Pet Economy

Pet Economy

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_32/b4045001.htm

http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/may2009/pi20090521_054370.htm

'Despite a serious recession, the American Pet Products Assn. estimates Americans will spend $45.4 billion on pets in 2009, up 5.1% from last year and nearly double pet spending a decade ago'

'Deutsche Bank (DB) analyst Mike Baker said PetSmart beat expectations by controlling expenses and driving traffic to its stores through sales and other promotions'

'Once acquired as sidekicks for kids, animal companions are more popular now with empty-nesters, single professionals, and couples who delay having children'

'Companies from Procter & Gamble (PG ) and Nestlé (NSRGY ) to fashion brands including Polo Ralph Lauren (RL ) and thousands of small entrepreneurs are sniffing around for new opportunities in the pet sector. After consumer electronics, pet care is the fastest-growing category in retail, expanding about 6% a year'

'Del Monte has refocused staples to look more like human snacks—from Snausages breakfast treats shaped like bacon and eggs to Pup-Peroni rib snacks so appetizing that Wolford had to stop a TV anchor from popping one into his mouth on air. Even Meow Mix now comes in plastic cups rather than cans.'

'Mario DiFante, who staged New York's first Pet Fashion Week last August, has an elevated view of the place of dogs and cats in the family hierarchy. As he puts it: "Many of us consider pets as the new babies."'

'Americans now spend $9.8 billion a year on vet services. That doesn't include the over-the-counter drugs and other supplies, which add $9.9 billion in costs'

'There are even animal grief counselors to help families cope with the demise of beloved pets. Not only is state-of-the-art technology such as magnetic resonance imaging, with costs that range around $1,500 a scan, now available in small-town labs, but consumers' expectations of medical care have been transformed. They want the same best-in-class care for their pets that they want for themselves.'

'new products like Pfizer Inc.'s (PFE ) dog-obesity drug Slentrol, which will cost $1 to $2 a day. Reconcile, a new drug from Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY ) for "canine separation anxiety," is based on the active ingredients in Prozac'

'Drugmakers love the category because, compared with human drugs, there's less risk of liability, less competition, and less pressure to switch to generics because so few consumers carry pet insurance'

'for some pet lovers, no medical procedure is too extreme. Plastic surgeons offer rhinoplasty, eye lifts, and other cosmetic procedures to help tone down certain doggy features, from droopy eyes to puggish noses. Root canals, braces, and even crowns for chipped teeth are also becoming more popular.'

'Eric Olander paid $500 for a plane ticket to get a stray chow chow mix from Atlanta to his home in Los Angeles'





Donate animal carcasses to Vet School

http://newsok.com/city-might-donate-animal-carcasses/article/3408788


Your pet has a bigger carbon footprint that your car

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/26/your-pet-has-a-bigger-carbon-footprint-than-your-car/