NEPTUNE CITY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2006--

           The Goldsteins' Wellness & Longevity Program and
               Quick and Easy Crate Training Honored by
            Prestigious Dog Writers Association of America

T.F.H. Publications, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ:CENT), and a pioneer and leader in pet publishing for more than 50 years, has recently been honored for publishing excellence from two leading national industry associations.

Tropical Fish Hobbyist Lauded for Best-of-the-Show Cover Design; Beats Elite Newstand Contenders

Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine, the world's leading aquarium magazine for over a half century, received top honors for Best-in-Show Cover Design in the annual NewsStand Resource Cover Award Contest for 2005. The winning cover from last December took first place in its category of magazines with circulations under 100,000 -- and went on to be named best overall cover among a contender list of North America's most known and distinguished newsstand "faces," including National Geographic, Scientific American, and U.S. News and World Report, among others.

Said T.F.H. Magazine Publisher Nancy Rivadeneira: "We're honored to have been singled out for excellence among peers that represent some of the most elite and established magazines in publishing.

"This award is especially gratifying to us at T.F.H. because it acknowledges the energy and hard work of so many people who worked to re-design our magazine over the past year, making it bigger and better for our readers. We're extremely proud."

NewsStand Resource will list the 2005 Cover Award Contest winners in a full-page ad featured in its spring 2006 issue. The Best-of-the-Show honors are selected from all of the first place winners in each of five categories.

NewsStand Resource is the trade magazine/resource guide available to the single copy newsstand industry.

Top Nods From DWAA Goes to T.F.H. Publications for 2 Books on Animal Care

Winning top honors for best 2005 book on animal care and health from the nation's prestigious Dog Writers Association of America last month was The Goldsteins' Wellness & Longevity Program: Natural Care of Dogs and Cats, by Dr. Robert Goldstein and Susan Goldstein ($19.95; T.F.H. Publications; paperback; ISBN: 0-7938-0545-7). Released last fall, the first-ever compendium of expert knowledge and advice on integrative care for dogs and cats reflects more than 30 years experience by Dr. Robert Goldstein, V.M.D., and his wife and business partner Susan Goldstein. Known worldwide, the Goldsteins have been pioneers in the field of integrative animal care for more than two decades, and are founders of the first healthcare store for pets, Earth Animal, in Westport, CT.

Also receiving a top nod for excellence in books under 100 pages was the 2005 T.F.H. release Quick & Easy Crate Training, by Teoti Anderson ($4.95; T.F.H. Publications; paperback; ISBN: 07938-10035). Part of T.F.H.'s popular Quick & Easy series, this 64-page book is the only guide of its kind to focus exclusively on crate training with easy-to-follow, thorough instructions that are safe, humane and effective.

"Our publishing team works hard to ensure every book we publish reflects the most up-to-the-minute information, from top experts, and presented to our readers with the standards of excellence they have come to expect from T.F.H.," said Christopher Reggio, Publisher, T.F.H. Publications. "It's very rewarding to see those efforts receive recognition from one of publishing's most distinguished groups."

The DWAA honors were held in New York last week, acknowledging 30 top recipients selected among hundreds of submissions from across the country. Founded 70 years ago with the goal of recognizing quality writing about dogs in all aspects of companionship, plus the sport of dogs, DWAA acknowledges publishers, journalists, photographers and illustrators at its annual awards banquet, held each year prior to the famed Westminster Kennel Club competition.

About T.F.H. Publishing:

T.F.H. Publishing has been the world's leading pet publisher since 1952. T.F.H. was the first pet publisher to bring color to its books, and the first to offer a full line of care books for all kinds of pets, including dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, small animals and exotics.

T.F.H. Publications, Inc., is a subsidiary of Central Garden & Pet Company, which includes its flagship Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine -- the industry's leading aquarium fish magazine for more than a half century -- and Nylabone Products, the leader in responsible animal care for over 50 years.

    For more information on T.F.H. Publications, visit www.tfh.com.

    CONTACT: Curtin Communications
             Leigh Curtin, 908-309-7053
             Curtincomm@yahoo.com

    SOURCE: Central Garden & Pet Company