Scottsdale offers dog days, nights of summer
07.18.2008
Publication: East Valley Tribune, Date: 07.18.2008
Scottsdale is well-known for its resorts, spas and shopping. Now the city is taking pampering to new heights for its four-legged residents.
From “pawdicures” (pedicures for dog paws) to Doga (dog yoga) to a three-day “Dogathon,” being planned for downtown this fall, Scottsdale is making a name for itself by catering to the pooches.
“People want time to bond with their dog. If you give them an opportunity to do that, they will want to go,” said Jackie Bacha, 23, owner of the Oh My Dog Boutique and Spa at 7137 E. Stetson Drive in Scottsdale.
Bacha, who owns a silver standard poodle named Navar and an apricot-colored toy poodle named Penelope, has been giving Scottsdale residents plenty of chances lately to spend quality time with their pups.Working with the city’s Downtown Group and local business owners, Bacha recently launched a series of dog-centric social events that are taking place most Tuesday evenings in the Stetson Drive/SouthBridge vicinity throughout the summer.
But the biggest dog extravaganza by far is the upcoming Dogathon, which is in the process of being planned for Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 downtown, said Robin Meinhart, downtown liaison for the city’s Downtown Group.
Stryker Lampe, the founder of Dognamic — a social networking Web site for dog owners — thought the time is right to dedicate three days of festivities to the area’s canines.
“I want this to be a long-term, destination event,” said Lampe, who came up with the Dogathon concept as a way to draw people into Scottsdale’s downtown and celebrate their common love of dogs.
Lampe, of Scottsdale, envisions the inaugural Dogathon to include a number of events ranging from a free parade downtown featuring dogs dressed in Halloween costumes, to dog fashion shows, dog competitions and a dog “adoption” showcase.
The economy may be sluggish, but not when it comes to owners spending money on their beloved pets.
According to a recent study by the Greenwich, Conn.-based American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, 44.8 million U.S. households own a dog. In 2008, an estimated $43.4 billion was spent on pet-related expenses, the group reports. That’s roughly a $20 million dollar increase from a decade ago, according to the data.
“The way people are with their dogs, they will starve themselves first than change their dog’s habits,” said Lampe, who launched the Dognamic site three months ago.
Pet-themed business owners in Scottsdale say despite the higher prices at the pump, people are still splurging on their dogs.
“In Scottsdale, they love their dogs and like to pamper them, maybe more than they pamper themselves,” Hilda Bourdamis, owner of the Classy Jazzy dog boutique on Fifth Avenue, told the Tribune in April, just before she debuted the Divas and Dogs pet parade and fashion show downtown. The Divas and Dogs event featured nearly 35 dogs who strutted down the paw-printed red carpet with their owners, showing off the latest couture canine fashions.
Scottsdale dogs, it seems, also like a good pedicure and a massage, just like their owners do.
Bacha said one of the most popular requests at her dog boutique and spa is the “fur butter” deep conditioning treatment that adds shine to a dog’s hair and the “paw butter balm,” which soothes a dog’s dry, cracked paws. Those a la carte services run an extra $10 and $20, respectively, on top of the dog grooming charge, which runs between $35 and $80, depending on the size and breed of the dog and services requested.
“If you own a dog, you understand,” said Bacha. “They’re like your babies.”
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