This week’s column will offer a quick scan of important pet and pet product news.

At the top of the list is the American Red Cross’ online First Aid for Pets classes. Having worked as a deputy sheriff, a paraprofessional in human medicine and then adding some 34 years at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine means I have seen my share of desperate people. There is nothing more desperate than an untrained pet owner watching a first aid crisis unfold with one of their pets.

Most people have strong feelings for their pets. I’ve seen the toughest cowboys and military men understandably reduced to a crying mess when they lose a working dog or pet. Sometimes such losses can be prevented.

That’s where this $25 online course comes in. Being equipped to deliver first aid and provide a healthy lifestyle for your pet is the best way to pay your half of the incredible bond you share. Pet owners learn the basics of providing first aid for cats or dogs and will learn how to best give care for common emergency situations. It only takes 35 minutes at their website, redcross.org.

You’ll learn what your pet’s vital signs are and what constitutes a breathing or cardiac emergency and how to deal with it effectively. Also, information about wounds and bleeding emergencies, seizures and preventative care for cats and dogs is offered. This course is desktop- and tablet-compatible.

Knowledge is power and so is the small credential one gets for taking this course. Who could benefit from it? If you are going to petsit for people, this course is essential. Do you babysit kids in a home with pets? Sign up. And like our household, do you own geriatric pets? You get the picture.

Next up is a piece from the Las Vegas Business Press. They offered a wrap-up of the most recent SuperZoo Showcase, a pet product and services trade show.

They noted this from one exhibitor: “According to the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute, 98 percent of pet owners consider their pets an integral part of their family, 87 percent experience improved mental health from pet ownership, and 76 percent report improved physical health due to their pets.”

This means that pet owners are going to spend money. Pshaw on all this election year claptrap about the rising price of milk and eggs.

The Bolen Group, one of the largest industry trade groups, reports that sales of pet care products are increasing at a rate three times faster than any other category of fast-moving consumer goods. The group anticipates a revenue growth of almost 3% through the rest of the year. Note to self: Call my D.A. Davidson guy this week.

If you think you want to go next year, book tickets early. SuperZoo has been held in Las Vegas since 2004 and will return in 2025. How big is it? Some 1,100 exhibitors, including 300 first-time exhibitors, were there this year.

Lost pets are a big deal that this column has covered many times. There’s a new way to find lost pets now that is as old as they are. What if we trained a working scent dog to find a lost dog or cat? Yes, I hear your foreheads being slapped as you utter, “Duh.”

In Minnesota, an all-volunteer group known as The Retrievers is dedicated to finding lost dogs. They are currently training a scent dog to find lost dogs. No mention of cats yet on the piece from Minnesota Public Radio. Look for such training to increase nationwide.

Powell, of Pullman, retired as public information officer for Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman. This column reflects his thoughts and no longer represents WSU. He may be contacted at charliepowell74@gmail.com.