Pampered Pets: People treating animals more like children

The amount of money Americans spend on their pets has nearly doubled over the past decade, and several local business owners are benefiting from that. Pet owners in the United States spent about $17 billion on their animals in 1994 and are expected to spend $34.3 billion this year, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, the industry's leading trade association. The anticipated $34.3 billion includes animals' food, medical needs, grooming and new services, such as day care, acupuncture and pet insurance. Tammie Cross was worried she wouldn't have customers for the doggie day care and dog birthday parties she began offering last year through Fun and Games Dog Training in Sycamore. Instead, she found several clients