This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: July 18, 2008 - Winston the Boxer lives a pretty good life. He has his own room. He only drinks chilled Dasani water. "He won't eat until the food is warmed ahead of time," says Gregg Miller of Oak Grove, Mo. "He's such a demanding little thing."
But like many pet owners around the country, Miller says, "Nothing is too good for my dog."
And that's continued to be true even during tough economic times.
"The pet industry is the No. 1 growing industry in the United States right now," says Brad Watts, marketing director with Petropolis.
Miller, who invented testicular implants for dogs (see below), called Neuticles, says business has gone up 40 percent since this time last year.
Amy Pizano, owner of Pets in the City, wasn't sure if people would still buy all natural and certified organic food for their pets.
"Every month has been a record month."
Chris Danforth, one of the owners of Kennelwood Pet Resorts, felt a little nervous that, as people cut back on vacations, they wouldn't bring their dogs for vacations of their own. But they've had the best summer ever.
And even small extravagances, like grooming, seem to be booming.
Annette Brown, the manager of Groomingdale's, checks her computer to see how many dogs are scheduled for the day. It's 35. "That's a slow day for us," she says. "Usually it's 40 to 50 dogs a day."
Despite high prices and cost cutting for most Americans, all the businesses say that pets haven't lost their goodies because they're no longer seen as pets.
"I think it's a reflection of how important pets have become," says Alan Jones, one of the owners of Kennelwood. "It's the high tech, high touch."
When people spend all day at their computers, he says, coming home to a loving animal is the exact opposite experience.
"It's like their kids," Brown says. "They're not just a dog to the people who bring the pet home."
"People are obsessed with their dogs," Miller agrees.
And they're willing to spend a lot of money. Small Business Trends, a Web publication for small business owners and entrepreneurs, predicts that Americans will spend $10.8 billion on their pets this year. That includes upgrading things such as collars and beds, spa services, doggie day cares and luxury boarding.
And St. Louis pretty much offers it all.
Kennelwood just opened new villas. The all-inclusive rooms cost $100 a night and offer a pet butler service, day camp, yappy hour, treats, TVs tuned to Animal Planet, soothing music at night, doggie mints before bed, and someone in constant contact with the owner through e-mail. (At Petropolis, boarding -- $45 a night for a large dog and $41 for a dog that weighs less than 40 pounds -- includes treats, play time and their doggie ice cream.)
At Groomingdale's, pets get the necessities, such as haircuts, but they can also get manicures, other spa services and portraits. And instead of staying at home while their owners work, dogs can attend a day care and have adventures of their own.
Then there are the Neuticles.
Miller thought up the idea when it came time to neuter his bloodhound, Buck. Everyone thought he was crazy.
"I'd say they thought I was going nuts, but that's too much of a pun."
Since, Miller says he's "Neuticled" dogs in every state and 51 countries. He believes it has helped dogs retain their self-esteem and encouraged neutering for the neuter-hesitant owners.
A pair runs from $109 for petites made of silicone to $919 for Neuticles UltraPlus.
Neuticles are also available for cats.
Small Business Trends also predicted an increase in pet health care, including "alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, massage, and behavioral therapies," and an increase in pet blogs.
Charlie the Tortoise is a new blogger, but his adventures around St. Louis are well-known.
Last year the 10-year-old, 80 pound Sulcata tortoise escaped from his home at Petropolis and wandered around Chesterfield Valley for awhile. Now, his adventures and pictures can be found at http://charliethetortoise.blogspot.com . Charlie lives at Petropolis, where they offer grooming, boarding, doggy day care (pictured at right), a bakery and ice cream parlor and a boutique.
He was a rescued animal, says Watts.
And there are many more like him.
Despite all the things people are willing to do for their animals, they should first research the breed they want, call trainers and study what kind of animal they're getting, Watts says.
"You gotta be educated and want to have a pet and treat it like it's your child," Watts says. "A lot of the people we see would give the world for their pets."
Miller sure has. When the time came to neuter Winston, Miller didn't cheap out. "He got the Neuticle UltraPlus with Scar Retard," he says.
It was the medium size.
Kristen Hare is a free-lance journalist.