Desire to pamper animals creates booming business

Scottsdale Republic

You might have read about the Scottsdale woman who spent $6,000 designing a bedroom for her dog.

She's not the only one lavishing her pooch.

Consider this: Paying $26,000 for a pet spa. The 6- by 5 1/2 foot self-contained grooming cabin automatically shampoos, de-fleas and blow-dries your dog, cat or other small animal.

Geoff Mott of petgadgets .com, the online retailer of cutting-edge pet products, says he has sold four of the spas in the past nine months, including one to the king of Spain. He started the Fountain Hills-based company two years ago after unsuccessfully searching for unusual toys for his two dogs.

Our company's sales have grown over 200 percent each year," he notes. "The pet industry is exploding and people are demanding more high-tech innovations to make things easier and spoil their furry friends. The strongest growth is the baby boomers whose kids have moved on, and the boomers focus more on their pets."

His items range from a $5.29 electric toothbrush, $40 for a digital pet tag, to a $1,100 doggie treadmill.

Besides the designer carrying bags, fancy beds and most recently the pet strollers, an increasing number of pet owners are designing their home with the pet's needs in mind. It's called pet-friendly decorating.

An expensive case in point is the pet spa. Mott says many of his customers who bought the pet spa have custom-built their home with a separate grooming room to accommodate the unit.

Shelley and Richard Kuhle, for example, have tile in their Paradise Valley home rather than carpet because of their six children (two shedding dogs and four kids ages 6-14.)

"It's easier to keep sweep clean," Shelley says.

And there's lots to sweep in Tory and Scott Curtis' Paradise Valley home. They let their two energetic Labs romp freely throughout the house. "The dogs are part of our family, " says Tory, who vacuums the entire house by setting her Roomba vacuum loose every day.

Many hotels know that pampering a pet is a lucrative business. The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa welcomes guest pets with a paw printed doorknob sign, special bowls, place mats and a personalized dog bone treat.

"And yes, our reservations do ask what the dog's name is when the reservation is made," says Sean Maddock, the resort's general manager.

The resort has a pet room service menu, which showcases gourmet treats such as executive chef Michael Cairns' pet-friendly grilled tenderloin of beef with eggs and seared salmon.

And from doggie doughnuts to puppy pies, many pet parents are hosting animal parties. Pet moms such as Shelley threw an elaborate party for her Labrador retriever. She invited other pet owners in the Valley who bought their Labs from the same breeder in Louisville, Ky. About 40 guests and their dogs turned out for the "family" reunion.

Posted by Wintermute at September 9, 2006 07:49 AM