Armitage Pet Care picks PDSA charity
Armitage Pet Care is helping to keep tails wagging across the UK by announcing veterinary charity PDSA as its charity of the year. Best known for its Good Boy choc drop treats for dogs, Armitage will be supporting PDSA in a number of ways.
To raise awareness of the charity, selected Armitage products will carry the PDSA logo when sold in supermarkets, pet stores and veterinary surgeries. Other activities include sponsorship of PDSA events, appeals and staff fundraising.
A range of Armitage products including toys and treats is also on sale in PDSA’s charity shops UK-wide.
PDSA Director of Marketing, Mike Crossley, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Armitage. Their pledge to support PDSA is fantastic news and will contribute towards our vital work in caring for the sick and injured pets of people in need.”
Armitage Chief Executive, Paul Bousfield, said: “Armitage Pet Care is delighted to be supporting PDSA. We are dedicated to pets and admire the good work the charity does throughout the UK.”
PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity and provides free veterinary treatment to the poorly pets of people in need. The charity receives no HM Government or lottery funding, and so relies on the generosity of the public to raise the £50 million plus needed each year to provide the service.
Bella Is Best In Show
Bella the Tibetan terrier has fought off competition from hundreds of hopeful pooches to be crowned the ‘Good Boy Dog Model 2010.’
The seven month old will now front a national poster campaign for Armitage Pet Care’s ‘Good Boy’ www.armitages.co.uk/goodboy range of retro dog toys. Judges were impressed with her faultless performance on the runway and felt she looked the most natural when photographed playing with the toys. Stan, a cross-breed terrier came second with labradoodle Rufus finishing third.
Bella’s owner Christine Bacon, mother of BBC Radio Five Live presenter Richard Bacon, said she never thought in her wildest dreams that her dog would win the competition. Christine, from Mansfield said: “I heard about the competition on local radio and had always thought Bella was an attractive dog, so I decided to enter her. “I wasn’t that hopeful and having once entered Richard into a beautiful baby competition and getting nowhere. I knew that with so many entrants, the chances of her winning were slim. “Like babies everyone thinks their dog is good looking and it’s great to see that other people agree with me.” She said with a grin: “Finally one of my offspring has won a beauty competition.”
Retired radio reporter Christine, 61, said Bella had always been a fan of toys and enjoyed causing mischief with whatever she can get her paws on. She said: “Bella’s got about 30 toys at home and loves to play with them. She’s got a really mischievous side and I regularly find her playing with my make-up, looking back I suppose that was a sign that she was destined for a career in modelling.” “She’d never done anything like this before but after stepping onto the red carpet she settled down and put on a great show in front of the judges – maybe she realised what was a stake. “When they announced that she’d won I was ecstatic, I knew she’d done well but there were some fantastic dogs in the competition and I’d told myself not to get carried away. “Now I know how people feel on the X-factor when they’re told they’ve made it through, for a few minutes I was lost for words.”
Christine says she can’t wait to get started on the campaign with her prize winning pooch. She said: “Bella is a fantastic dog with a great nature and I’ve always thought she’s got star potential, now she’s going to get the opportunity to show it. “She was born on my birthday and I think its fate that I found her, I feel so proud that she’s won the competition. “Now every time I see her on a poster I will be able to say, ‘That’s my dog’, and both of us can’t wait to get started.”
For more information please visit www.armitages.co.uk/goodboy
Armitage Pet Care Launches New Trade Catalogue
Armitage Pet Care, the largest independent manufacturer and distributor of branded pet foods, treats and accessories in the UK have launched their new Trade Catalogue, Trade Store – Spring/Summer 2010 Edition. “We are a rapidly changing business always looking for new ways to talk to our customers. Trade Store has been developed to do just that – better than ever before” said Paul Bousfield, Chief Executive.
With this the first of three issues planned for 2010, Trade Store showcases Armitage Pet Care’s latest amazing innovations and consumer campaigns as well as detailing the fantastic range of market leading products and brands.
Armitage Pet Care supports Battersea
Armitage Pet Care has sent a donation of 240kg of Good Boy Choc Drops to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home as a treat for all the dogs they have in their care.
Established in 1860, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is an organisation that has been around for 150 years. Every year Battersea takes in 12,000 dogs and cats, and with the current economic climate and the recent freezing winter temperatures, the figures do not appear to be ceasing.
“After viewing an article about the sheer amount of unwanted or homeless dogs Battersea has had to care for over the winter, everyone at Armitage wanted to help so we decide to send all the dogs our most popular treat, the Choc Drops and we hope the dogs enjoy them” said Anne Holt, Armitage Product Manager.
