FIT FOR A KING FROM JEWELED COLLARS TO T-SHIRTS TO CUSTOM BIRTHDAY CAKES, ANIMAL OWNERS ARE GIVING THEIR PETS THE ROYAL TREATMENT BUSINESS OF FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS IS BOOMING.Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer The birthday of Dakota, a buttermilk buttermilk residual fluid after removal of fat from milk in butter manufacture; a protein-rich supplement fed to pigs. Labrador retriever Labrador retriever, breed of large sporting dog whose origins are obscure but whose immediate ancestors were developed in Newfoundland and brought to England in the early 1800s. It stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs between 60 and 75 lb (27. , is celebrated like any other in Lisa Marks' home -- with presents and cake. On a recent afternoon at the pet boutique Bow Wow Shad Gregory Moss (born March 9, 1987), better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow), is an American rapper, actor, and music producer. [1] Biography Bow Wow was born in Columbus, Ohio to Teresa and Junie Moss. Inc. in Woodland Hills, Marks, 37, picked out gifts: peanut butter-banana-flavored Bon Bons, oatmeal shampoo to soothe Dakota's ``sensitive skin,'' a fuzzy tug-of-war toy shaped like a frog head and a new pink leather collar. The tab came to $74. ``She likes those little broaches that slide on her collar,'' said Marks, looking at her two sons as they admired snapshots of pups that had visited the store. ``She's my girl.'' At home, Marks planned to adorn a small cake with a bone for her pooch. Thanks in part to people such as Marks, the pet industry is booming. Marketers are finding success in gearing human products -- organic food, designer clothing, car seats -- to pet owners and their furry friends. ``Products that were popular with humans, they are finding animal versions,'' said Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Animal products have morphed into a cash cow Cash Cow 1. One of the four categories (quadrants) in the BCG growth-share matrix that represents the division within a company that has a large market share within a mature industry. 2. , and major players are jumping on board. Disney recently introduced Old Yeller Old Yeller friend and watchdog assumes houndly nobility. [Am. Cinema: Disney Films, 145–146] See : Protectiveness dog food in Kroger stores, and private investors agreed last month to pay $1.8 billion for Petco. The so-called humanization Humanization Fusing the constant and variable framework region of one or more human immunoglobulins with the binding region of an animal immunoglobulin, done to reduce human reaction against the fusion antibody. Mentioned in: Alemtuzumab of pet products coincides with a growing segment of people who treat their pets like children. ``More pet owners call themselves Mommy and Daddy,'' said Merritt Schoch, a pet executive at JAKKS Pacific Inc. The Malibu-based company makes biscuits that profess to whiten canine teeth and chase away doggy breath. ``They are actually looking at these pets as members of their families and not animals,'' Schoch said. About six out of 10 households have a pet, adding up to roughly 360 million fish, kitties, pooches and birds nationwide. All the cash spent on pets adds up to an average of 9.3 percent yearly growth since 1994, Vetere said. This year, experts estimate, the industry will grow by 6 percent. That growth towers over the toy industry, which shrank by 4 percent in 2005 to $21.3 billion, according to the Toy Industry Association The Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Inc. Pet products and services reaped $36.3 billion in 2005. Are people spending more on their pets than playthings for their own flesh and blood? It might be so, but pets still cost a fraction of what children do. Having a pet costs roughly $1,000 a year excluding extraordinary veterinary bills, Vetere said. For a child born in 2005, a middle-income family will shell out a whopping $190,980 before he or she turns 18, said economist Peter Basiotis of the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture created on December 1, 1994, and is the focal point within the USDA where scientific research is linked with the nutritional needs of the American public. at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Spending on pets doesn't stop at toys and treats. Pet-friendly hotels and vacation destinations offer packages for those who want to bring their four-legged companion. Some vets offer pet health insurance. For the social butterfly, there's dogster.com, catster.com and hamsterster.com. The Web sites allow pet owners to create profiles of their pets, replete with photos, nicknames and pet peeves. In the marketplace, many retailers open wallets by playing into patrons' devotion to their pets. The Web site for pet boutique Bow Wow, where Marks shopped for Dakota, reminds customers that pets deserve the creme de la creme crème de la crème n. 1. Something superlative. 2. People of the highest social level. [French : crème, cream + de, of + la, the + . ``Our pets give us endless hours of love and fun-filled moments of entertainment, so don't hesitate in showing them how much you care for them,'' an on-line banner reads. ``They deserve all the luxuries of life, just as we do.'' Neatly folded doggy T-shirts fill a round table in the Ventura Boulevard store and cost $18 each. A canvas stroller that functions as a car seat and carrier lists at $150. Sparkle and Shine Shimmering shim·mer intr.v. shim·mered, shim·mer·ing, shim·mers 1. To shine with a subdued flickering light. See Synonyms at flash. 2. Mist, advertised as making fur shiny and moisturizing skin, sells for $18. For pet owners who want a cake their pet can eat, Three Dog Bakery in Sherman Oaks sells ``celebration cakes.'' The whole-wheat treats are one of the most popular items in their 40 retail stores, co-founder Mark Beckloff said. ``It was like allowing people or giving them permission,'' he said. ``It's OK to celebrate your dog's birthday with a cake and invite their friends over.'' julia.scott(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3735 CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Shogun shogun (shō`gŭn'), title of the feudal military administrator who from the 12th cent. to the 19th cent. was, as the emperor's military deputy, the actual ruler of Japan. , a 9-year-old Japanese Chin Japanese chin, Japanese spaniel a very small (4-7 lb), lively dog with a large, rounded head, very short muzzle, large eyes, and profuse, long silky coat in black and white or red and white. , above, spends his birthday resting on a king bed for dogs at Bow Wow Inc. The Woodland Hills specialty pet accessories shop offers stylish fashions and treats for dogs, such as jeweled collars, below. (3 -- color) Twelve-year-old Strala, a Shih Tzu Shih Tzu (shē dz  ), breed of active, alert toy dog originating in Tibet centuries ago. It stands from 8 to 11 in. (20.3–27.9 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 9 to 18 lb (4. , tests out some of the dog beds at the pet boutique Bow Bow Inc. in Woodland Hills. (4 -- color) Joy McCormick of Thousand Oaks picks out doggy dresses while visiting pet accessories boutique Bow Wow Inc. in Woodland Hills. The pet industry is booming as more owners are treating their pets like children, complete with birthday celebrations and designer duds. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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