By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com & Long Island Pet Professionals

Savvy pet consumers are looking more at labels when they shop for pet products and to many it is important that the pet prodcut they are buying is made here in America.   Select pet retailers are starting to put Made in the USA sections in their stores, and even some small pet retail stores go as far as having 70 to 80% of their products being made in the USA.  But unfortunately that is not the norm for all pet retailers.  “I can’t tell you how many times I pick up a cute pet item for my dog and when I read the label and it’s not made here, I put it down,” said, Linda Williams a consumer who owns 3 dogs and has no kids. “It is very important to me that I can support our local economy by purchasing products for our dogs that are made here – while they seem to somewhat more available – it’s not always the case.”

With that in mind, Long Island Pet Professionals, (LIPP) and Whitegate PR put together the first ever exlusive event for Made in the USA pet products at their upcoming ‘NYC Re-Tails & Sales Expo’ on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 from 11am – 5pm at Honda of Manhattan (627 11th Ave, at 47th Street, New York, NY 10036).  This one day pawtriotic event will have vendors at the event featuring their ‘Made in America,’ (locally made and sourced), pet products on display and for sale.  NYC and tri-state area retailers will be in attendance, for this exclusive event, to meet and learn about Made in the USA pet products and bring those products into their store for their costumers.  The event is for retailers, not the general public, to learn about the products, connect with the manufacturers and utimately form a lasting relationship to continue to support locally made and sourced pet products.

“As more and more pet retailers look for that ‘Made in America’ seal, we are very happy to be bringing this first ever boutique pet expo, showcasing American crafted and sourced pet products!” stated Nancy E. Hassel, founder and President of Long Island Pet Professionals. “This is something that hasn’t been done before and I am delighted to partner with pet industry expert Dana Humphrey of Whitegate PR to bring this event to NYC and have pet retailers and pet product makers meet face to face!”

“The amount of money people spend on their pets is expected to pass $60 billion,” Craig Rexford, vice president and publisher of Pet Age magazine, said. “The industry continues to grow, creating new business opportunities for both manufacturers and retailers. This event is a great opportunity for manufacturers with unique products to connect directly with retailers.”

Each retailer will have a scheduled appointment with each pet vendor on site. At this exclusive event transportation will be provided within NYC to invited retailers. Pet celebrities and influencers will be in attendance and VIP tickets will be given to retailers for a surprise event following the expo!  This is the perfect opportunity for pet retailers to meet the makers of fabulous American-made pet products.

“We are thrilled to have Pet Age Magazine as our Media Sponsor and Made in the USA, Certified sponsoring this event.  The buzz about the event has been tremendous and we are already talking about hosting the event yearly,” said Dana Humphrey, Owner of WhitegatePR.

Brought to you by Long Island Pet Professionals and Whitegate PR. NYC retailers and members of the media, to request an exclusive invite call Nancy Hassel at (631) 446-1105 or Dana Humphrey at (619) 414-9307. To become a vendor at this B2B pet expo – email Nancy@longislandpetprofessionals.com or Dana@whitegatepr.com to find out how. Limited vendor space left! Sponsorship opportunities available. (At press time of 1/31/14 there is only 1 vendor space left for this exclusive event!)

To learn more about the event, see the vendors who will be there or to register as a retailer or press to attend click here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nyc-re-tails-sales-expo-tickets-9438333309

by Nancy E. Hassel (& Max!) LIPetPlace.com

These days I can’t come home with any kind of bag that Max, my nearly 12 year old Pit Bull, doesn’t just assume is for him.  And last week was no exception – after attending the Pet News Now spring pet product showcase in NYC, I had to hide the swag bag from him!  But it didn’t take long for him to realize that there was a lot of pet stuff in that bag – or his eyes, “mine, mine, mine!”  And of course his whole head was in the bag pulling out pet items – I am sure my fellow pet industry peeps can relate.

I wonder what goes through the minds of our pets who are so lucky to have moms in the pet industry – dog forbid we just go grocery shopping! BOL!

Ok back to the Pet News Now show – with a lot of brand new pet products to the market place at the show, there are still a lot to test and try out and let you all know what we think about them.  But for now here is a sampling of some of the products.

