Veterans Day, a time where our local and national communities honor those who have served to protect our country.  Vets receive support and appreciation in many ways, from parades, VA hospitals and support groups.  One Foundation in particular helps Veterans in a different way however, by offering guide dogs and service dogs to aide in the rehabilitation of injured Veterans.  The Veteran K9 Corps paired with The Guide Dog Foundation to form VetDogs. Vet Dogs helps Veterans who are visually impaired or have other special needs by using guide dogs and service dogs.

Here are some testimonials gathered from the VetDogs website on how the program has helped veterans:

 “Each day that goes by, the dog makes such a difference in my life. It’s easy to

hit rock bottom, but having the dog helps. Not just in what he will do for me, but in the

companionship that touches me in the heart.”

Noah Galloway served with the Army and did two tours of duty in Iraq. On his second tour, he

was caught in an IED explosion and lost his left arm and left leg.

My dog provides retrieval when I drop things, and balance support, especially when

I’m not wearing my prosthetic leg. It’s great having him, not only for the physical things he does,

but also for the unconditional love and emotional support. When I wake up in the morning, he’s

there for me.”

Dan Lasko served with the Marines in Afghanistan. He was in-country for a month when his

truck struck an IED. He lost his left leg below the knee.

All of VetDogs services are of no cost to veterans. The funding comes from individual contributions, corporations, foundations, businesses and service and fraternal clubs.  For information on how you can help the Vetdogs program visit www.vetdogs.org.  

The news about the economy continues to be less than stellar but the energy I have witnessed from buyers and exhibitors at our industry’s trade shows has been phenomenal. I’m continuously amazed at the innovations being presented, and more importantly put on store shelves – and consumers continue to demand more. No matter what the rest of the economy has been feeling, people still love their pets.  They are dedicated to making them a part of the family and treating them like humans.  More than ever people are realizing how much having a pet helps improve their lifestyle.  We have all seen the studies showing the many health benefits derived from owning a pet.  Lower blood pressure, better sleeping patterns, more exercise, more social interaction and so much more have all been documented in recent scientific research.

As the world has gotten more unpredictable the one thing that never changes is the unquestioned love and affection we get from our pets. They get excited every time they see us.  They can listen endlessly to our problems then look at you with a look that says “it is all going to be okay; lets go out and play”. Pet owners understand this.  They want to say thank you.  Because they are receiving gratification on a meaningful human level they feel they must show thanks on a meaningful human level.  People spend money in ways that make us feel good.  When we buy food for our family to help provide for them or donate to a charity; that makes us feel good.  Well, that carries over to spending on our pets.  We don’t feel that it is enough to buy Sparky a new tennis ball.  On our human terms that is not enough of a thank you.  Our pets are happy either way.  All they want is for us to love them back.  The fact that we give them something special is merely icing on the cake to them.

It is this spirit that continues to give optimism to those of us in the pet industry.  We can look forward to this trend continuing right through the Holiday season.  All of our hamsters and gerbils and fish and birds and dogs and cats and other pets will cause us to smile a little more, relax a little more and just feel better.  And we will thank them for doing so.  And, I believe, the industry will benefit from all of this.

In one of the worst recessions in decades, pet owners are still providing veterinary care for their beloved companions. We’ve even seen a growth in small-animal veterinary clinics, as Christina Macejko’s article, “Veterinarians Aren’t Singing the Blues During this Recession” points out. Around 3 to 5 percent to be exact and although that may seem small, it’s actually quite eye opening when you consider so many other professions are, unfortunately, going in the opposite direction. 

I really think it speaks to the strong connection that we humans have with our pets. They aren’t just dogs or cats or birds. They’re members of our family. They give us everything they have and ask for nothing in return. It is because of this tight bond that many people are unwilling to sacrifice things for their loyal pet. Christina references one of the key findings from the 2010 APPA survey, writing that 80-85% of people say they have no inclination to spend less on their pets.

Read “Veterinarians Aren’t Singing the Blues During this Recession” by Christina Macejko at http://tinyurl.com/yf8kgpj

Recently, the folks over at Designing Spaces were kind enough to invite me on behalf of the American Pet Products Association onto their show to discuss some great pet products for their Pet Spaces segment. Airing on TLC, Pet Spaces is an informative series that inspires you to make every space count by instructing you on the smartest ways to make your life more comfortable and functional for both you and your pets.

So it seemed only fitting that we went over everything from unique products that make traveling with pets easier to fun holiday gifts, perfect for your furry family member.  Our interview will air in two holiday segments, the first on November 20^th and the second on December 4^th.

You can also find out more about all the featured items by visiting www.petsaddlife.org

Here is a link to a quick sneak peak of the segment scheduled to air next month.

You know the drill, you want as many 'friends", "fans", or "followers"as possible - the more the merrier, especially if you're a marketer. Seems simple enough. It's pretty easy for you or me to rack up the Facebook friends, but it's a little more challenging for businesses to follow suit.

In what's become an arms race of fans or followers, companies like HBH Pet Products have started offering consumers incentives to increase their social media popularity. To kick off their Facebook and Twitter pages, along with new dog treats, they announced an online contest where dog owners upload a picture of their dog(s) with HBH treats to win some Wal-Mart gift cards and HBH gift baskets. They even went a step further and gave the first 200 people who follow them on Twitter a free dog training clicker or whistle and various product combos.

