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‘Class’ the word in pet trends at Global Pet
By Gina Spadafori
February 17, 2008
Lots more on Global Pet Expo on the way, but first I have to say I guessed wrong that the trend would be “green.” “Eco-friendly” and “green” products were in no short supply, to be sure, but the newest and most significant trend I saw was the makeover of many traditional pet products — pet doors, gates, dishes, etc. — from utilitarian (and in some cases downright ugly) into items you won’t be embarrassed to show off and won’t mind looking at, either, like the bike basket shown (from Midnight Pass).
More on that later, after I dig through 30 pounds of brochures and catalogs and at least 300 business cards. Dr. Becker and I picked our 10 top products from the entire show, and we’ll be posting those later.
Global Pet moves back to Orlando and stays there for the next three years because it has outgrown the San Diego convention center. (Previously, GPE has alternated between Orlando and San Diego.) I don’t like Orlando, and I love San Diego, but I’ll still be going because I love Global Pet Expo. I guess I’ll just have to endure the show without my favorite hotel — the San Diego Omni, with its great kettle chips in the restaurant and great Cosmos in the bar — across the street from the convention center.
***
After I walked in the door from San Diego, Otter the retriever puppy raced out the dog door and returned with a special prize: A large freshly killed rat, still warm. Female. Pregnant. Neck neatly snapped and not another mark on her.
I’m guessing a team effort: Pip the shepherd did the killing, Otter the retrieving. Me, the suppression of negativity as I thanked Otter for her nice, soft-mouthed retrieve and delivery to hand. I didn’t know I had rats in the yard, but it’s not surprising since I back up to open space and a creek.
Speaking of hands, after I put the deceased rodent in the trash, I washed mine about eight times.
Despite all that, it’s good to be home.
Christie and Dr. Marty are off to Las Vegas, the Western Veterinary Conference. Marty likes Vegas, so maybe he can help Christie endure. (Marty’s also the speaker for the conference’s Thank Your Vet for a Healthy Pet awards.) Kim opted not to go to the conference, which is a shame, because if she had gone she would have been the first ever pet-writer to complete the pet-writing triathlon: Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Global Pet Expo and Western Veterinary Conference, three major events in 10 days, Manhattan to San Diego to Las Vegas!
I can’t compete. After covering the equivalent of 15 football fields worth of pet-supply booths at Global Pet, I’m done. Gotta write it all up for our Universal Press Syndicate newspaper feature and then it’s nap-time, baby.
The pets are all happy to see me, but honestly, the gang here needs to work on their welcome-home routine. Next time, no dead rats, please.
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After the dead rat, be on the look out (3 weeks from now) for tapeworm. Signs are small, dried white rice looking segments around the dog’s rear end. They dry to sesame seed size.
Fleas are a vector for tapeworm (as well as voles, squirrels, rats, or anything else that the dog might ingest that could have fleas).
Comment by BorderWars - Christopher — February 17, 2008 @ 2:30 pm
Wouldn’t want dead mice or dead birds. One cat I had in the past would bring me snakes—oh, vei.
I can’t count the number of times I screamed.
Comment by Colorado Transplant — February 17, 2008 @ 4:42 pm