Good Boy Choc drops have been specially developed for dogs with a recipe that is cocoa free making it a perfectly safe, highly palatable, tasty choc treat for dogs. Laura Jenkins, Director of Operations, Animal Welfare, said: “Everyone at Battersea is really grateful for this generous donation from Armitage Pet Care and we cannot wait to start sharing the treats with our canine residents.
As the Home celebrates its 150th anniversary, help and support from organisations such as Armitage is as important as ever to make sure we can continue to work to care for the thousands of lost dogs and cats that come through our doors every year.”
The UK's leading independent pet specialist manufacturer and supplier, Armitage Pet Care, has been producing dog safe chocolate for almost 50 years.
The new meerkat manor
checkoutthemeerkat.com 
is the new and exciting consumer site launched by Good Boy to promote the release of their new Meerkat dog toy which is set to take the pet market by storm this December.
Meerkats are incredibly popular at the moment, and this toy is sure to appeal to a mass consumer base, all obsessed with the little guys. The idea behind the site is to capitalise on consumer demand. We wanted a place where we could generate interest and have plans for the site to become interactive post launch” says Andrew Tyers, creator of the Good Boy Meerkat.
The site has a dedicated page for consumers to find the toy and retailers/wholesalers to communicate they are a stockist.
Armitage are encouraging retailers to cash in on the national Meerkat craze and are promoting the super cute and cuddly plush dog toy character with a free meerkat branded dumpbin for every order of 8 cases.
The Meerkat toy also has a fan page on Facebook which is growing fast. He keeps his fans and friends up to date with all the latest news and launch developments.
Dogs and chocolate – A deadly combination
Good Boy launch safechocfordogs.co.uk website to further strengthen their message to pet owners; it’s dangerous to feed chocolate to your dog – FACT!
However help is at hand, don’t despair, Doggy chocoholics can also enjoy their own special chocolate. Good Boy choc is made from a specially developed recipe that does not contain cocoa and so is completely safe for dogs to eat. Paul Bousfield, chief executive of Armitage Pet Care said ‘We make 1 billion choc drops a year at our Nottingham site so dogs can enjoy eating choc that is specifically designed for them’
To celebrate Chocolate Week (12th-18th October) Good Boy are running a competition via the website www.safechocfordogs.co.uk
where dog owners can enter a prize draw to win dog goodies to the value of £25 including Good Boy Choc, chews and toys.
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Jones goes to the dogs
ahead of Cambrian Rally
Stone based Neville Jones will be celebrating the annual National Chocolate Week by promoting dog friendly chocolate during the forthcoming Lewis and Hunter Cambrian Rally, an event that Neville will contest in his Geoff Jones Motorsport run Subaru Impreza B13.
With the National Chocolate Week taking place from 12 to 18 October the timing of the BTRDA season finale has given Jones the perfect opportunity to come to the aid of his canine friends by promoting Good Boy Choc (the safe choc treat for dogs), a cocoa free treat that is safe for animals.
Some people might say that I have gone barking mad! quipped Jones at a recent test in Mid Wales, but the statistics show how dangerous even a morsel of chocolate is for a dog! The products from Armitage Pet Care have been carefully researched and are 100% safe for your pampered pooch!
I love the Cambrian Rally, it’s one of my favourites in the whole year and I’m really looking forward to competing with the new engine installed and comparing my times against the likes of Hirvonen!
A bit about chocolate poisoning: Chocolate contains a natural product called theobromine which, even in small doses, is lethal to dogs. Every year over 1100 dogs are affected by their owners feeding them sweet treats!
Armitage feature in Nottingham Evening Post to promote their safe choc for dogs campaign
A NOTTINGHAM pet food firm is warning people they face poisoning their animals if they feed them chocolate meant for humans.
Staff at Armitage Pet Care in Colwick have voiced concern that more animals are falling ill after consuming chocolate treats designed for their owners.
Chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring compound found in the cocoa bean which is poisonous to dogs.
Catherine Webster, Nutritionist and Group Technical Manager at Armitage, said: "Human chocolate is so dangerous to dogs because they cannot metabolise it. If they continue to eat it than the levels of theobromine build and build.
'The frightening thing is with each dog you do not know the exact amount that's going to do damage. It's why it is so important to give dogs treats designed for them'.
The company, which makes dog-friendly chocolate treats, has made the warning ahead of National Chocolate Week, which starts on Monday.
The Veterinary Poisons Information Service received 1,500 emergency calls in 2008, up from 1,166 in 2007. The most common complaints were about chocolate, ibuprofen, grapes and rat poison.
A Yorkshire terrier could die if it eats a 150g bar of plain chocolate and around 200g of chocolate could prove fatal for spaniel-sized dogs, with 400g harmful to Labradors.
Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs include vomiting, restlessness and diarrhoea. The central nervous system, heart and kidneys can also be affected.
Paul Bousfield, chief executive of Armitage Pet Care, said: 'We make one billion chocolate drops a year at our Nottingham site so dogs can enjoy eating chocolate that is specifically designed for them'.
For National Chocolate Week, Armitage is running a competition to win £25 of treats for their pets, including the firm's Good Boy chocolate drops.
Easter Treats Head to Afghanistan
Armitage Pet Care has donated safe Easter treats for over 200 dogs serving with troops in Afghanistan.
30 cases of Good Boy Choc Drops will be flown out to Camp Bastion and cases will also be distributed at home amongst dogs recently back from operations and animals in training.
Veterinary Officer Captain Cees Bennett, from 104 Military Working Dog Unit, based at St George’s Barracks, North Luffenham, took delivery of the treats. He said: “Our thanks go to Armitage for donating the Choc Drops.
“Our military dogs have a vitally important job to do, from helping to guard bases to searching for explosives and I’m sure they will enjoy an extra treat at the end of their working day.”
Paul Bousfield, Chief Executive at Armitage, says: “Our team at Colwick came up with this terrific idea and we’re delighted the treats are being sent out ahead of Easter. It is important to recognise the bravery and the work our troops and animals are doing overseas and this is a gift to express our gratitude.”
The donation coincides with a campaign recently launched by Armitage to alert dog owners to the dangers of feeding their pets human chocolate.
Recent figures, by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, show almost 1,500 calls were made by vets to their helpline in 2008, up from 1,166 in 2007 around chocolate poisoning.
Human chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring compound found in the cocoa bean which is poisonous to dogs. How the dog reacts depends very much on its size, any other health problems and the amount and type of chocolate ingested. The darker the chocolate and the higher level of cocoa solids, the more theobromine it is likely to contain.
The symptoms related to theobromine poisoning can include diarrhoea, restlessness, nausea and vomiting. The central nervous system, heart and kidneys can also be affected and in the very worst cases, it can prove fatal.
Catherine Webster, nutritionist at Armitage Pet Care, says: “There is a real lack of awareness surrounding the dangers of human chocolate to dogs and I’m sure the cases reported are just the tip of the iceberg.
“What worries me is that there are safe alternatives on the market, yet pet owners are still exposing their animals to unnecessary dangers. At Armitage we have been producing a wide range of dog safe choc products for many years, all of which are cocoa free and so are perfectly safe for all dogs.
“The message is, never feed your dog human chocolate. Let’s bring this figure down and stop putting our pets at risk.”
Good Boy
The Safe Choc for Dogs
Good Boy Choc has been specially developed for dogs with a recipe that is cocoa free making it a perfectly safe, tasty treat for dogs. Although there is a cost associated with having a unique pet recipe, as a responsible pet company we strongly believe in making our products as tasty as possible without compromising on safety.
So why is human chocolate fatal to dogs?
Human chocolate contains theobromine, a naturally occurring compound found in the cocoa bean, and it is this compound that is poisonous to dogs.
Theobromine acts as a stimulant (similar to caffeine) and in humans is effectively metabolized relatively quickly. In dogs the time taken to metabolize theobromine is more than double that of humans and it takes longer to be filtered out by their liver.
The symptoms related to theobromine poisoning can include diarrhoea, restlessness, nausea and vomiting. The central nervous system, heart and kidneys can also be affected and in the worse cases the ingestion of theobromine can be fatal.
How a dog reacts to theobromine will depend on the dog's size, any health problems, the amount of chocolate ingested and the type of chocolate ingested. The darker the chocolate the higher the level of cocoa solids, will mean that the chocolate will contain more theobromine.
So remember, NEVER give human chocolate to dogs. Treat them with a specially formulated Good Boy Choc instead. And let’s face it, what better way to treat man’s best friend this Easter.
Armitage - Investors In People
With support from Armitage Pet Care, a number of employees have recently gained Level 2 NVQ qualifications in Business-Improvement Techniques (Process Improvement) which includes units such as Effective team working and Problem solving techniques.
It is important that Armitage employees are given all the help and guidance to develop their knowledge and skills to ensure precision in their job roles, and as a caring company, Armitage happily promotes this.
The bright employees were also treated to a bottle of wine from Armitage Pet Care's Chief Executive Paul Bousfield, for their achievements.
25 Years With Armitage
Armitage Pet Care's Key Account Manager for the South, Nigel Hibberd celebrated 25 years with the company.
I have had a very enjoyable 25 years, helped by working with some wonderful, caring and passionate colleagues.
Nigel joined Armitage Pet Care back in 1984 as an area sales representative and has triumphed from then on.