Local businesses that cater to pets not seeing decline in demand for services

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Kim Bobka takes her dog Lightning for a walk outside of her home where she runs her business Teacher's Pet K-9 School in Sycamore. Bobka is in the process of having a new facility built on the property to accommodate the expansion of her business. (Rob Winner – rwinner@daily-chronicle.com)

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All the buzz this year has been about scaling back and cutting down, but in many families, the sacrifices don't extend to Fido and Fluffy.

Despite the recession, U.S. spending on pet products and services remains strong. The American Pet Products Association estimates that Americans will spend $45.4 billion on their pets this year, up from $43.2 billion in 2008. The lion's share of that spending will be on food, but people will spend $10.2 billion on supplies and $3.4 billion on services like grooming and training.

Clients at Huckleberry's Pet Parlor in Sycamore haven't changed their spending habits, owner Jenny Kingren said. The business offers grooming, boarding and doggie day care, and the only change Kingren has noticed is that some clients are spreading grooming appointments a little farther apart. Business at the self-serve pet wash, where people use Huckleberry's facilities to bathe their pets themselves, is also up.

"People are spending about the same as they were," Kingren said. "Pet grooming is part of a pet's health. They're part of the family; you wouldn't want unhealthy children, and people don't want unhealthy pets."

The nation's largest pet specialty retail chain, PetSmart, reported net sales in its stores were up 5.4 percent in the second quarter this year over last year, and sales of pet services like grooming were up 10.2 percent. The company made $39 million in net income in the second quarter of 2009, up from $37.2 million in the second quarter of 2008.

Kimberly Bobka is in the process of expanding her Sycamore canine business. For 16 years, Bobka has owned Teacher's Pet K-9 School, which offers training, boarding, pet sitting and day care. By the end of the month she plans to open a new 3,000-square-foot facility that will let her expand her offerings and add grooming to the mix.

"Times have changed. People see pets as part of the family," Bobka said. "Mine are my children. People are willing to spend more to make sure their pets are cared for properly by credentialed and experienced people."

The demand for pet boarding has slowed slightly as more people choose to spend their vacations at home, Bobka said, but otherwise it's business as usual and seemed like the right time to expand.

"It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time," Bobka said.

According to the American Pet Products Association, 62 percent of U.S. homes include a pet, with dogs leading the pack at 45.6 million homes. Spending trends include a growing focus on earth-friendly products and on stress busters like canine massage and feline aromatherapy. There also is an increase in the number of people who take their pets with them when they travel, corresponding to a rise in the number of pet-friendly hotels, the association reports.

By the Numbers


$45.4 billion – will be spent on pets this year, up from $43.2 billion in 2008

Of that, $10.2 billion will be spent on supplies and $3.4 billion on on services like grooming and training.

Source: American Pet Products Association
 

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