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After three new pet care businesses opened shop in March, it’s safe to say Webster has gone to the dogs.
The pet care, food and grooming industry has proven recession proof, according to the American Pet Products Association, with an estimated $50.84 billion spent on furry companions this year. But only time will tell if these business owners are barking up the wrong tree.
Daycare and Spa
“I’ve always liked dogs,” Debbie Hansen, owner of Hansen’s Doggy Daycare and Spa, said. “I wanted to go to vet school, but I couldn’t deal with the euthanizing.”
So instead, she worked in retail before going to grooming school. License in hand, she started grooming friend’s dogs out of her Penfield home. Her clientele grew, spurring her to open the Empire Boulevard location. The spacious dog area is big enough for 20 dogs — 10 big, 10 small — and provides lots of activities to tire the pups out during the day as their parents are at work.
“If I was to put my dog in a daycare, I would want it to be homey,” she said.
Pet boarding and daycare was the biggest rising trend in pet services, only behind vet and food in 2010.
And behind the shop, a full grooming salon awaits the dogs, keeping them pretty and perfect, from their hair to their paws. “Pawdicures” or leaving decals on the dog’s nails, are also available. With pet owners treating their dog as their children, Hansen says the mix of the industries is a perfect fit.
“This is a dream of mine,” she said.
Gourmet Treats
Take your four-pawed pal down the road to the village, where two businesses opened in the same space, providing the ultimate pet pampering experience.
A Barker’s Dozen opened shop on North Avenue, after operating online and from owner Gabriella Martinez’s Greece home for years. The bakery offers dog treats fit for royalty.
The business began as a fundraiser as Martinez, an RIT alumna, tried to raise money for a sick dog’s foster mom at work. When the treats, which are decorated well enough for any two-legged friends to yearn for, became popular, she started selling at fairs, wholesale and online.
A couple dozen varieties of the gourmet treats sit in the display case, waiting for the dogs to come in and pick their own. All of the bakery treats are pet-safe, free of wheat corn soy and use carob, for that chocolate taste. Designs are based on the season, from the Easter Bunny, butterflies or dinosaurs, with lots of frosted treats in between. Martinez offers birthday cakes for the dogs, too.
After three new pet care businesses opened shop in March, it’s safe to say Webster has gone to the dogs.
The pet care, food and grooming industry has proven recession proof, according to the American Pet Products Association, with an estimated $50.84 billion spent on furry companions this year. But only time will tell if these business owners are barking up the wrong tree.
Daycare and Spa
“I’ve always liked dogs,” Debbie Hansen, owner of Hansen’s Doggy Daycare and Spa, said. “I wanted to go to vet school, but I couldn’t deal with the euthanizing.”
So instead, she worked in retail before going to grooming school. License in hand, she started grooming friend’s dogs out of her Penfield home. Her clientele grew, spurring her to open the Empire Boulevard location. The spacious dog area is big enough for 20 dogs — 10 big, 10 small — and provides lots of activities to tire the pups out during the day as their parents are at work.
“If I was to put my dog in a daycare, I would want it to be homey,” she said.
Pet boarding and daycare was the biggest rising trend in pet services, only behind vet and food in 2010.
And behind the shop, a full grooming salon awaits the dogs, keeping them pretty and perfect, from their hair to their paws. “Pawdicures” or leaving decals on the dog’s nails, are also available. With pet owners treating their dog as their children, Hansen says the mix of the industries is a perfect fit.
“This is a dream of mine,” she said.
Gourmet Treats
Take your four-pawed pal down the road to the village, where two businesses opened in the same space, providing the ultimate pet pampering experience.
A Barker’s Dozen opened shop on North Avenue, after operating online and from owner Gabriella Martinez’s Greece home for years. The bakery offers dog treats fit for royalty.
The business began as a fundraiser as Martinez, an RIT alumna, tried to raise money for a sick dog’s foster mom at work. When the treats, which are decorated well enough for any two-legged friends to yearn for, became popular, she started selling at fairs, wholesale and online.
A couple dozen varieties of the gourmet treats sit in the display case, waiting for the dogs to come in and pick their own. All of the bakery treats are pet-safe, free of wheat corn soy and use carob, for that chocolate taste. Designs are based on the season, from the Easter Bunny, butterflies or dinosaurs, with lots of frosted treats in between. Martinez offers birthday cakes for the dogs, too.
Many items are on the shelves for that perfect puppy present too, as birthday hats, Webster-made pet clothing and custom-made gift baskets await the canine customers.
“I saw this as an opportunity for a place people could go,” she said. “It’s a place to hang out with your dog, it’s supposed to be a pet-friendly place.”
And during those dog days of summer, dog gelato treats are available.
“It’s fun because you get to come in and your dog gets to pick out their treat,” she said.
Capturing Memories
But on the other side of the shop, Luminaria Photography has set up a studio. Owner Michelle Macirella’s full-service studio ranges from canines to kids, but pet photography holds a special place in her heart.
“I love dogs,” she said. “Partly because we adopted a dog last year, but dogs are part of your family. The owners get just as excited about photos of their dogs as parents of babies do.”
Macirella will work alongside A Barker’s Dozen, providing photo packages to the pets coming in for special treats.
Her dog, Bear, is a “photographer’s dog.” During shoots, like one that partnered with a contest on A Barker’s Dozen Facebook page last month, Bear will sit still until the photos are set. The shoot, Top Dog, brought birthday hats and cakes to the table for the pups. Though some were a little distracted, Bear sat still until Macirella was set with the photos.
“He just sat there with a party hat on,” she said. “My dog never left.”
This week, the trend
With more than 72.9 million people owning pets in the country, the pet business remains booming, growing each year. While grooming, photography and customized bakeries are growing trends, don’t be surprised to see more businesses putting their paw into the game, too.
The American Pet Products Association says the biggest trends will deal with green efforts, from natural litters, organic foods and earth-friendly pet products. Pampering the pets will continue, too, with pet-friendly hotels and big-name companies offering lines of pet products, too. Paul Mitchell and Old Navy are already in on the trend.
“Pets provide us with so much: unconditional love, undying joy,” Martinez said. “This is a nice way to give back to them, to thank them.”
