VOL. 36 | NO. 8 | Friday, February 24, 2012
A business' best friend
By Linda Bryant
Eva Wood spent $15,000 on her three dogs last year, and it wasn’t on diamond-studded collars. The biggest chunk of Wood’s pet-related expenditures was for boarding her dogs at My Second Home Pet Resort in Franklin.
Wood, an attorney in the compliance department at HCA who travels frequently, is among the throngs of Middle Tennessee residents willing and able to spend money on their pets.
It’s not just a local trend; it’s a national craze.
The market for pet products and services – and the capacity for the economy to incorporate new pet-related businesses – has grown dramatically in the past five years. The industry has increased $2-5 billion a year since 1994, powering through two recessions and the economic malaise since the economic crash of 2008. It is expected to increase another $2 billion or more in 2012.
What’s driving the pet-friendly phenomenon?
Wood, who’s single and has no children, says it’s the need to love and be loved. Her pets are her family, lifeline and help her cope with the world in a healthy way.
“I have been open about having depression,” Wood says. “My dogs keep me sane and grounded.”
When boarding at My Second Home, Wood’s three pooches – a Pomeranian, Labrador-Siberian Husky mix and Australian Shepard – are treated with great care. There are no concrete floors or chain link fences.
The dogs stay in “suites” with fresh bedding, a webcam, carpet, purified air and soothing music. They are fed holistic pet food, taken on regular walks and enjoy two hours of play time a day with other dogs.
A stay for all three dogs isn’t cheap; the bill typically runs about $110 a day. Wood also spends money during the year for arthritis medication for one dog. Another pet is allergic to meat, which means Wood also spends extra on a specific dog food made of whitefish and sweet potatoes.
She says the money spent on her dogs is “more than worth it.”
“My ‘girls’ are really big help with my depression and anxiety,” she says. “They bring a smile to my face. If anything happened to me there would be no one there to take care of them, and I’m really aware of that.”
There are plenty of other local pet owners willing to pay good money to keep their pets healthy and happy. Middle Tennessee is teaming with pet-friendly businesses and amenities – dog bakeries, pet spas and day cares, sitting services, dog parks, pet-friendly hotels, motels and restaurants, photography studios and supply stores.
Mark Schottland jumped into the industry two years ago after walking away from a corporate job as a money market analyst. Schottland, who owns Dogtopia of Nashville, a day care, spa and boarding facility for dogs on Eighth Avenue South, says the decision to start a pet-friendly business worked on two levels.
“I looked at the business model and numbers and I really saw how they worked,” Schottland says. “It was clear to me that daycare was an up and coming thing, a great opportunity.
“My wife and I are also pet people; we have two Siberian huskies,” Schottland says. “We found a business we can be passionate about, one that fits us. I had a happy parting of the ways with my corporate job, and I haven’t regretted it at all.”
Dogtopia offers overnight boarding and pet-grooming, but has a specialty is taking in dogs during the day so that they can socialize and play with other canine companions. Schottland says the day care service is usually booked solid. Some dogs visit every day, others just a couple of times a month.
“Our customers typically don’t want their pets to be at home alone all day,” Schottland says. “They love it that their dogs won’t be fenced in here and that they’ll be out in social groups and getting a lot of attention.”
Schottland’s customers are a mix of singles, couples without children, some families and baby boomers. In his 30s, he speculates on the psychology of pet-adoration among his 20- and 30-something peers.
“When you think about starting a family, one of the first things that you have to face is that a college education is going to cost $20,000 a year,” he says. “I think it’s easier for many of us to have pets at first.”
Catering to pet lovers is a valid way of differentiating a business in a busy, loud landscape of competitors, says Nashville-based photographer, Adrian Hitt.
Hitt was struggling with wedding and portrait photography business until she decided to specialize in dog photography two years ago.
“The competition among wedding photographers in Nashville is intense,” Hitt said. “When I started specializing in dogs, it transformed my business. I think it really helps to have niche.”
Hitt’s success is notable. She’s been named the city’s best pet photographer two years in a row in a magazine poll and has had photos featured in Pedigree advertisements and magazines including People, Professional Photographer, Nashville Lifestyles and Nashville Paw.
Ellen Huxtable, a national expert on identifying market trends and CEO of Chicago-based Advantage Business Concepts, believes Americans will continue to spend big bucks on their pets, whether it’s for the latest treatment for canine cancer or a gourmet treat.
“Pets have come to be viewed as members of the family, and are treated accordingly,” Huxtable says. “Look at the growing number of products you can buy for your pets. Look at the rise of dog parks; there’s 34 percent increase, while parks overall increase is three percent.
“Our relationships have changed with pets,” she adds. “There are now more households with pets in the United States than there are households with children.”
Veterinary bills also account for a big chunk of the multi-billion dollar pet services industry.
Pamela Coyle, a Nashville-based blogger and CEO of Content that Connects, spent about $6,000 in an attempt to save her dog Pilgrim after he was hit by a car and suffered a pelvis with multiple fractures. Advancement in veterinary medicine made it possible, although and expensive and risky, to try to save the Chow-mix mutt’s life.
“I never thought I’d be the person to spend that kind of money on a pet,” Coyle says. “We just couldn’t put him down. His injuries were serious but they weren’t internal. He wasn’t a bloody mess, so we figured he had a chance.”
Pilgrim did survive, although he’s not nearly as mobile as he once was. The vet bill included charges for surgery, medications and several months of intense physical therapy and rehab.
Taking care of Pilgrim took over Coyle’s life for several months.
“I don’t regret doing it, but can’t honestly say I would do it again,” Coyle says.” It really depends on the situation and the chances of survival.”
The entire experience was a soul-searching journey for Coyle. She documented the experience over a period of four months on her blog, Pamdemonium (pamelacoyle.com/).
“Maybe we all need reminders, even if painful, to appreciate our loved ones, whether they have two legs or four, when we still have them and not take their presence in our lives for granted,” Coyle writes in her blog.
“Our pets are great teachers, in good times and hard times. They embody unconditional love. They teach us patience. If we let them, they teach us to slow down and take joy in the world around us.”