Here’s one that I can’t wait to try, Tick-SR is a product that safely helps you remove a tick that is already latched onto to your dog.  With just a few non-toxic ingredients (Denatured Alcohol, Purified Witch Hazel, Salicylic Acid, and Benzalkonium Chloride), Tick-SR helps you pull the tick off as those ingredients dissolve the ‘glue’ if you will that helps the tick hang on to your dogs.  And you can easily get the whole tick off – which is important.  Check out there website and see for yourself.

Another product that I actually already tried and was very impressed with the results was from CritterZone.  A compact, filterless air purifier that has a tag line of ‘How could something so small handle a problem that is so BIG?’  It’s true, I thought the same thing!  Now if I could just get one for my car – wonder if they can make an adapter for it?

So once you have used the air purifier – you may think your pup needs a bath too right?  Yes, that is what Max needs, but don’t tell him as he is not a big fan of bath time.  But lucky for him we got a great full size sample of WAHL‘s Oatmeal shampoo. (Thanks to WAHL for the awesome bags too!) Can’t wait to try it on him.

And what better way to reward Max after his bath, well with a Life is Grruff scrumptious dog treat!  Max just LOVES Kim Loper who makes these treats, (ok truth be told – he loves the treats more, sorry Kim!), and he can’t get enough of the barkscotti – but look at her decorated treats that were at the event.  Max is drooling!

Ok if you are jealous, or drooling too over the Life is Grruff treats too, you can get your very own doggie themed Pet Toast.  Seriously, I am not kidding…

Currently available in 13 different breeds, made by Pangea Brands – now you can get that dog person who has everything in their breed, something they probably don’t have!

For more pictures from the event CLICK HERE and more info to come on some of the other pet products that were there in a future article!

Have a comment or question, please post it below!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Recently I was given a couple cool new and innovative pet products – two ideas that makes me think, ‘that is a great idea, why didn’t I think of that?  You know an simple idea yet something we generally wouldn’t think of.  The two products have the same concept but are both different in the their design, effectiveness, and one may be safer if you have a pet that likes to chew things.  What could these products be?  Dog bowls, but not your average bowl.

These cool products are both literal and figuratively cool.  With the crazy heat we have had all across the country and here on Long Island the past 6 weeks this summer, these products could not have come at a better time.  The FrostyBowlz® and FroBo, pictured below, were put to a test during a 97 degree day here on Long Island.  First, with both bowls there is a core that  can be frozen, just like you own ice packs you would put in a cooler.  I put both the FrostyCore™ and the bowl part (which contains the blue ice packs) in the freezer for two days.  You can just do overnight but I wanted to be sure they were frozen!

Then at 2pm on a 97 degree towards the end of July, I put them in the direct sun, with about the same amount of water.  I tested them about an hour later and both bowls had the same cold temperature.  I came back 4 hours after that – and although the FroBo’s water was definitely still cool, but the water in the FrostyBowlz was still very cold.

So if this were an Olympic competition, you could say the FrostyBowlz got the gold, but I think they were very close.  The FrostyBowlz has a few features that make it unique and safer if you have a dog that likes to chew.  First the FrostyCore is non-toxic and completely covered by the stainless steel parts of the bowl and it is a bit heaver and has better tracking on the bottom of the bowl.  It also has a moat, which is a pretty neat part of it.  So if you had wet food in the bowl instead of water, pour a little water in the moat and ants won’t be able to climb up into the food without falling in the moat!   But of course that won’t stop a fly from landing on the food, but still a cool idea.  You can put the stainless steel part of FrostyBowlz in the dishwasher, you cannot with the FroBo as it could get damaged.   The only thing I didn’t like, so far about the FrostyBowlz is that it only comes in one size, but the company, Talega Products,  is working on a larger version for larger dogs.  And I would suggest to the company a small version for the tiny pups out there too.  Igor seems to really like the FrostyBowlz:

For the FroBo, my dog Max uses it daily – but he is not a chewer so I don’t have to worry about him trying to knock the bowl over and chewing the plastic.  I wouldn’t recommend this bowl for dogs that chew, since it is made of plastic and the ice pack part of it is part of the bowls design, although your dog is not exposed to that part and it says it is also non-toxic.  The bowl part easily comes out to clean, refreeze and refill.  But you do have to refreeze it, so you should have another water bowl handy for your pup while it is in the freezer.

