The California Board of Equalization today began notifying pet associations and pet and feed stores that they are required to report and pay sales tax on pet sales to Californians. more>>

BowTie Inc., publisher of Pet Product News International, yesterday launched two new websites for small animal enthusiasts: SmallChannel.com and FerretsMagazine.com. more>>

The Pet Industry Distributors Association elected its 2008 officers and directors during its 40th Management Conference & Annual Meeting last month in San Antonio, Texas. more>>

Pegasus Captial Advisors, a New York-based private equity firm and majority owner of Halo, Purely for Pets, has appointed one time Hill’s exec Steven Marton as an operating advisor to the firm. more>>

Parties involved in settlement talks for class-action litigation stemming from last year’s melamine-spurred pet food recalls have reached a comprehensive, cross-border agreement, Menu Foods Income Fund, parent of Menu Foods, reports. more>>

Citing an increasing number of retailers and other food sellers who expect their suppliers to be certified for food safety and quality issues, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comments on the use of third-party certification programs for foods and feeds, including pet foods. more>>

A bill in Maryland that would have required pet stores to enter into a legally-binding spay/neuter contract with anyone purchasing a dog or cat from them, died in committee after some in the pet industry voiced opposition to the proposal. more>>

Two bills under consideration by New York’s Legislature would ban pet stores from buying dogs from what it calls “puppy mills” – any facility that sells more than 75 dogs per year. more>>

Rolf C. Hagen’s Exo Terra division is sponsoring the North American Amphibian Conference (NAAC), June 6 to June 8 at the French King Conference Center in Erving, Mass. more>>

Barkleigh Productions created a new trade show aimed at the boutique and high-end grooming market that will take place over a long weekend this summer near Cincinnati. more>>

A proposal under consideration in California’s Senate would prohibit the possession, transportation, release and importation of a number of wild animals, including certain species of mynahs, finches, marsupials, non-domesticated rodents and rabbits, cobras, alligators, giant toads and a number of ot more>>

During the first week of April, a California Senate committee will consider a proposal that would require pet food labels to include the product’s country of origin. more>>

NexPet, an independent retailers’ co-op headquartered in New York City, expects to launch its first product, a private-label dog kibble, to its members and other independent pet stores this spring. more>>

Legislation in Hawaii would make it a misdemeanor to hoard pets, although it doesn’t specify how many animals would warrant action. more>>

Dog fighting is now a felony everywhere in the United States. On March 4, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal signed legislation that increased the penalty in that state for participating in dog fighting from a misdemeanor to a felony, making it the 50th state in the country to do so. more>>

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) released today its estimate of how much it costs to care for pets at a basic but acceptable level. more>>

The Blue Buffalo Co. of Wilton, Conn., expects to raise $150,000 for pet cancer research through its charitable foundation this year. more>>

Super Dog Pet Food Co. was named Distributor of the Year at the 40th annual Pet Industry Distributors Association’s (PIDA) meeting, while the United Pet Group was named Supplier of the Year. more>>

During its meeting March 11, the Colorado Department of Agriculture will field comments from the public on its proposal to modify a state law that regulates pet facilities. more>>

The Hartz Mountain Corp. of Secaucus, N.J., is voluntarily recalling a second specific lot of Hartz Vitamin Care for Cats due to concerns that bottles within the lot may have been potentially contaminated with Salmonella. more>>