• USA Today, Friday, April 6, 2007 11:45 AM

As pet-food brands begin crisis-management efforts following the recall of more than 60 million packages, upscale organic and natural pet foods are getting at least a temporary bump in share of the $15 billion market.

Orders are up 300% for Boulder-based Natural Pet Nutrition. A 25-pound bag of Pet Promise food comes with a list of "no's" including "no added growth hormones" and "no antibiotic-fed proteins" and costs $35. Castor & Pollux Pet Works has had a tenfold rise in traffic on its Web site. And online pet-food retailer Waggintails has had a 30% to 40% rise in sales--despite the recall of some top sellers--thanks to organic and natural products, says founder John Gigliotti.

Natural and organic pet-food sales already had been rising -- 46% in 2005 over 2004 and an expected 36% for 2006 -- according to the Organic Trade Association's 2006 Manufacturer Survey.

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