A Plethora of Pet Products

It doesn't seem to matter what type of product you are looking for, if it has to do with pets your options are limitless.

Pets have become a multi-billion dollar industry and it seems you can buy just about anything for your companion animal. From toys to food and even pet urns and jewellery, anything you want or need for your pet is out there. 

After working in the pet industry for several years I can honestly say, things are not as easy for pet owners as they seem. With the abundance of information on the internet and the fact everyone and their uncle believes they are a pet expert, more and more people are increasingly concerned about what they are buying for their furry companions. With all of the recalls and fears about products made in China, more and more people want to purchase products that are Made in Canada or at least in North America. Unfortunately, this is a daunting task and what many people do not realize is that "Made in Canada" does not mean you are getting a Canadian product. 

There are no mandatory requirements for companies in Canada to place a country of origin label on their products. If they choose to place a Made in Canada label on their products, they are then expected to abide by certain guidelines. More information can be found here http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/03169.html. 

What consumers should be looking for are product labels stating "Product of Canada". According to the Competition Bureau website "The proposed draft Guidelines introduce, in particular, a distinction between "Product of Canada" and "Made in Canada" claims. "Product of Canada" claims will be subject to a higher threshold of Canadian content (98%), while "Made in Canada" claims will remain subject to a 51% threshold of Canadian content but must be accompanied by a qualifying statement. In both cases, the last substantial transformation of the product must have occurred in Canada."

Unfortunately, manufacturing and importing products overseas is a trillion dollar a year industry and it's extremely difficult to find pet products that are not made in China or other countries overseas. That being said, even products which are made in Canada or the USA, may be made with materials from China or other countries. Fortunately, most reputable companies are very open about where their products are made, even if they do not label their products with the country of origin, a simple email will usually get all your questions answered. 

On the other side of the coin, there is a handful of companies in the United States and Canada doing their best to produce quality products, which are made with local or at least country of origin materials and manufactured in the country of origin. They however are faced with the expense of paying higher wages to employees, higher fees for manufacturing and higher costs of materials and in turn you will pay a higher price for the product.

So, it seems it's a rock and a hard place for the care takers of companion animals, you either pay the price for products made in your country of origin, or you purchase products made overseas and hope for the best. My advice would be to ask questions whenever possible. Do not be afraid to back a company against a wall and demand answers about the products they offer, it is the health of your pet at stake after all, and we have seen far too many tragedies over the last few years because companies are not taking enough care when it comes to our companion animals.