On October 22, Rolf C. Hagen, founder and chairman of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., one of the world’s largest family-owned manufacturers and distributors of pet care products, passed away at his home in Montreal, Canada. Hagen was born in Germany in 1932, and came to Canada to start his business in 1955.

During his lifetime, Hagen was honoured with many awards in the pet products industry. In 1999, he was inducted into the American Pet Products Association Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pet Industry Distributors Association in recognition for innovative design of pet products and for his generous support of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the lives of pets and people. He had a deep love for humanity and animals, and gave away much of what he amassed to individuals, schools, hospitals, churches and charitable organizations.

The Rolf C. Hagen company is now managed by his three sons, Mark, Tom and Rolf Jr.