GetOut Magazine

Pet worth: Where to pamper Fido
By MICHELLE BURGESS
Get Out
Nov. 14, 2002

Juan Carlos is a privileged only child. Joined at the hip with mummy, he tools around Scottsdale in a top-of-the-line car seat and, when not in the car, prefers being carried to walking.

Nevermind that Juan Carlos is a 2-month-old Chihuahua. He is as much Laura Telliers baby, she says, as a two- legged variety would be.

He goes everywhere with me, says Tellier, who has brought Juan Carlos to the little familys favorite haunt, Mackies Parlour in Scottsdale's Hilton Village, to help his canine cousin (a corgi-lab mix) shop for hiking booties.

Your pet is more than a pet; it is your child, says Tellier, who spends $150 to $250 per week at Mackies, an upscale pet boutique known for its doggy coats and sweaters, as well as unique items for pets and the people who love them. You can dress it up and take it out. Its your little baby, so show it off.

There are plenty who would say Tellier is a little overboard. But there are plenty more as evidenced by the brisk business at Mackies and the popularity of pet resorts, pet spas, pet photographers and the Animal Planet cable network who wholeheartedly agree with her.

A good number of them will be in attendance this weekend at one of the pet happenings going on, including Going to the Dogs in Style, a fashion show Saturday in Mackies parking lot, and a Friday night lecture and Saturday workshop on pet astrology by The Pet Counselor Kay Cox.

Their pets are their children

Owners of Mackies Parlour for the past year, Vince Angioli and Tony Bolling say Telliers devotion is far from unusual.

You have single people, empty- nesters, busy professionals and others who make no bones about it: Their pets are their children, says Angioli, who with Bolling owns a pair of Norwich terriers. Pets are big pieces of peoples lives, and they want them included just like any other member of the family.

To that end, he and Bolling are considering adding a party room on to their small boutique. They already are nearly booked for Santa photos and even have a registry for the coming out parties some are now throwing as a means of introducing their new pets to friends and family.

Angioli says they get travelers in the store desperate to find the perfect souvenir to take home to their pet, as well as those looking for a snazzy sweater for their dog to wear to the office on Take Your Pet to Work Day, a new phenomenon.

I even heard of a woman planning to go to Europe, he says, "who got to the airport and then told her husband that she just couldnt go because she didnt want to leave the dog behind. She stayed home and sent him on the trip without her.

So what's your dog's sign?

Kay Cox sees nothing wrong with that kind of devotion. In fact, she spends a great deal of her time professionally helping loving pet parents develop a better relationship with the kids.

Dogs and cats understand a lot more than we give them credit for, says Cox, who has hosted The Pet Corner on KTAR (620 AM). She is also the author of What Your Pet Is Trying to Tell You and works as a consultant and astrologer for pet owners whose animals need help with behavioral or emotional issues.

Cox says she knows a lot of people roll their eyes at what she does. Once they meet her and hear what she has to say, however, many of them change their tunes, she says.

They will start out with Yeah, right, astrology, she says. And then I do what I do, and they go, Oh my gosh, its him! Youre describing my dog! How did you know?

Cox says her newest mission is to get breeders to record birth time and birth order for all of the puppies and kittens born into their care. That way, she says, she can put together a more accurate, complete astrological analysis.

It really does help them, she says of her work. Ive gone out on a lot of calls where animals have trashed the place and the owners are at their wits end. They pay me $250, and I show them how to solve the problem. In the long run, it actually saves them money.

Picture this: pet portraits

For some, saving money is a priority. For others, the sky is the limit when it comes to providing for Fifi or Fido.

Going on vacation and simply cant bring your dog along? Check him into Raintree Pet Resort (22595 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, ), where he can lounge in an air- conditioned suite equipped with a color television. Need an updated portrait of your kitty kiddie? Commission a local artist, or drop into Camelback Photography (10636 N. 71st Way, Scottsdale, ), where Peter Pagriotta will capture it in all its furry splendor.

Pagriotta says his business shoots (with a camera, naturally) 800 to 1,000 pets every year.

We get ferrets and birds and even a snake once, he says. Most are dogs and cats, of course. People just want us to get the personality of the animal. Ive had clients, especially with poodles, who paint their nails and spray them with perfume.

IF YOU GO

What: Kay Cox speaks on animal astrology
Where: Scottsdale Senior Center, 7375 E. Second St.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
How much: $4 for members of the Arizona Society of Astrologers, $10 for nonmembers
Info:

What: 'Pets Are People Too,' workshop by Kay Cox
Where: Building 4 of the Scottsdale Senior Center, 7375 E. Second St.
When: 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday
How much: $10 for members of the Arizona Society of Astrologers, $15 for nonmembers
Info:

What: Going to the Dogs in Style, fashion show showcasing dog fashions and womens fashions to benefit Animal Welfare League
Where: Hilton Village parking lot, 6107 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
How much: Free
Info:

What: Photos with Santa
Where: Mackies Parlour, 6107 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
When: Dec. 6-8
How much:$15 for each pose
Info: ; reservations required