May 14, 2013 6 min read

1 / 8

Frisky, a Jack Russell terrier-beagle mix, sprints accross the gated field outside Town and Country Kennels in Claysville. The dogs can roam outside the kennels in the gated area, freely enjoying the green grass and nice weather.

Katie Roupe / O-R

2 / 8

Melissa Graham grooms Jake, a mini Australian shephard at Town & Country Kennels. Dogs can also get groomed during their stay at the kennels.

Katie Roupe / O-R

3 / 8

0427_MAG_tckennels_01 Katie Roupe / Observer-Reporter Melissa Graham takes Sam, a Beagle, on a walk outside the property of Town & Country Kennels in Claysville. Dogs that visit the kennels can enjoy walks by a creek or lake to enjoy the weather.

4 / 8

Valerie Mahoney, a graduate of Washington & Jefferson College, creates pet portraits to raise money for law school.

Katie Roupe / O-R

5 / 8

Valerie Mahoney creates her portraits with pastels. This one is a work in progress. She uses a picture of the pet to work from.

Katie Roupe / O-R

6 / 8

Valerie Mahoney works on a portrait. She sells them for less than $100 each.

Katie Roupe / O-R

7 / 8

Lorraine Koval bakes four trays of dog treats every weekend to sell locally and online. She makes three sizes and sells a four-ounce bag for $4.

Katie Roupe / O-R

8 / 8

Lorraine Koval’s P.Nut Butter Bones are treats for dogs. Koval packages them up in a variety of sizes and is known to give dogs passing by on her walks a sample of her treats.

Katie Roupe / O-R

[expand]

close

From healthy treats and fancy clothes to pet portraits and luxurious spas, Americans love to spend money on their pets.

These days, pet owners are spending more money on their furry friends than ever before.

According to the American Pet Products Association, a trade group based in Greenwich, Conn., animal lovers in the United States spent $53 billion on pet services in 2012, nearly doubling the amount they shelled out in 2001, when consumers spent $28.5 billion.

Pet ownership is at an all-time high: 68 percent of households own an animal.

That’s good news for area pet businesses.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes in the types of dogs people have over the years and also in the care their owners give them – from going from a once-a-year bath to having them groomed on a regular basis,” said Melissa Krane-Graham, owner of Town and Country Dogs, a boarding kennel and grooming salon situated on a beautiful farm in Claysville. “A lot of people never would have considered boarding a cat in the past, but there’s a definite trend. The whole pet industry has grown by leaps and bounds. It’s one of the more recession-proof industries.”

According to the APPA, spending on services like grooming, boarding, hotels and pet-sitting grew nearly 10 percent during 2012 to almost $4.4 billion. Results of the APPA’s 2011-12 national pet owner survey showed that, on average, a dog owner annually spent about $250 on routine veterinarian care, $275 on kennel boarding, $73 on grooming, $70 on food treats and $40 on toys.

Other pet services have sprung from owners’ love for their animals. Valerie Mahoney of Washington owns Pets in Pastel, a pet portrait business specializing in pastel artwork.

Mahoney, 22, a 2012 Washington & Jefferson College graduate who will attend Duquesne University School of Law in the fall, didn’t plan her foray into pet portraiture, but it’s helping her pay college expenses.

For a Christmas gift in 2011, Mahoney created a portrait of an award-winning Spanish-Norman horse named Brach for owner Kristin Hermann of Chartiers Township.

“It’s absolutely gorgeous. I loved it,” said Hermann, who is Mahoney’s riding instructor. “We pushed her to start a website when we saw how talented she was.”

Mahoney is an animal lover who has owned and rescued dogs, horses, rabbits and all other sorts of pets since she was a little girl.

“I love being around animals, so it makes sense to do this and earn a little money,” said Mahoney. “I’m such a perfectionist with my artwork. The important part is capturing the personality.”

Mahoney, who painted Canon-McMillan High School’s Hall of Honor mural, works from photos of the pets she is sketching, and she sells most of her creations for about $75.

Hers isn’t the only business that’s blossoming. These days, high-end foods, bedding, toys, clothing and accessories also are popular.

Lorraine Koval of Washington, who owns P.Nut Butter Bones, a 10-year-old company that makes homemade healthy dog treats, attributes the increase in people’s spending to their ideas about the role that pets play in our lives. For doting pet owners, their pets have become part of the family.

“My children treat their dogs the same way they treat their children,” said Koval, who has owned Doberman pinschers and rottweilers. “People are willing to buy better and healthier food for their pets, without all of the chemicals and processed ingredients you can’t even pronounce.”

Every weekend, Koval bakes hundreds of dog treats, which she sells at The Springhouse, Pleasant Valley Animal Clinic in McMurray, Precious Paws in Bridgeville and on her Etsy website, www.etsy.com/shop/peanutbutterbones. The peanut butter treats, which contain no added sugars and are preservative-free, cost as little as $4.25 for a four-ounce box containing about 20 treats.

At Town and Country, Krane-Graham treats her canine friends with great care and has a gift for making them feel comfortable and relaxed. She plays classical music for the animals: Decades of owning the kennel have taught her that Mozart and his contemporaries calm them, while country music makes them sad, and hard rock agitates them.

Her business offers resting benches, large play areas and walks, including strolls to a large pond on the property, where the adventuresome, athletic dogs swim in the summer – while wearing life jackets.

“I like to say the dogs come here for some rest and relaxation, and I make sure they get that. You want them to be stress-free and to give them the attention they would get at home,” said Krane-Graham.

And, she notes, pet owners worry that their pet friends are in good hands.

“Good care from pet owners is much more prevalent than it used to be,” she said. “Some of the pampering can be over the top. I chuckle sometimes when I see people bring things for their dog when they’re boarding. I call it guilt food. They might bring fully cooked chicken from Giant Eagle or a big bowl of spaghetti. And they’ll bring in raincoats, sweaters and boots, and favorite toys. It’s cute. It’s encouraging to see people love their pets so much.”

Jackie Jones of Houston doesn’t mind spending money on Penny, her 6-month-old dachsund-Yorkshire terrier mix.

She enjoys shopping at local stores that sell dog clothes to buy pretty dresses and sweaters for Penny. At Christmas, Penny sported a Santa outfit.

Jones also buys toys and treats for Penny and Auggie, Jones’ 12-year-old mixed breed dog. In fact, Jones bought a trailer for the back of her bike so Auggie, who doesn’t get around easily anymore, can ride along on the Montour Trail and other bike routes.

Jones said she has to buy leashes about once a month because Penny chews them.

There appears to be no end in sight for people’s love affair with their pets, and the APPA predicts another 4 percent gain this year.

That means more work for businesses owners like Mahoney, who was recently hired by dog breeder Lindy Whyte of Canton Township to paint a portrait of her 130-pound bullmastiff.

“As a dog breeder and someone who’s involved in the animal world, I’ve seen lots of animal paintings. But Valerie’s are special. Valerie’s painting of Brach spoke to me. Her art portrays the soul of the horse,” Whyte said.

Part of the appeal of the portraits – and the attraction to treat pets so well – is how much owners love their pets.

“When I was growing up, we never had dogs in the house. Now I can’t imagine not having a dog inside and treating it like part of the family,” said Jones. “They just love you. No matter what, they’re there for you. They just want to be loved. The joy and companionship they give you can’t be measured.”