Diane Taylor

SuperZoo, the BIG Show for Pet Retailers

How do you carry a parrot to the vet? SuperZoo has the answer. Christina Lawrence of Caitec demonstrates the shoulder harness of this carrier which at retail would sell between $250 and $300.
How do you carry a parrot to the vet? SuperZoo has the answer. Christina Lawrence of Caitec demonstrates the shoulder harness of this carrier which at retail would sell between $250 and $300.
Photo by Diane Taylor

Dogs, cats, parrots, fish and even a small pig were just a few of the live models at this year’s SuperZoo, the national show for pet retailers. This show is a must. Not only do I get to see a world of pet products, I also am able to see and often touch animals of all kinds. (The pet pig had very coarse hair, incidentally.)

SuperZoo is produced by the World Pet Association and is highlighted by a huge trade show featuring everything a dog, cat, bird, gerbil, fish, or reptile could desire: food, toys, vitamins, bathing items, video greetings, cages, tanks, beds, training, etc. I know the world is a big place, but walking through this trade show is always a revelation in terms of how many folks are in businesses devoted to pets. The World Pet Association says caring for pets is a $60 billion industry.

Among the 1000 exhibitors at SuperZoo were a number of companies with very creative names. Examples: “A Tail We Could Wag”, “Almost Invisible Cat Litter”, “Bark Boutique”, “Bow Wow Bling”, “Doggy Luxe”, “Happy Dog Happy Home”, “Messy Mutts”, “My Dog Nose It”, “Smoochy Poochy Inc.”, “Tail Bangers”, “Ultra Paws”, “Urine Off” and “Wet Noses”.

Grooming
Among the activities at SuperZoo was a series
of grooming contests.
Photo by Diane Taylor

The “SuperZoo University” part of the event featured educational sessions such as “CPR-Pet Tech First Aid and Care for Your Pets”, “Clippers: The Secret Weapon of Time Management”, “Dealing With Client Complaints” and “Understanding Coat Damage”.

The SuperZoo Show Program featured a number of ads with great slogans, but this was my favorite: French’s Kitchen claimed, “If dogs could cook, this is what they’d serve”.

And yes, a few folks may be almost too crazy-in-love with their animals, as the attached video shows when we visit the “creative grooming” area. Dogs these days can be decorated in ways I had never imagined.

Comments

2 responses on “SuperZoo, the BIG Show for Pet Retailers”

  1. Nice job . Dogs today have 12 tons of options . Couldn’t believe this show , esp those two dogs in the cart . The one with the brown glasses was so coooooooollll ! I have a dog named Taffy , I asked him if he wanted to go to the show , he said ” Nope , I’ll just go out in the back yard and watch the guys play basketball . ” I have to admit , he was a basic dog .

  2. Uncle Buzz would love this show.The dog grooming was very weird. Some people forget they are dogs they own, not little toys to experiment with.
    The report was interesting though.

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