It’s a dog’s life. Lucky for Nero, he’s the dog. This 100-pound Akita has his owners wrapped around his not-so-little paws. Every birthday (Jan. 23) Nero gets a huge steak with a candle on it, and his “parents,” Jamie and Tom Born, who got Nero as a pup eight years ago when they were in college, belt out a canine rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
Four years into the Borns’ marriage, Nero’s still the only baby, and he is one mightily pampered pup. On Christmas his monogrammed stocking is bursting with treats and his drooly mug beams out from the family Christmas-card photo. On Halloween, he trick-or-treats wearing bunny ears. Come rainfall, he’s slicked up in his poncho. “But don’t get me wrong,” says Jamie “I’m not crazy. I’m not buying him massages or taking him to the Caribbean.”
Nonetheless, she better hope that Nero never sees this article. If he ever finds out about all the all the cute, quirky services for pets that we’ve rounded up below, he might start ycracking the whip a little harder.
Some people do take their pets to the Caribbean. And everywhere else they travel. That’s why even the mightiest, priciest hotels are bowing down to welcome many-legged guests. Chicago’s Four Seasons Hotel has a special room service pet menu. It includes doggie delights like The Tail Wagger (shredded braised beef and steamed rice) and feline fancies like Kitty Captain’s Plate (scrambled eggs and poached salmon). Both dishes are $8. The Palmer House Hilton provides feeding bowls and chew toys.
Pets who prefer not to be cooped up in hotels full of rat-racing guests might prefer vacationing in the country. Dog Days of Wisconsin, a sleep-away summer camp for pooches and their people, offers four days of outdoor delights for $380 a person. Call 800-CAMP4DOGS.
DogGone, a newsletter for families traveling with dogs, is $24 for six bimonthly issues. Call 888-364-8728.
Unlike Nero, who just parties with his family, some pets want to invite all their friends to their birthday blowouts. Fido’s Doggie Deli in Andersonville is happy to host the event, for $15 per guest. That includes appetizer, entree, dessert, party favor and after-dinner mint. Human guests provide their own food. Call 773-465-9204.
So far Nero hasn’t posed for any professional pictures, but Jamie says it won’t be long. One place she could take him is Sutton Studios, which specializes in black-and-white art photography of pets (and possibly their owners). Most of the models are dogs, but cats, gerbils, alligators, horses and pythons have also been captured on film. Packages are $395 to $1,200. Call 847-328-0346.
Jamie walks Nero for 45 minutes every morning, even in the snow. If you’re not quite as dedicated, or you want your doggie to venture outside the city, try Doggie Daycare Inc. Unlike your typical dog-walking service, this one will pick up your pups, drive them to a six-acre, fenced-in farm field near Plainfield, then let them loose to romp, rove and wrestle the day away. Afterward, they’ll drop them home. Dogs must be fully vaccinated. One day a week of fun and Frisbee is $13; for three days a week or more it’s $12 a day. Call 773-274-PETS.
For pets with places to go and people to see, Jeannine’s Pet Taxi and Ambulance chauffeurs them between appointments. A round-trip to the vet is $30; more if the pet can’t walk. One-way trips anywhere–to weddings, birthday parties or airports–are $20. Owner Jeannine Terpening also operates a computerized lost-and-found directory for pets. She won’t house the pets, but she will put finders in touch with keepers. The owner pays a $45 fee only when a pet is found. Call 773-283-7100.
Pets who refuse to get in the car for a trip to the vet can still get the attention they need. Veterinarian Corinne Dobner makes house calls in the city and suburbs. A home visit and exam for almost any species is $40 to $55. Each additional pet at the same address is $5. That includes (when applicable) cleaning ears, checking eyes, cracking tartar off teeth. Vaccines, bloodwork and medication are extra. If X-rays or surgery are necessary, the doc will transport the pet. Call 773-478-6300.
Pets who prefer a more holistic approach to health care may benefit from acupuncture. Judith Rae Swanson, a certified veterinary acupuncturist, inserts needles–and vitamins–into several dozen dogs and cats each week.A three- to seven-minute treatment session is $45. Consultations are $60 an hour. Call 773-561-4526.
A pet’s medical bills can add up. The average pet owner spends $1,200 a year on health care, says Walter Sperr, spokesman for Pet Assure, a discount program for pet health care. Pet Assure costs $99 a year for your first pet; $79 for each additional. Call 888-789-7387.
Veterinary Pet Insurance (800-USA-PETS) is a nationwide insurance company that offers health insurance for pets.
Once a month, whether he likes it or not, your best friend needs a bath. If you don’t want to take on the chore at home, bring your dirty doggie to Scrub Your Pup, 2935 N. Clark St., a do-it-yourself dog wash, complete with large, waist-high tub, apron, towels, shampoos, brushes, blow dryers, nail clippers, nail polish and doggie cologne (there’s even Polo for the high-rent pooch), all for $15.
After cleaning up his act, your pup can unwind with biscuits. Call 773-348-6218.
And if you feel as if you and your pet just haven’t been connecting lately, or you can’t figure out what your pet is out of sorts about, it could be time to call in an interspecies telepathic communicator. For $35 an hour, April Prager will meld minds with doggies, kitties, bunnies, horseys, iguanas or whatever other beastie lives in your house.
With your pet’s photograph in hand and its ears on the other end of the phone line, Prager says she picks up on its mental pictures, and helps you understand why it’s depressed or frustrated. Homeopathic remedies are $10 a pop.
Prager says she can mentally take pets back to another time or place where their emotions may be stuck, and help unstick them. She says she can even communicate with pets who have died. Prager can be reached in Lexington, Ky., at 606-254-1791; and for a free list of pet psychics nationwide, contact Pegasus Publications, P.O. Box 1060, Point Reyes, Calif. 94956 (415-663-1247).
Speaking of pets in the great beyond, somebody’s gotta take care of the people who are left behind when their pets eventually pass on. Roxanne Phillips, a psychotherapist in Rogers Park, helps pet owners deal with grief connected with the loss of a pet. Counseling is $35 an hour. Call 773-973-3966.
