Grow.

Innovate.

Connect.

Join us at Connect… Canada’s Pet Trade Expo. Celebrating and promoting the growth of the Canadian pet industry with manufacturers, specialty pets live, distributors and more. A business to business show like no other.

Coming May 22-23, 2025

Niagara Falls Convention Centre

Let's Connect.


As a Canadian hosted event, Connect Canada's Pet Trade Expo is proud to showcase the thriving pet industry in Canada, which is known for its love of animals and commitment to their welfare. Canada boasts a vibrant community of pet retailers, manufacturers, distributors, specialty pet breeders and service providers, all of whom contribute to the growth and innovation of the industry. Join us! Let's Connect!

Connect:

A B2B pet trade event celebrating the Canadian pet industry hosted and created with a team that is 100% built with individuals and vendors from the Canadian Pet Industry.

our 2025 Exhibitors

Red Dog Blue Kat (RDBK) Celebrates 20 Years

Red Dog Blue Kat (RDBK) Celebrates 20 Years as the Top Choice for Pet Parents Who Demand the Best for Their Furry Family Members

August 29, 20243 min read

Red Dog Blue Kat (RDBK) Celebrates 20 Years as the Top Choice for Pet Parents Who Demand the Best for Their Furry Family Members

Since 2004, Red Dog Blue Kat (RDBK) has been the original choice for pet parents who demand the best for their furry family members. Our commitment to human-grade quality ingredients, transparent farm-to-bowl sourcing, and exceptional food safety is reflected in our state-of-the-art, HACCP-verified manufacturing facility in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.

Inna, Founder and CEO of Red Dog Blue Kat, shares how this journey began: “Over 20 years ago, I met Louise and Linda at McDonald Dog Beach in Richmond, BC. We bonded over our shared belief that pets are cherished family members deserving of transparency in their nutrition. My Irish Wolfhound, Adhara, was suffering from unexplained health issues due to the highly processed, synthetic pet food available at the time.

In 2003, driven by our passion and armed with a meat grinder, we founded Red Dog Deli in the historic Save On Meats building in Vancouver. Our goal was simple: to provide pets with real, fresh food grounded in food science. What started with three women, a kitchen, and a dream has evolved into a 100,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, supported by a community of dedicated pet parents and employees. Our commitment remains steadfast—to ensure that pets are fed with the same care and attention as family members.”


Red Dog Blue Kat (RDBK) Inna Shekhtman, Founder & CEO.

Red Dog Blue Kat

Why Retailers are Choosing RDBK:

  • Proudly Canadian: Choosing RDBK means supporting a women-led small business based in British Columbia, along with Canadian family farmers, suppliers, and local pet stores that we've partnered with in your community.

  • Top Food Safety: Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is HACCP-verified, following an internationally recognized food safety defence program used in human food production—providing you with peace of mind, knowing that your family's health is protected in an unregulated industry.

  • Whole Food Ingredients: No synthetics, additives, or fillers—just simple, clean, minimally processed, human-grade meats and vegetables, exactly as nature intended.

  • Transparency Guarantee: Unlike others who mass print labels and don't update them for ingredient changes, we print our labels on the day of production. This way, you can trust that what’s on the label is exactly what's in the bag.

  • Allergen Control: For us, pets with food allergies and sensitivities matter. That's why we have strict cross-contamination controls in place to keep your pets safe in an industry where 'may contain' allergen warnings are not required.

  • Ethical Sourcing: We only use human-grade, traceable ingredients, like grass-fed Alberta beef, sourced from the same trusted suppliers that fill our local grocery stores.

Maggie

Red Dog Blue Kat (RDBK) - Maggie, our in-house microbiologist, proudly holds our HACCP verification.

Our Perks for Retailers:

  • National Promotion Calendar: Enjoy free sampling events and exclusive bonus offers for your customers every month. We handle the advertising to ensure your target audience stays engaged—at no extra cost to you! Check out some our in-store promotions for your customers here - https://www.reddogbluekat.com/monthly-promotions.

  • Loyalty program: Powered by Astro, our flexible loyalty program lets you reward your customers with options, not limitations—any size, any meal, any protein.

  • Staff Feeding Rewards: Opt in for our FREE 20-minute "Everything You Need to Know" training sessions, featuring RDBK's Inna and Dr. Jules. By participating, your staff earns $50 in free feeding rewards every month—boosting their knowledge and your store’s selling power with RDBK.

  • Freezer Program: Purchase a 2-door RDBK-branded Habco freezer for just $5,550—a $1,700 savings! We’ll cover the freight costs, and you’ll enjoy a 20% discount on any RDBK ISO you choose to fill the freezer with.

  • Wholesale Promotions: We frequently offer seasonal discounts to our retailers on ISO freezer packages and open stock orders. For more information and to inquire about our current offers, please contact us at https://www.reddogbluekat.com/contact. You can also connect with us at various trade shows, including the Connect Pet Trade Expo.

To learn more, please visit us at https://www.reddogbluekat.com/ and request your free RDBK retailer catalog, which includes comprehensive product details and pricing information.

Red Dog Blue Kat products



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Connect Lounge

Attendees and Exhibitors alike enjoyed all the amenities of the Connect Lounge. A spacious seating area with beverages, charging stations and plenty of seating area for impromptu meetings.

Education Stage

Connect brought 2 days of educational talks to attendees. Visitors heard from Candace D'Agnolo, Pet Industry Network, Pet Retail Helper, Weruva, Instinct, eTail Pet POS and many more...

Fresh Food Showcase

A highlight of the show was Connect's Fresh Food Showcase featuring a variety of frozen and gently cooked products from many of the Connect Exhibitors. Thanks to Habco for the great looking freezer setup.

Connect Live

Wednesday night featured Connect Live at the Marriott Hotel with the E.Z. Street Band. The evening kicked off with $10,000 in cash giveaways to retailers and exhibitors...oh along with a poutine bar!!

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