b'The CalmBefore the Storm by Anna CookePhotographed at Sunken Gardens, St. Petersburg by Anne YarbroughT hunderstorm-phobicdogsaresometimesso on their own, through private labeling or as third party dis-intensely fearful and panicked that they become a tributors,theuptickofavailableoptionsandconflictinghazardtothemselves.Weveheardfromfamilies marketing messages can make it overwhelming for pet par-whose dogs have gone through windows or chewed ents.through doors, drywall, even chain-link fences. Nancy A. Before founding Natures Pet Herbals in 2018, GarshDreschel, DVM, PhD has studied and written about thun- read the label of a line of CBD products she was asked by herderstorm phobia. No one really understands why dogs devel- employertorepresent.Icandothisbettermyself,sheop a fear of thunderstorms, sometimes out of the blue. And, thought to herself.the dogs arent talking. Aboutsevenyearsago,duringtheinternationalpetSome theories suggest that there is something aversive industry trade show Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Garsh wasabout the storm itself, Dr. Dreschel explains, with guesses introduced to the owner of a company that was growingranging from increased static electricity to changes in baro- GMO-free organic hemp without the use of pesticides. Withmetric pressure. Perhaps there are things in the air that are eyes wide open, she and her fianc Larry Hopkins, a 30+ yearuncomfortable to the dog, so his skin or his fur hurts. Maybe pet industry veteran himself, flew to the Colorado plant tothe storm-associated noise is actually painful to dogs; they learn more about the product and the business. This is howhear things that we cant. its supposed to be done, the couple agreed. It was eye-Another theory suggests that some dogs are genetically openingandabrandnewlearningprocess,saidGarsh.predisposed to thunderstorm sensitivity, including Golden And, it continues to be an amazing learning process everyRetrievers and some herding breeds. Kathryn Garsh, founder day, as we continue to stay on top of innovation.of Natures Pet Herbals, recalls how afraid her Dobermans The complexity and uncertainty around regulations is awere of thunder.key restraining factor for the cannabidiol (CBD) pet market.When I see the positive results of our CBD products That is why so many CBD companies, including Garshson other dogs, I often wish we had the product back when own Natures Pet Herbals, pursue and obtain certificationour Dobermans were with us, said Garsh. They were just from veterinary organizations and/or trusted animal-welfareso afraid, and to watch them suffer through it, I felt helpless.groups [such as the National Animal Supplement CouncilWithmorethan20yearsexperienceinpetindustry (NASC)] to help differentiate their products and assure cus-sales, Garsh knew early on, when CBD was first introduced, tomers of product quality.that it had the potential to help a lot of pet parents, while Natures Pet Herbals product line is ninety-nine percentalso being one of the hottest consumer products on the mar- pure, full-spectrum, and produced with the highest qualityket.Indeed,theCBDpetmarketsizewasestimatedat control standards. The CBD is extracted without chemicals.$195.98 million dollars in 2022 and is expected to grow 32 Our products contain medical-grade Cannabidiol (CBD)percent between 2023 and 2030. The market is primarily and are continuously tested by an outside party to ensuredriven by factors such as rising R&D initiatives, increasing consistent purity and effectiveness, said Garsh. Our CBDdemand, and pet humanization. oils, sprays, and treats are made and sourced in the USA, andToday, with so many companies in the business, either are 100 % legal. Continued on the following page gwww.TheNewBarker.com THE NEW BARKER 57'