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Luxury
knows no limit for pampered pets: A dog's life
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Four
Seasons Pet Resort, at 5978 Nowhere Road, offers
traditional boarding services, plus extras like massage
and other pet pampering.
By
Kimberly E. Mock
kim.mock@onlineathens.com
Published in the Athens
Banner-Herald on Friday, January 30, 2004.
|
 Greg
Bleakley, who along with his wife
owns Four Seasons Pet Resort in
Hull, speaks with a customer.
Allen Sullivan/Staff
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Rebecca
Bleakley, who along with her husband
Greg owns Four Seasons Pet Resort,
washes Chowder, a West
Highland
Terrier.
Allen Sullivan/Staff |
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For a price, they can have the best of
everything: luxurious chiffon gowns, expensive hair
treatments for a silky mane and bottled water imported
from the remote island of Fiji.
No, this isn't the life of the Hilton
sisters, but the American pet, as a growing
number of U.S. pet owners say yes to
high-end goods and services for their
beloved dogs and cats.
According to the American Pet Product
Manufacturers Association, a U.S.
not-for-profit trade organization, owners
spent some $31 billion on pet products last
year, and U.S. companies are heading the
call.
From Origins to Harley Davidson, Old Navy
to Omaha Steaks, products for pets are huge
in the U.S. consumer goods market.
Specialty pet boutiques sell cashmere sweaters by
Christian Dior and Swarovski crystal tiaras. There are
pet psychologists whose clinics treat anger management
issues in dogs and physical therapists who massage away
a cat's muscle tension. A few U.S. veterinary clinics
even offer liposuction and other cosmetic procedures for
dogs and cats.
"People are no longer pet owners, they're
pet enthusiasts,'' said Irwin Palchick, president of sales for Pet
Silk Inc., a Houston-based purveyor of
high-end grooming products for pets. On Jan. 22, that ''enthusiasm'' helped
launch a partnership between Pet Silk and
Continental Airlines, a partnership that
will provide each animal boarded in the
airline's cargo with an ''amenities''
packet. Palchick said the packet includes samples
of high-end pet treats, dental hygiene
products and of course, Pet Silk. The reason? As Palchick explained, people
crave luxury goods and services for their
animals. ''I think people are looking for luxury
items and they are enticed by them -
everybody wants to show their animals off,'' Palchick
said. ''The more things they can show them off with, the
better. I hate to say this, but there are some people
who probably spend more on their animals than on their
kids".
That craving has helped
fuel the explosion of pet products from
high-end companies like Coach and Paul
Mitchell, companies whose products
traditionally cater to the human market.
The boom in the pet goods market has
helped pet boutiques such as the
Le Chic Pet Boutique in Lithonia, which
sells $200 chiffon doggie dresses and $600
14-karat gold toggle necklaces, flourish.
The pet goods market also has changed the
offerings at businesses that offer pet
services, such as the
Four Seasons Pet Resort in Hull.
At the resort's sprawling complex,
clients can relax at the hands of Becky
Rogers, who performs pet massages, or opt
for amenities such as private walks and
''limo'' service to and from the resort's
facilities.
As co-owner Greg Bleakley said, customers
want the best for their pets.
Around 90 to 95 percent
of Four Seasons ''regulars'' come from
Athens; some travel from as far as Macon or
Atlanta.
''This is our ninth year (in business),
and during that time I have seen a definite
change away from basic boarding,'' Bleakley
said. ''The kennels that are not moving
toward the higher end are losing business.''
Bleakley said he envisions creating
''luxury suites'' at the Four Seasons in
coming years, posh accommodations that would
include wallpapered suites with private
televisions, luxury bedding and even
sterling silver water bowls.
''Clients that board with us want the
best services for their animals,'' said Bleakley. ''They want to be sure that what
they get is what they want. Many (clients)
are checking out our facilities like they
would a day care center for their child.''
But as Bleakley explained, the need for
high-end facilities, services, products and
other amenities are popular because the
family pooch isn't just a pet anymore, but a
member of the family unit.
''If you ask (people) to give up all of
the things in their (lives), the last thing
they would give up is the family dog,'' Bleakley said. ''When you look at it that
way, it makes sense that people are looking
to get their pets the absolute best.''
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