Other manufacturers are taking social media a step further and using it in product development. Del Monte Foods did just that. In just six short weeks, they created an online community of 300 dog owners, asked them a few simple questions, and created a totally new dog treat that flew off the shelves. This was so successful because they asked the right questions and listened to the answers. For instance,on response to the question "What does your dog eat for breakfast" a member replied, "She would definitely eat bacon and eggs and she would want ketchup on her eggs. She loves ketchup." Del Monte noticed that a lot of similar answers, so they mad either new treats look just like bacon and eggs. Now you might be thinking, a dog isn't' going to care if a treat looks just like bacon and eggs, and you're right. But a dog doesn't buy the bag, we do. So we have to be sold on the treat. Del Monte recognized this and thus Snausages@Breakfast Bites appeared on the shelf of every pet supply store in America.

The idea of taking what you have and maximizing it's potential is nothing new. People do this with everything from computers to pencils. Social media is just the latest addition to that long list.

In such a tight economy, advertisers are looking to get the most bang for their buck. This survey's extremely comprehensive consumer research provides insight on demographics, buying habits, and other traits of American pet owners, which enables companies to advertise and market more strategically than ever before.

The 2009-2010 survey is packed full of new information, some of which is quite interesting. For example, did you know that 7% of pet owners have made financial provisions for pets in their will, or more than one-third of these same owners have named a caretaker/guardian for their pet? Some people say that they would attend to their pet's health before their own - 15% of dog owners and 13% of cat owners, to be exact.

The complete 2009-2010 National Pet Owners survey includes more than 500 pages of trended information on pets over the past 20 years and is full of detailed information on just about anything that has to do with pets. It is available for purchase at www.americanpetproducts.org.

Grooming pets at home is not only a cost effective choice but allows owners the opportunity to nurture that special bond with their pet while scrubbing them down in the backyard. Before you get down to dirty business, we have provided a list of simple grooming tips to keep in mind. If you would like to even take your research a step further, I recommend searching the internet for other helpful tools. There are a variety of web resources available to help guide you through grooming practices at home.

USE A SHEDDING BRUSH

Before you put your dog in the tub, use a grooming rake or shedding blade to brush out your pet's undercoat. Using a rake or shedding blade will remove loose and tangled hair and dirt- which I am sure you want to prohibit from ending up in your bathtub or drains.

NAIL TRIMMING

When it comes to nail-trimming, make sure you buy quality clippers to avoid a traumatizing experiencewith your dog. Splitting a nail or hurting their paw can be avoided with the use of high-end clippers.

SHAVING YOUR DOG

You can either learn how to cut your dog's hair and give them a regular trim or you can take them to the groomer for a clean and quick cut. The clippers used by professional dog groomers cost $400 or more and the results most likely will last longer and you will save one groom a year.

Plenty of pet suppliers carry great home grooming kits to help you with the listed grooming steps. It's easier than  you think, and the close bonds you forge by cleaning your own pet will only solidify the relationship between the two of you!

According to idealfusion.com, online sophistication among pet-related businesses including e-commerce, design, and usability has significantly increased. Pet businesses are carefully considering their online audience and are developing strategic outreach methods via website usability, SEO, paid search, and word of mouth. Many pet businesses are now beginning to recognize and harness the power of social media and see it as an important part of customer relations. Social networks such as Facebook, Dogster.com and zootoo.com welcome quality commentary on all aspects of pet news, issues and products opening the door to a two-way communication highway where users provide as much content as traditional companies and media. Consumers want information and prefer to find it online in a social network where they can talk about it.

According to PetYap.com,  internet advertising has jumped from $16.9 billion in 2007, with an estimated growth to $42 billion in 2011 - these statistics reaffirm a growing marketplace for social media and confirm this method of promotion and advertising as a useful tactic to help businesses increase awareness of their product and services. Pet industry players will also benefit from online retailers, catalog companies and home-shopping television channels will continue to grow in popularity. Growth in online shopping is driven by two factors - first, the number of fast Internet connections in the U.S. homes and businesses leapt to about 100 million by early 2008 and these connections make buying online faster, more interactive and convenient.

According to the bill, if any animal is not on an Approved List, it would be banned for possession (unless you could prove you owned it prior to a risk assessment), breeding, sale,l trade, or movement between states. So, if an unapproved pet species of fish reproduced in your aquarium, you'd be in criminal violation of the law. Likewise, if your son or daughter owned an unapproved species and you had to relocate to another state, you'd be in criminal violation if you took the pet with you.

Anyone owning pet fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals or invertebrates could e affected by this bill, as would companies selling pet products or services. Apart from dogs, cats and goldfish, virtually every species falls under the tarp created by H.R. 669.

Among the six invited guests who spoke before the Committee was Marshall Meyers, CEO and General Counsel of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council who spoke on behalf pet owners and the pet industry. He spoke against the bill in its current form, explaining why, if passed, it could have devastating affects on pet owners and the pet industry.

Meyers stated the industry's position that conceptually we support the development of strategic, risk-based process to prevent the introduction of invasive species (harmful nonnative species) into the United States. The current draft of the bill does not adequately take socio-economic issues and risk management options into account and would overburden resources currently available to the enforcement agency, the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

As an industry we are very interested in working with the authors of the bill and other interested parties to craft more realistic legislation that serves the public and affected industries alike.

We need your help. Subcommittee Chairwoman, and author of the bill, Madeleine Z. Bordallo (NP-Guam), acknowledged, "We recognize the bill is by no means perfect, and that changes will be needed to address various concerns before any legislation moves forward." Subcommittee member Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (NP-American Samoa), a co-sponsor of the bill, congratulated Meyers and the pet industry for the tremendous grassroots response that has bee generated, nothing that it is important to have input from constituents on these issues.

Please go to http://www.nohor669.com/ and let your elected representatives know how you feel. Now is the time to take action to make sure any legislation concerning this important topic is fair and accomplishes the intended goal.