A tornado that touched down June 17 sent 50 employees at a petfood manufacturing plant to the building’s storm shelter.

Castor & Pollux Pet Works, an Oregon, USA, manufacturer of natural petfood and treats, announced donating more than a half million meals to dog and cat shelters in the past year through its partnership with www.freekibble.com.

PetSmart Inc. recently authorized a $350 million stock buyback in order to generate cash flow, according to the Wall Street Journal.

At its meeting in March, the Pet Food Institute board of directors reiterated its legislative priorities: petfood specific proposals, including taxes on petfood; food safety legislation; and expansion of the legal standing of pets.

A new AP/www.petside.com poll released June 23 showed that about 50% of American pet owners consider their pets to be a family member.

Evanger's Dog and Cat Food Co. filed a formal request with the FDA seeking a reinstatement order allowing it to resume interstate shipping of its canned petfood products, according to the company’s blog.

Nestlé has announced building a Purina feed mill in Thailand worth THB950 million (US$27.88 million), set to produce dry petfood for the local market and export to countries including South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Complete Natural Nutrition Inc. recently introduced its new packaging for its line of freeze-dried, one-ingredient pet treats.

Husband and wife Stephen and Sally Miller, along with their company, ChemNutra Inc., pleaded guilty June 16 to distributing a tainted ingredient used to make petfood that reportedly sickened or killed thousands of pets, according to The Associated Press.

Packaged Facts, a market analysis company, announced the release of 15- to 30-page summaries of Packaged Facts' full-length market research reports.