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The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine has teamed up with Saltwater Marketing and Blue Seal Feeds Inc. to launch a lobster-based pet treat.
The idea is the brainchild of Bob Bayer, executive director of the Lobster Institute and professor of animal and veterinary science at UMaine, and it aims to use every part of a lobster.
“We’ve always wanted to use every bit of the lobster possible; some parts were going to the landfill,” said Bayer. “The role of the Lobster Institute was to come up with a concept to use these parts. It was my idea to make the pet treat.”
The research began about two years ago, and the product hit the shelves two months ago under the Blue Seal Feeds label.
Patricia Pinto, president of Saltwater Marketing, the commercial arm of the Lobster Institute, said the response so far has been positive.
“We’ve heard that a lot of dogs love it,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of repeat business.”
Bayer said he used his two dogs, a Labrador and a Sheltie, for testing.
“They loved it,” said Bayer. “I haven’t met a dog that hasn’t.”
Pinto said the product has a suggested retail price of $4.99 for a four-pound package and is being regionally marketed in Blue Seal company stores.
“We’re focusing on the Maine connection, and we’ve now gone into test markets in New England and the Mid-Atlantic,” said Pinto, who added the product will soon be available at the Blue Seal Web site.
The Lobster Institute was founded in 1987, and Bayer, who has been involved since its inception, described the organization as a “problem-solving group for the lobster industry.”
“We’re involved in research and education for the lobster region from Newfoundland to New York City,” he said.
For more information about the Lobster Institute, visit its Web site at www.lobsterinsti tute.org.
