Industry News

Jan- 2018 -

16 January

Pet food producer invests £1.5m in new site

Inspired Pet Nutrition is investing around £1.5 million in new equipment at its Dalton Mill site near Thirsk in North Yorkshire. In late November the factory achieved a weekly dispatch figure of 5,300 pallets. As part of the investment, additional robotic equipment is being installed on the site’s four production…

16 January

Protesters raise concerns to RCVS

Protesters marched to The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to hand over a petition based on the Council’s recent statement on the use of complementary and alternative medicines, including homeopathy. The delegation, of around 40, handed over a petition containing around 15,000 signatures calling for the RCVS to retract its original statement on…

15 January

Bird flu found in Dorset

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have confirmed cases of avian influenza in South Dorset. Some 17 wild birds in Weymouth have been found to be carrying a virus closely related to the H5N6 strain. DEFRA has advised all bird…

15 January

WWII dog gets posthumous award

A US Army dog who protected the lives of his platoon during the invasion of Sicily in 1943, has been posthumously awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal – widely known as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. Chips, a German Shepherd-Husky-cross, has been recognised for his key role during the…

15 January

Scientists developing ‘pet translator’ to help us understand animals

American scientists are working on a tool which will translate animal’s vocalisations and facial expressions into English with the use of AI. Professor Con Slobodchikoff, animal behavioural expert from Northern Arizona University is hoping that the technology will be fully functioning ‘in less than 10 years’. He has spent over…

15 January

Pet food manufacturer sees growth despite £2.4m loss

Despite profit being down by £2.4 million to 31st March 2017, Lily’s Kitchen has reported year-on-year sales growth. The pet food producer recorded a 36 percent sales growth to 31st March 2017. Lily’s Kitchen stated that losses were due to “investing heavily in the business, particularly in its people, systems and marketing in order…

15 January

High street sees sharpest footfall decline in four years

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard show footfall in the month of December suffered its sharpest decline since March 2013. Total UK retail footfall fell by 3.5% compared with December 2016, while the high street saw a sharper drop, down by 4.6%. Shopping centres suffered a…

15 January

Hilarious phone-calls to RSPCA released

The RSPCA receives one call every 27 seconds from animal-lovers concerned for a pet or wild animal. When emergency calls come into the RSPCA’s national control centre, specially-trained staff must quickly determine whether RSPCA officers are able to help or whether other advice or agencies are better placed to assist.…

12 January

PFMA responds to raw food study

The Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) has responded to claims feeding animals raw food could be dangerous. A team of researchers in the Netherlands have said that the foods could be contaminated with bacteria and parasites. The association responded by stating: “PFMA members produce a wide range of products including…

12 January

Shoppers make 80% of retail purchases online

Online shoppers in the UK make 80% of their retail purchases online, up from 74%, according to a new report. The Royal Mail’s ‘Delivery Matters’ report found that the proportion of money being spent online has increased year on year. The average online shopper spends £40 each month on clothes…