So I really like the concept of both bowls, and think if you are looking for a solution to keeping your pet’s water cool, without having to add ice cubes – both are a great option.  And with this hot, hot weather we have had all summer long both bowls are a great way to keep your pets water cold for up to 8 to 12 hours.

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

The 24th Annual Pet Industry H.H. Backer Spring Trade Show took place April 18 – April 20, 2012 at the Atlantic City Convention Center and this was my first time attending.  While always wanting to attend, something always came up so I was thrilled to finally make the event this year, and it was well worth my time!  Some veteran attendees may have said they could do the show in one day – but they also knew what pet products they were looking for. I took my time walking the show floor, looked at ton of pet products and took a couple of the seminars – which were really great.  I met so many fantastic people, great new pet products, many of which are Made in the USA (warms my heart) and thought the event was run so smoothly and everyone was super friendly.  Kudos to H.H. Backer, Pet Age Magazine and Royal Pet Supplies! I will definitely be back and am looking forward to the Chicago show too (October 12-14, 2012, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Chicago, Ill.). You have to love the camaraderie in the pet industry.

Rin Tin Tin one of the Performers in the Special Events - Beautiful!

Some of the new pet product finds that sparked my interest will be covered in upcoming articles – with some pet product reviews and giveaways too – my dog Max will be putting them through the test! However a nod too many of the products I liked can be found below and some fun pictures of the event too.

Always rooting for the underdog, or in this case a smaller business, on day two I was walking the show floor and spotted the To Go Bowl, their signage showed a picture of it and it said, “fits in your car’s cup holder!” I went back to the booth.  My dog Max has a few of the collapsible or fold-able travel dog bowls which I like, but he doesn’t like drinking out of them.  He doesn’t really like to put his face into them, I know he’s weird.  So I stopped and spoke to the gentleman in the booth and he explained the product, they are a smaller company and it’s made entirely in the USA!  Manufactured and distributed by Furry Travelers, Inc. you can even store some kibble in the cup part of the bowl that screws into the bottom of the bowl.  Ingenious if you ask me.  Max will be testing this out on his next trip in the car to go on a hike.  Product review and giveaway coming up soon!  Thinking this would be a great product for those that like to camp with their pet.

One of the food products that I really liked was the brand new, Spring Naturals pet treats.  Max is already going nuts over them.  They too are made in the USA and all natural ingredients and you can see the blueberries in the actual treat themselves.  I will be buying these again in the future.

Another pet food product is Stella and Chewy’s Freeze Dried Dinners – a couple samples of those were in one of my bags while walking the floor and every dog I stopped to meet was trying to chew through the bag to get to them.  It was quite funny.  Max has been a huge fan of these for a while now.  Oh and yes, Made in USA too!

Then I saw something else that caught my eye, Beer-Bones.  I didn’t know what to think of that, the booth was too crowded the first day, so I went over the next day to find out more.  Basically they dog biscuits are made from brewers wet grains, whole wheat flour, peanut butter and egg.  I never knew you could use the left over brewer’s grains from beer to put into dog bones, but apparently dogs love them.  They are made in USA as well.  They would not be good for dogs with allergies.

After all those food products you are going to need poop bags to bring with you when you walk your dog!  Earth Rated Poop Bags were giving out a lot of biodegradable green poop bags that are lavender scented and are larger than most poop bags, for those bigger breeds too, but fit into standard dispensers.  They also offer poop bags made out of corn so they are 100% compostable and dissolve in only 40 days after use.  These are made in Canada.

Pet Buddies had a pretty big booth and a lot of different pet products, one of those that stood out was the Pooch Super Bouncer Ball.  It bounces like a tennis ball, is heavier and more durable than a tennis ball and has a hole in the center (with openings on both sides) for treats or peanut butter.  It’s also dishwasher safe.  Seems like a cool dog toy – will have to see if Max likes it or not.  Review and product giveaway to come!

There were many other pet products that I liked at the H.H. Backer show, and more pet product reviews and giveaways to come over the next couple of months – so stay tuned!

Cute beagle attending event with his owner from SOS Beagle Rescue in NJ

Now that is a cat scratching post!

Dogs playing poker.

Puppy girl bloodhound!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

If you are looking for Home and Garden items for yourself or your pet for the holidays, then you should have been at the Pet Socialite event in NYC last Tuesday hosted by Charlotte Reed!  You weren’t  there? That’s ok I have the run-down of very cool new pet products that your dog will drool over!

