Written By Scott Braden
At a recent hair appointment, Bo’s “parents,” the Felkners of Union Bridge, MD, wanted something different for him: something that would allow him to stand out. So they went punk rock and had stylist Tracey Kaul give him a Mohawk haircut. A full-body Mohawk.
“A request like that is a little challenging to do,” said Kaul, “but we do it.”
The request is especially challenging because Bo is a Jack Russell Terrier. Like other dogs that walk, run, or trot into Kaul’s K9 Kreations in Union Bridge — a full-service grooming salon for dogs – Bo is a pampered pet.
Thanks to the Felkners and countless other pet owners, it is a dog’s life for these animals. And from where this Mohawk-coiffed Jack Russell Terrier and other pets are sitting, that is not a bad thing.
“The Mohawk was my son SkylarÔs doing,” said Donna Felkner, the owner of Bo and a menagerie of other animals. “Bo has his own identity. The Mohawk was just a physical reflection of his inner being.”
With that said, what exactly is a pampered pet? To put it bluntly, it is the animal equivalent of a spoiled child. Freelance writer Marilyn Lewis, reporting for MSN Money, wrote that “spending figures show that between 2002 and 2004 household spending on pets increased 18 percent after inflation.” Business Week Magazine reported that people in the U.S. spend some $41 billion annually on pets. And, according to Randy Martin, manager of Bowman’s Feed & Pet in Westminster, MD, that means any kind of pet.
“Pampered pets may be more than dogs and cats,” said Martin, “although dogs and cats make up the majority. For the younger generation, reptiles become their pampered pets: lizards, snakes, things like that.
“Pampered pets are part of the family. They are the inside animals, not the outside dogs and cats found on farms years ago. They are one of the kids.”
Amanda Scott, of Amanda’s Waggin’ Tails in Westminster, agreed. The owner of a dog and cat grooming business that intends to expand to boarding and day care services, she said: “We have this one lady, Linda Eckert, who has two little poodles named Chippi and Ginger that wear jewelry. She also has a closet full of sweaters, shirts, and little fur coats for the dogs. One time, we painted Ginger’s nails, and I put bright fluorescent green feathers in her hair. And Linda went absolutely wild. Her pets are like her kids.”
“I love Ginger’s nails painted,” said Eckert, formerly of Manchester. “I want the nails to match the bows. And my dogs have 14 karat gold jewelry because I love them so much, and I feel they deserve the best.”
And when pampered pets are happy so are their masters. But what defines the average pampered pet owner?
“Owners of pampered pets are all ages,” said Brenda Quinn, co-owner of the boarding kennel and day care facility Camp Yuppie Puppy in Westminster. “From their 20s right up through their 70s. It’s a good mix. We see the pets that the kids grew up with staying with their parents while they go off to college. Then we see the kids graduating from school, starting a family, and getting new pets of their own.”
“I can’t say that there is an average owner of the pampered pet,” said Martin. “They are young, as well as elderly. The young have kids and pets. The elderly have had kids grow up and move out, so now they have pets to replace the kids.”
Lewis reported for MSN Money that owners are spending more on their pets because… they are more affluent, and because the baby boomers are “so used to pampering their children… so that when their children are gone they turn all that attention to their pets.”
But what makes a person treat a pet like a child?
“It’s a natural instinct that a lot of people have, particularly if they grew up with pets in the home,” said Quinn.
“They fill a void,” said Felkner. “Pets give unconditional love, while most humans can’t do that.”
“It comes from the average person having the need to care for something or somebody,” said Martin, who is the admitted owner of a pampered pet. “A pet is something that is always glad to see you, and doesn’t give you a hard time. The animals give a whole lot back.”
“You can ask anybody. My dogs are my babies,” said Eckert. “I treated them like children right off the bat because they needed to be tended to. They have to be taken care of, they have to be loved, they have to go to the doctor’s. They are just like little kids. They can’t do anything for themselves. My dogs are my children. They love Mama.”
“My kids are jealous of my dogs,” added Eckert. “My grandkids ask me, ÔNanny, who do you love more, us or the dogs?’ And I say the dogs. I tell them outright, ÔDon’t ask me if you don’t want to know.’”
It is then no surprise that Eckert keeps her dogs close to her heart – literally.
“I have a tattoo of Ginger over my heart, which IÔve had for five or six years,”said Eckert, pointing at her dogs. “IÔve got true love right there.”
“Whatever Chippi and Ginger want, they get,” said Eckert. “Ginger sits on my lap while I eat. She eats off of my fork if she wants to. She drinks out of my glass. She likes iced tea, while Chippi drinks coffee. I also pick crabs for Ginger. She loves crab cakes.”
What products are available for their pets? To answer this question, pampered pet owners need only go online and let their fingers do the walking. Everything from puppy toothpaste and doggie massage brushes to canine house slippers can be found on the Information Highway. From hair bows and barrettes for dogs to water bottles for all pets. And do not forget the beds, coats, sweaters and elegant evening wear that is available.
With so many items for owners to offer their pets, and so many opportunities for giving, you might wonder when the Loved Ones would most appreciate a gift. How about the holidays? If that seems like a strange answer, consider this: Fox News channel WGHP in Greensboro, NC, reported – based on data from the American Pet Association – that owners of 71 million dogs and cats gave their pets Christmas presents in 2006.
Where do owners of Carroll County’s pampered pets take their darlings for fun? That is one question that Quinn knows quite a bit about:
“When owners bring their dogs to Camp Yuppie Puppy, they have activities and playtimes,”said Quinn. “They play in the pool. They take nature walks. There’s all kinds of fun things to do. Camp Yuppie Puppy really is a camp, and a vacation spot for the dogs. It’s not the kind of place where owners put their dogs to be neglected and forgotten. When they come here, they have a really good time.”
Eckert, on the other hand, takes her dogs with her everywhere. In fact, Ginger is a registered service dog that assists Eckert with her multiple sclerosis. She accompanies Eckert to restaurants and grocery stores, among other places.
“Chippi and Ginger go to work with me and sit with the older people, and they love it,” said Eckert, who works as a nursing assistant at an assisted living facility for senior citizens in Sykesville. “I won’t trust anybody else with my dogs, and I wonÔt leave them at home by themselves. If that’s not devotion . . .“
The dogs also sleep with Eckert: “Ginger sleeps in bed with me, while Chippi sleeps on the headboard.”
Eckert is not the only pampered pet owner who lavishes love on her pets.
“We had a customer once send postcards to her Chihuahua while she was away,” said Quinn. “Then she requested that we sing Happy Birthday to her dog, which we did.
“Customers call up and ask what their dogs did at playtime, and who their dog’s best friend is, and how they did during the nature walk. People like to call to check up on their dogs, and thatÔs great.”
“Smaller dogs are more pampered by owners,” said Martin. “They get to the groomers more often. They have more sweaters and accessories: collars, toys, leads, things like that. More money is spent on smaller dogs than larger dogs.”
But other pets are pampered as well.
“Cats are definitely considered pampered pets,” explained Martin. “There’s just not a lot of accessorizing that you can do for a cat. They don’t do much with clothing, and a cat’s pet collar will last a lifetime.
“The strangest thing I have seen are the people who own hedgehogs as pampered pets. They have their own cages, and some even sleep in bed with their owners. In terms of accessorizing for a hedgehog, there are treats, toys, housing, things like that.”
As for owners like Eckert, everything revolves around their pets.
“Dog spelled backwards is God,” said Eckert. “And God couldn’t be here, so He gave us dogs to watch over us, love us, and protect us. These are God’s creatures and I love them.”
