Celebrate National Pet Week

The American Veterinary Medical Association is celebrating National Pet Week from May 6-12, 2019.  The theme for 2019 is “A Lifetime of Love.”  The event was established in 1981 to encourage responsible pet ownership, promote the human-animal bond, and increase awareness of veterinary medicine.  Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, school groups, and

Petco Launches PetCoach Retail Store

Petco’s online veterinary platform, PetCoach, has broadened its horizons to include a pilot retail location.  The brick and mortar store is located in San Marcos, California and aspires to reinvent the pet store experience by being a “one stop shop” for all aspects of care. Services offered at the new PetCoach

Attention Walmart Shoppers: Vet Clinics Coming Soon

Retail giant Walmart has announced that it will begin offering veterinary services in partnership with PetIQ, an Idaho-based veterinary chain.  The first 20 locations will be open by May 2018, and a few are already in operation.  PetIQ has plans to open 1,000 additional VetIQ Petcare clinics in retail-partner locations

Pet Spending Hits New Record

Pet spending in the U.S. has spiked to greater heights than ever before, reaching a record $69.51 billion in 2017 according to final statistics released this week by the American Pet Products Association.  This marks an increase of four percent, or nearly $3 billion, over the 2016 final spending record

Mars Petcare Launches Accelerator Program for Pet Startups

Mars Petcare has had great success with developing disruptive new technologies in the pet space, as well as growing their dozens of pet food brands.  Their biggest pet tech successes to date include hot properties like Wisdom Panel, a canine DNA testing company, and Whistle, a GPS pet location and

Martha Stewart Launching New Pet Line

It’s official—Martha Stewart is launching a new line of pet products this spring.  It seems that everyone from Ellen DeGeneris to Brett Michaels is hawking pet products lately, and Stewart is continuing to assert her presence in the pet space.  You may recall she used to have a line sold

Fear Free Veterinary Practice Certification Available in 2018

It was recently announced that the Fear Free certification program, which has already certified more than 20,000 veterinary professionals as individuals, will expand to offer a veterinary practice certification in April 2018. The Fear Free program is designed to eliminate the anxiety and stress associated with veterinary visits, creating a better

Nestle Purina PetCare to Open New Facility

Nestle Purina PetCare has announced plans to build a $320 million manufacturing and distribution center in Hartwell, Georgia.  The factory is expected to add 240 new jobs over the next five years to the Purina workforce (which currently boasts more than 8,000 employees).  Purina hasn’t opened a new U.S. factory

Pet First Aid Awareness Month

Do you know how to handle a pet related emergency?  April is Pet First Aid Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to brush up on your animal related emergency skills whether you are an owner or a pet professional. The American Red Cross First Aid App provides the symptoms and

Celebrate National Dog Day

Today is National Dog Day!  This event is celebrated annually on August 26th and promotes dog ownership and rescue.  If you have a canine companion, consider making a trip to the dog park or stop by the pet bakery to pick out a special treat.  If you don’t have a