Golden Gate [X]Press : A New Breed of Parenting

A New Breed of Parenting

City pets get pampered and preened

March 13, 2008 8:03 AM

It all started years ago when the first tiny T-shirts were manufactured specifically for dogs. Since then, the culture of pet pampering has exploded. Dogs wear designer collars, cats are treated to custom meals, and owners have the option of microchip implants to help locate their animals if they wander off by themselves.

In San Francisco alone there are thousands of pet-related businesses. From dog-groomers to cat-sitters and companies that custom make aquariums, our pets seem to have it all. In the Bay Area, owners and businesses have gone a step beyond Petco and Petsmart, and in some cases, pets are offered more than their human counterparts.

SF State student Kristi Lozano, twenty-two, sends her dog, Mochi, to a doggie daycare facility called Bark-to-Basics that is specifically tailored to the needs of small dogs. This “woman’s best friend” takes field trips to the beach, long walks through Stern Grove, and enjoys playtime with other small breed dogs while her owner is at school and work.

Shura Kelly, owner of Bark-to-Basics, the dog-sitting operation she runs out of her own home, caters to many different pooches, all which weigh less than twenty pounds. But Bark-to-Basics isn’t your typical play-day at the neighbor’s house. Kelly picks up her furry clients and drives them to the facility. The day care also works with its client’s schedules and eliminates the errands owners have on their doggy-necessity list, like appointments at a vet or groomer during their stay.

Kelly’s home is fully equipped with items you wouldn’t think dogs need—her custom-landscaped backyard accommodates her canine friends with plenty of space to romp around, and a mini splash pool and slide keep the dogs entertained.

“I loved her facility. It’s so cute!” says Lozano. “It looks like somewhere you would want to send your kid.” Kelly, a certified trainer by the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International), takes care of Mochi and the other dogs for thirty-five dollars a day. She firmly believes in the benefits of marketing to her toy-sized pup niche. According to her web site, her home is solely for small dogs in order to prevent “predatory drift,” a phenomenon that Kelly has seen occur when large dogs begin to exhibit hunting characteristics while playing with small dogs. During intense play situations, some larger dogs treat smaller ones as prey rather than playmates and can turn a game of chase into a hunt.

Doggie daycares like Bark-to-Basics offer assurance to owners that their pets will be well taken care of, similar to the way many child daycares reassure parents of toddlers.

“I can’t imagine taking Mochi anywhere else,” says Lozano.

But a business such as Bark-to-Basics isn’t alone in San Francisco. Another dog and cat care center, Pet Camp, has two facilities in the Bay Area. The main campus, a twenty thousand square-foot compound, is designed to mimic urban life for the “campers” by caring for the pets the same way a San Francisco owner would. Senior Camp Counselor Mark Klaiman says Pet Camp averages one hundred and fifty-five dogs and thirty cats per day.
“People treat their dogs increasingly more and more like their children. They care for them more attentively, which in my opinion, is a good thing,” says Klaiman, a ten-year employee of Pet Camp.

Anna Chan, owner of two dogs, Sophie and Lulu, echoes this idea, “Our pups are our children, so we tend to take them everywhere.” It’s that idea that motivated Chan and her husband to start a website with a comprehensive list of dog-friendly restaurants and stores and animal adoption agencies.

Sophie, a Schnauzer-Poodle mix, and Lulu, a Chihuahua-Terrier mix, are also considered “fashionistas” by their owner’s standards. According to Chan, Sophie loves to get dressed up and both dogs wear pajamas to bed. In fact, the two pets have over forty outfits to choose from in the morning.

Stores such as Bow Wow Meow located in San Francisco and San Carlos offers a wide selection of dog and cat accessories. From fifty-dollar trench coats to hundred-dollar carry cases, the store specializes in unique pet products, from peanut butter treats to breed specific calendars.

But it doesn’t stop there. Special hotels that cater to the care of dogs and cats while their owners are out have been sprouting up everywhere. Customers of the Wag Hotel on 14th Street in San Francisco get more than their own room. This luxury pet inn takes comfort a step beyond the common kennel. From the suites to swimming and baths to massages, Wag keeps their canine guests entertained.

And Bay Area residents like Chan who are quick to spoil their beloved pets are just as eager to protect them. Recent health problems motivated her to invest in the Veterinary Pet Insurance policy after shelling out thousands of dollars last summer in doctor’s visits, X-rays, and treatment for her pets.

VPI, an insurance provider since 1982, recently polled its policyholders and discovered ninety-six percent of its customers take their pets to see a veterinarian at least once a year. In 2005, only eighty-three percent of adult humans saw a doctor in the same time frame. And it helps that cats and dogs with insurance programs like VPI can see any vet in the country.

Plans range in price from twenty-two dollars to over four-hundred dollars, depending on the provider and the types of medical conditions that will receive discounted treatment. Currently, dogs, cats, birds, turtles, hamsters, frogs, and snakes are all eligible for insurance. From ear infections to cancer, insurance companies like VPI will pay for the treatment of dogs, while insured cats with respiratory problems or heart conditions can be taken care of. Snakes with pneumonia or spinal fractures will receive the help they need as a part of these insurance programs.

Bay Area residents are known as avid pet lovers, so providing their dogs and cats with adequate health care, day care, clothing, and high-end collars is part of that package.

Kristi Lozano, no stranger to pet pampering, laughs, “San Franciscans are crazy pet people.”

» E-mail Julie McCollough @ jmccollough

PHOTO

Crystal Suarez | staff photographer

Charlie walks around the store of Bow Wow Meow that sells treats and fashionable clothing for pets

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