The annual competition by American Pet Age* magazine has ended. The competitors were pet industry specialists with 20+ years of experience. The candidates were evaluated for their experience, integrity and leadership.

Yuri Sinitsa, the COLLAR Company owner, became one of the winners!

From his childhood Yuri Sinitsa knew that his life would be connected with animals. At 16 he, together with his father, made his first collar from a leather uniform belt. His friends appreciated that collar so much that they immediately ordered the same for their dogs.

Soon the young enterpreneur conquered Kyiv too – being the first in Ukrainian pet industry to create a European-looking catalog of his production. Yuri Sinitsa even drew the COLLAR logo by himself.

In 2000 he opened the first pet store in his native city of Chernihiv, with a mini zoo in it. Yuri Sinitsa attended the international exhibitions and events, learning about the world trends and transferring them to Ukraine. Due to bold marketing decision and devotion to innovations the COLLAR Company won both Ukrainian and international markets. Even during the 2008 economic crisis it continued to develop and didn’t fire a single employee.

Now there are more than 500 employees (and their pets who are allowed to come to work with their owners!) in COLLAR team. The products made by COLLAR Company win international awards and conquer the hearts of pet owners in more than 60 countries all over the world. But even now Yuri Sinitsa stays devoted to his native city and animals, including stray ones. With the help of COLLAR more than 1000 stray dogs were vaccinated and neutered in Chernihiv. The dog of Yuri Sinitsa was trained by COLLAR Company cynologist as a therapy dog, Now she works with kids in Chernihiv rehabilitation centre as a canistherapy dog.

Congratulations to Yuri Sinitsa on well-deserved victory in Pet ICON Awards!

* Pet Age – one of the leading B2B  media brand in the USA that has served the pet industry for over 45 years