs, allowing members to offer financing options on puppies, birds and other pets through a partnership with a leading consumer finance provider. For more information, call 888-635-8021 or visit www.nexpet.com . [May 2008 PET AGE]

Petfinder.com (Silver Spring, Md.) partnered with PetsIncredible (Silver Spring, Md.) to offer reward-based training videos online to people who adopt pets. The Web site also added advice, tips and regimens from top adoption behavior specialists for potential adopters. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Mario Vasquez and Marlene Estrada opened a Petland store at Las Palmas Marketplace in El Paso, Texas, and Keith and Leah Evans opened a Petland store in Montgomery, Ala. [May 2008 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) won a RACie Award in the large single-spot TV category for an advertising campaign called “The Gift.” Honoring the best advertising campaigns in the retail industry, the RACie Awards are given by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association. [May 2008 PET AGE]

PetSmart Inc. (Phoenix) reported net sales of $1.33 billion for the 2007 fourth quarter, up 13.8 percent from the year-earlier period. Comparable stores sales grew 0.8 percent in the quarter on top of 4.6 percent in the year-earlier period. Pet services sales were $123.4 million, up 26.9 percent from the year-earlier period. [May 2008 PET AGE]

The Georgia Department of Agriculture in February lifted a quarantine of all birds sold in PetSmart and SuperPetz stores in Richmond and Columbia counties. The department enforced the quarantine in late December after psittacosis, a bacterial disease that can cause respiratory infection in humans, was found in several birds. [May 2008 PET AGE]

The Planet Dog Foundation, the charitable arm of Planet Dog (Portland, Maine) donated more than $25,000 worth of leashes, collars, toys and accessories to NEADS Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans (Princeton, Mass.). [May 2008 PET AGE]

Pooch Pacers launched in Los Angeles, providing dog-running services that include individually tailored running regimens. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Precision Pet Products (Costa Mesa, Calif.) displayed its Great Crate as part of the Bark Buckle Up Pet Safety Program in the Volvo booth at the New York International Auto Show in March. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Quality Pets Inc. (Oklahoma City, Okla.) sustained heavy damage to its reptile department, bird quarantine and hand-feeding areas, small-animal hospital room, night invoicing offices and communication systems, as well as one dry goods warehouse, during an extra-alarm fire in February. While firemen saved thousands of animals, the company lost most of its reptiles and juvenile birds as well as equipment and feeding and bedding supplies. At press time, clean-up crews and employees were “working both night and day to get us back running,” according to Jesse Kuykendall. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd. (High River, Alberta) voluntarily recalled 50-gram packages of Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat with UPC 0 60766 88138 1 in all lots up to and including 07 MAR 10 due to a salmonellosis risk to humans. At press time, one illness associated with the products had been reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which advised consumers who purchased the treat to dispose of it in the trash. For more information, call Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd. at 800-616-9267 or e-mail info@rolloverpetfood.com. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Scout’s House (Menlo Park, Calif.), a physical rehabilitation therapy center for animals, launched an online store at www.scoutshouse.com/store , offering a variety of products designed to help pets with debilitating chronic physical conditions. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Sergeant’s Pet Care Products (Omaha, Neb.) in March acquired the consumer brands division of Virbac Corp. (Fort Worth, Texas), and now is marketing Virbac’s WormXPlus, WormX, Petrodex, Zema, Mardel and LiveMeter products to retailers in grocery, mass, drug and dollar channels under the Sergeant’s and Vetscriptions brands. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Nature’s Miracle pet stain and odor remover by United Pet Group (Cincinnati) is promoting responsible pet ownership by supporting companion-animal programs of The Humane Society of the United States (Washington), including Spay Day USA, National Disaster Animal Response Teams, the Animal Care Expo, community-oriented events and the 22nd Annual Genesis Awards. [May 2008 PET AGE]

United Pet Group (Cincinnati) launched Excelwebvet.com, providing information about a variety of pet health topics and featuring the advice of nationally recognized veterinarian Jeff Werber. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Urine Off (Sarasota, Fla.) is donating 15 percent of sales from online customers, dealers and shelters listed on Pets911.com to help fight pet abandonment and home displacement. [May 2008 PET AGE]

Winston Co. Inc. (Tulsa, Okla.) won an Addy Award in the Best Packaging Campaign category for the redesigned packaging of CrystalClear water gardening products. [May 2008 PET AGE]