Chia Pets are American styled terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair. Moistened chia seeds (Salvia hispanica) are applied to a grooved terracotta figurine. Pedott first learned about "something called the Chia Pet" being imported from Oaxaca, Mexico, when he attended a housewares show in Chicago in 1977. Negotiating the rights from importer Walter Houston, Pedott began marketing Chia Pets in the US. A trademark registration was filed on Monday, October 17, 1977. They were produced by Pedott's San Francisco-based company, Joseph Enterprises, Inc., They achieved popularity in the 1980s following the 1982 release of a ram, the first widely distributed Chia Pet.