We’re thankful and honored for the attention the pet industry has shown Halo of late. As you may know, it’s taken a couple decades for the pet industry to really become interested in real, natural ingredients in food for pets. In fact, way back in the 1980’s, Halo wasn’t even sold in pet stores – only natural food stores had the vision to carry Halo products.

Most recently, Halo co-owner Ellen DeGeneres was honored by the Global Pet Expo – the industry’s largest annual trade show – with the prestigious “Excellence in Pet Industry Journalism Award.”

You can find the link to Ellen’s acceptance speech here:

The Global Pet Expo press release explains, “In 2008, DeGeneres took her love for pets a step further with the purchase of her own pet product company, Halo Purely for Pets, a manufacturer that promotes the need for healthy, all natural, high-grade ingredients in dog food.”

Further, Bob Vetere, President of the American Pet Products Association, said, “Ellen is one of those rare individuals who can take a situation, even a negative one, and turn it into a positive. For all that she has done to raise awareness for pet adoptions, we are truly grateful. We are thrilled to honor her for her commitment and contributions to the pet industry.”

Halo’s Liv-a-Littles white meat chicken protein treats won the Buzzillions Reviewers’ Choice Award for top treat in 2008, thanks to scores of long-time pet lovers just like you who wrote in.

The Liv-a-Littles are beloved by and good for both cats and dogs, since they are just pure chicken. Tracy, from Chicago, writes that her “cats would happily kill me to get this” while a long-time pet owner in Pennsylvania writes: “My VERY fussy Yorkie absolutely devours these treats! She very quickly learned that when we said “chicken”, she needed to run to the fridge, sit and wait for her treat. These are a hit!”

Buzzillions, by the way, is a website created for consumers to rate products. Its CEO, Andy Chen, has said that while most product awards are judged by a small group of industry experts, theBuzzillions Reviewers’ Choice awards are unique “in that they are judged by the people, for the people.”

And most definitely by the dogs and cats. “Pure cat crack,” writes Rula of New York, N.Y. “The begging never stops.”

Don’t forget to tune in tomorrow – should be can’t-miss TV for pet lovers!

Mark you calendar! Ellen DeGeneres will present another hour of Halo, Purely for Pets on QVC Saturday, April 18, 2009.

Ellen gave us a fun, hilarious but informative hour last time, and we think it will be even better our second time around (hint: we think there will be product spinning involved).

Make sure to check your local listings for time and channel #, and please join us and watch!

Click here for more.

Dr. Donna Spector, Halo’s veterinarian, welcomes the Obama’s new dog Bo on popular political blog Huffington Post. And she provides the First Family with numerous tips to make Bo’s life healthy and happy.

See the entire article here.

In the piece, Dr. Spector advises the first family to provide excellent, natural nutrition, to give treats the right way so that they don’t comprise more than 10 percent of daily calorie intake, and “Find a veterinarian who agrees with a natural approach to caring for your new dog. Inform them you are interested in natural solutions and ingredients to remedy conditions and for health maintenance whenever possible.”

Most cat owners show their abundant love with treats, however, “over-treating” is common and is the cause of many finicky and fat cats. Although they may look cuddly with a little extra chub, health risks of obesity are real. Obesity contributes to a wide range of health problems, from arthritis to diabetes, and it has been well documented that obese cats live shorter lives.

Your cat is a carnivore and requires a high quality natural meat-based diet with minimal grains to achieve their optimal health. The ideal treat to accompany this natural diet should be low in calories and carbohydrates, high in protein and have added health benefits to kick your cat’s health up a notch!

When choosing and giving treats:

1. Read the label-avoid sugars and “empty” ingredients to prevent problems with obesity.
2. Go natural-avoid artificial ingredients like colorings and preservatives.
3. Count calories-treats should not amount to more than 10% of your cat’s daily calories.
4. Avoid certain table scraps-it is easy to create a finicky eater by giving fattening dinnertime morsels you know your cat will love.
5. Avoid giving treats around meal time-this practice will often cause cats to skip meals which is unhealthy.
6. Do not give treats for begging; use treats to reinforce good behavior or as a reward after exercise.
7. Choose treats with health benefits-give a treat that can improve your cat’s health. Some treats may aid in preventing hairballs, help clean teeth or support the immune system.

Click here for more tips on selecting great treats to optimize your cat’s health!