Ok, so the first items that I just loved for the color and design are the new Moda Pet bowls  – complete with non-slip bottom built into the design that is dishwasher safe – the bowls come in a high gloss color to go with every décor.  Right now they have one size for dogs, so if you have a big dog it may not be a fit for you – but they are working on coming up with a bigger bowl to accommodate a bigger snout!  Currently, ModaPet offers six unique pet food bowl designs in suggested retail prices ranging from $14.99-$24.99, including two new colors: Some Like it Hot in hot pink and Sunflower. Check out their website here and tell them I sent you!

Have a cat? Looking for a toy that will give them interactive play and not worry about getting bored with it?  You will love NekoFlies, by NekoChan, which kind of looks like a fly fishing fly hence the name.  There are 5 different individual attachments (sold separately or in one package) and you can change it up regularly to keep the cat interested and busy.  This toy requires a human to operate and give your cat lots of energy and interaction!

Need to give Max a bath before Turkey Day and your guests arrive, you will love the smell of M&J Dog Essentials Signature 3-Step Holistic Dog Grooming System.  These all natural and green approved bath products for your dog not only smell wonderful – they work wonderfully too.  The pre-treatment shampoo helps get that dirt loosened up and the smell of lavender will make you jealous you don’t have a pre-treatment shampoo.  After using the shampoo & conditioner be sure to use the Show Dog Shine Leave -in Conditioner – your dog will be strutting his stuff!  M&J is a small family run company so you know you are getting a quality product.  You can also put down Hartz’s Ultra Training Pads on the bathroom floor to absorb any water that drips off your pup instead of using your own bath mat. And then after he is dry be sure to groom him with Hartz’s brand new Fur Fetcher.  My own dog Max is getting a spa day this week before our guest s arrive so he will be super clean, so soft to pet and smelling beautiful.  Wonder if my dog owning guests will be jealous?  Oh and before you give Max a bath – you can now use much bigger and better reaching dog or cat tooth brush called Zututh – so get those choppers pearly before your guests arrive too-the Dogs teeth!  Clean teeth is not just prettier for your pet, but much healthier than them walking around with tartar – yuck!

Once Fido is primped, don’t forget to get him or her a beautiful done perfect for any fashionista dog coat, harness  or collar by Robin Meyer NYC.  Beautifully handcrafted quality products that you will not want to step out the door without (oh wait they are for your dog, but still!).

Have a super anxious pet during the holidays or year round?  Try the Comfort Zone products – Comfort Zone^® with D.A.P.^® (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) products mimic the “appeasing” pheromones secreted by nursing mother dogs, sending a signal of comfort and safety to her puppies. They plug right into your wall like a room freshener.   Or you can spray the Comfort Zone spray onto a bandana and put it onto your dog and help those fears or anxious feelings go away.

One really innovative products, among many other of this company’s products is there new BPA Free water bottle by OllyDog.    I know what you’re thinking, another BPA free water bottle big deal – well this might just make you stop in your paw prints – this bottle has a clip type of water tray for your dog which actually detaches so you can take the water from the bottle and pour it into the tray give it to your dog and you can drink from the bottle top.  This way you are not sharing the bottle with your dog – gross! I have seen many people do this in the dog park, I love dogs, but the thought of that could make me wretch.  You have to check this bottle out here.  They also have some other cool products too.

Premiere – one of their older but very successful products is the Keep Safe Breakaway collars for dogs.  Now if you have ever owned a cat – you know what this is, but I have never seen it for dogs.  Of course Premiere is always coming out with new interactive toys to keep your pets busy and a new one that I loved is the Rip ‘n Tug. Perfect to keep your pet busy, and it’s interactive – be sure to always monitor you pet while playing though!

Some of the other products that you and your pet will love were by Crypton Home – beautifully done dog beds in all kinds of designs –getting away from that oh so over done paw print pattern.  They are water proof and have many designs to choose from.

Some of the other new and innovative products there were: Pet Safe; TAGG; Zero Order‘s new pet line and a great pet food company Holistic Select!

And if you’re feeling like you missed out on these cool products, don’t worry, I will be giving many of the products I got away in upcoming ‘Where in the World is Max?’ contests!  Click here or sign up for our weekly Pet Events Newsletter at the top right of this article and you miss out!!