Have you noticed that most pets have human names now? You hear more dogs, cats, birds and goats addressed as Jack, Leo, Olivia or Ozzie and fewer called Chief, Shadow or Fluffy. Americans love their pets and are expected to spend over $50 billion on them in 2011. In the Valley dozens of businesses cater to animals and their owners, from groomers and pet supply stores to veterinary clinics, pet walkers and pet cemeteries.
Sixty-two percent of American households have at least one pet. Those household account for 78 million dogs and 86 million cats, plus millions of fish and birds. Our attachment to pets is evident in Harley-Davidson’s branded pet clothing and the doggie fountains installed in Valley parks. Half of American pet owners consider their animals part of the family and spare no expense on their medical and nutritional care.
“I hear people say their dogs are better behaved than their children or that they are closer to them then their kids,” Pretty Paws owner Chris Morris said. “Pets are like their four-legged children and people take good care of them.”
Morris opened her pet grooming and spa service two years ago after managing a veterinarian’s office for 12 years. “It was time to be my own boss. I love animals and this was something I could do easily and open up quickly,” she said. Nail trimming and haircuts, baths and spa package facials are just the start of pampering pooches and other pets. “Mohawks are in right now, and people are getting into pet hair dyes and nail art with decals. We do bling on nails just like mommy has.”
Morris prefers a small, three-person operation like hers, because she gets to talk to every client. She points out bumps and lumps and bugs she has found to the pet owner. “People don’t always know that something is a problem.”
A Pretty Paws sign notes that dog haircuts cost more than people’s for 10 reasons including the facts that people rarely bite their hairdressers and they have brushed and washed their hair since the last time they had it done professionally. Yet people willingly spend money on their pets. “Quite a few dogs get groomed every two weeks, especially those of older clients who can’t handle baths or nail trimming at home,” Morris said. She stopped to talk calmly yet firmly to a chow that was being shampooed in a deep tub. Male dogs leave with a scarf tied around their neck while females get bows on their ears.
This fall Morris’s company will open Furry Friends Animal Hospital next door, addressing a need she has seen for additional vets with more economical pricing.
All in the family
Allison Tewell-Merritt’s father Dr. Howard Tewell bought the San Benito Animal Hospital when she was 10. She soon realized she had inherited his love for animals. Dr. Tewell-Merritt, whose father died in her last year of veterinary school, bought the practice and continued the family tradition.
Whether it’s a purebred dog from a kennel or a mixed breed from the Humane Society, a pet is often a person’s closest companion. “Especially people who don’t have kids or their kids are off to college, they want their pets treated like family,” Dr. Tewell-Merritt said. Chihuahuas are the most numerous of indoor breeds she sees, while pit bulls outnumber the other outdoor dogs. Responsible pet ownership includes spaying or neutering and making sure that dogs get heartworm medication. The endemic disease is transmitted by mosquitos and can kill dogs.
Some vet clinics like Mission Veterinary Hospital, offer ultrasound diagnostics, while others specialize in specific animal surgeries.
Animals Galore is known for its holistic, non-gluten pet foods, according to manager J.B. Walters, whose sister Irazema Walters has owned the business for 20 years. “The majority of our clients come in for first time asking why their dog is scratching so much. They come back after trying one of our natural foods for a month and say the dog does not have excessive shedding or scratching anymore.”
The store carries guinea pigs (“A good starter pet for young children or someone in an apartment) along with specialized shampoos and dog tee-shirts and hoods. “Because nowadays doggies have to have a wardrobe too,” Walters said. “Dogs aren’t usually chained up outside anymore.” Instead they have comfy beds and carriers and lots of attention.
“I try to go beyond running a pet store,” Walters said after talking to people who had found a wild turtle. He told them they needed to release the Texas tortoise to the wild. Texas Parks & Wildlife visits Animals Galore and other pet stores regularly to make sure things are on the up and up, such as having health certificates on breeder-raised parrots.
Finding a pet
“My husband and I have done animal rescue for 15 years,” said Linda Smith. “Smith Ranch Kennels is just an extension of our love for animals.”
The kennels, on 25 acres outside of Los Fresnos, boards dogs only. It does not breed them.
Smith works with Brownsville Paws and the Humane Society of Harlingen trying to find homes for rescued animals. She brought dogs to Tractor Supply in San Benito for the store’s first pet adoption day. “People know they are looking for a collie or a big dog or an inside dog,” she said. She handed out applications to people interested in adopting one of the dogs. “I’m relatively picky on where I place a dog. I don’t want them coming back.” She suggested people look on petfinders.com for dogs available for adoption. Nearby La Feria 4-H Club volunteers maintained a watering station for pets traveling with shoppers and the animals up for adoption.
Inside Tractor Supply, pet supplies account for about 40 percent of the San Benito store’s total sales. “We sell more Pedigree dog food than any other Tractor Supply in the country,” said Stephen Diamond. “Nobody is near us in terms of sales,” about 50 and 60 pallets of 50 pound bags per month.
People are looking for gluten free pet feed, Diamond said. “They have shifted to free choice, letting the pet eat when hungry during the day instead of gobbling it at feeding time.”
Ducks, rabbits, horses, donkeys, goats, reptiles, dogs and cats are pets that win someone’s hearts. Pet owners admire, care for, talk to and most of all enjoy the pleasure of their company.
September print cover story by Eileen Mattei.