DOGGED DEVOTION BOWWOW-TIQUE KEEPS TAILS WAGGING.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

STEVENSON RANCH - Bow-wows are gettin' bling-bling.

Take Woobie, a year-old yellow lab mix who strutted in her owner's just-opened canine boutique with a string of pink faux-pearls wrapped around her neck.

``We just love dogs,'' said Stephanie Duke, owner of Starpups Depot in Stevenson Ranch, which specializes in luxuries from $200 Swarovski crystal collars and suede-covered plush beds to alligator-print tops - couture for canines.

``It's kind of like dressing your kid up,'' said Duke, 36, of Canyon Country. ``We just want dogs to come and play.''

Between gemstone dog collars and Paris Hilton's tutu-clad chihuahua Tinkerbell, pet-obsessed Americans are digging deeper into their wallets to adorn their animals.

That includes the Santa Clarita Valley, home for 30 years to a specialty canine kennel and day care center, and a line of doggie bottled water that comes in beef, lamb and liver flavors.

``It's a very, very lucrative industry because in America - we're kind of fanatical about our pets,'' said Mike Lovingood, owner of Calgrove Kennels Newhall. In business since 1974, the facility offers heated floors, filtered drinking water and plenty of space for dogs to roam for $25 to $50 per day.

``More than anything, you're getting peace of mind, to know that people are responsible. ... We don't take care of pets. We take care of family.''

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, a Greenwich, Conn.-based trade group, spending on pets in 2005 is projected to hit $35.9 billion - up from $34.4 billion last year.

Meanwhile, average dog owners spent more than $400 each on toys, beds, carriers, collars and kennel boarding in 2004, an association survey said.

Duke said she started her boutique to be closer to animals after losing her dog Scooby to cancer last year. The canine's portrait hangs behind the counter, along with pictures of her other pets.

``They gave me so much in my heart,'' she said. ``I want to give them back. ... Once they're a part of you, it's been the best - that makes me feel good.''

Duke imported the store concept from Los Angeles, where embroidered Hoochie Poochie four-legged tees and Chewy Vuitton plush toys have become mainstays with the Hollywood pet set. Local dog owners would enjoy having that glamour close to home, she said.

``Celebrities have started to spend more on their dogs,'' she said. ``If J.Lo's dog wears this collar, people have to get it for their dogs.''

All that pampering is money well spent for many pet owners, who derive family and kinship from their animals, Lovingood said.

``Our rat race is so hustle and bustle all the time,'' he said. ``When we come home, our pets are sincere. They'll love you no matter how it was. It's a closeness you don't have in society anymore.''

Becky Hendrickson, 52, agreed. The Valencia resident said she spends about $120 a month on food and other things for her yellow lab Nike.

``As in the running shoes - she likes to run,'' she said. ``We don't have children, so we have a dog. She's your child, and we spend money on her.''

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com

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5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 3 -- color) Stephanie Duke tries a custom raincoat on her dog Woobie, above. Duke has opened a high-end doggie boutique in Stevenson Ranch, which offers such bling things as a ``diamond'' tiara, left, and faux champagne bottle plush toys.

(4 -- 5) Woobie, above, models a pearl necklace at the doggie boutique in Stevenson Ranch. Or dogs can wear a ``diamond''-studded collar.

David Crane/Staff Photographer