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 issued 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. To celebrate the launch of Trade Store, Armitage are giving retailers the chance to win £500 (at RRP) of free stock.
Go to www.armitages.co.uk/registration to register your details today and enter the free prize draw. Closing date for entries is 26th March 2010.
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.
The site is live now and counting down the days until the toy launches on 1st December 2009, just in time to capitalise on the Christmas hype.
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.
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.