Many owners refuse to cut back on care of furry companions
Cookie Coco Chanel's owner is feeling the sting of the recession -- her real estate business has dropped off more than 50 percent.
But for the chocolate-colored Chihuahua, the good life goes on interrupted -- a twice-monthly oatmeal-aloe vera bath, doggie cheesecake, a professional blow dry.
"We make little sacrifices to keep our animals in a healthy lifestyle," explained Cookie's owner, Dominica Cece, 48, a North Sider who says she spends about $5,000 annually caring for her two dogs and three cats.
Cookie is hardly the only pet oblivious to the worst global downturn since the Great Depression. The American Pet Products Association predicts Americans will spend about $45.4 billion on their pets this year, up $2.2 billion over 2008. Petco and Petsmart, which together have about 2,100 stores nationwide, both say business has been good, although not exceptional, during the recession.
"The fact of the matter is people still love their pets, and just because the economy changes, that doesn't change," said Petco spokeswoman Brooke Simon.
Joel Spainhour owns Tucker Pup's, a West Loop business that offers dog grooming, boarding, day care and training. Last October, business was dreadful -- but only temporarily, Spainhour said.
"We just had a huge amount of cancellations for day care and especially for boarding, because so many people canceled their business trips and personal trips," Spainhour said. But people were, in fact, postponing trips, not canceling them.
"Now, [business] is stronger than it's ever been," Spainhour said.
Still, it isn't all good news for the family pooch. Some pet owners, particularly those who have recently lost a job, are cutting back on pet health care.
"We're seeing a drop in some of the preventative care, and we're seeing an increase in some of the diseases that could have been prevented," said Lenette DiCiaula, a veterinarian at Portage Park Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic.
When money's tight, DiCiaula said, patients may not be able to afford "the gold standard." "We try to work with people and try to address the most important issues," she said.
At Famous Fido and Happy Tails in Andersonville, Cookie was experiencing the platinum standard Monday afternoon. She'd just enjoyed a beef-carrot-and-peas entree, followed by turkey meatballs and a slice of doggie cheesecake. But something was making the tiny dog snarl.
"You've got a few little issues you've got to work out," her owner, Cece, cooed.
A few feet away, Benji, a freshly clipped and washed Wheaten terrier, was sniffing the ground.
Benji's owner, Patricia Rollins, a 67-year-old retired banker who lives on the North Side, said she couldn't imagine cutting back on her dog's grooming.
"For one thing, he sleeps with me, so it keeps germs and the dirt off the bed," Rollins said. "They clean his ears and his butt -- and I wouldn't even know how to start to do that."