Pampered. Privileged. Social calendars more packed with activities than an over-achieving sixth-grader.
It's a dog's life in South Florida. And between the yappy hours, pool parties and poochie haute couture, it sounds pretty darn fabulous.
So what are the fur kids around town up to? Read on — and try not to be too envious.
Paw-ty time!
Dogs are pack animals and, apparently, so are dog people. There are groups for pups and their pet parents to play bingo, go kayaking, have park play dates and eat out together.
Wine and Dine With Our K-9's (wineanddinewithourk9s.com), organized about three years ago, has 450 two-legged members who hit the cuisine hot spots in Broward and Palm Beach counties. It's a busy schedule, with about six to eight dinner dine-outs a month. Attendance ranges from a handful to up to around 25, not including the K9s. Membership is $20 annually.
Eateries are vetted in advance to make sure they are pet-friendly, said Ian Rothenberg, of Boca Raton, one of the organizers. "We insist on good behavior, but we want the dogs to have a positive experience, too," he said.
Pool parties also are a huge hit with the canine set, given that dogs are banned from the condo pool and most beaches. Arfington Pet Resort in Tamarac (arfington.com, 954-777-3647) frequently hosts private parties or fundraisers for pet rescue groups.
A closet full of clothes
Need a tuxedo or sports jersey for your bowser boy? A Swarovski-studded, tulle-skirted formal dress or yachting outfit for your fluffy favorite girl? You can get it in South Florida, which may possibly be the epicenter of canine fashion.
"It's just for fun and people do it because they love their pets," said Ashley Scouller, manager and creative director of Pucci & Catana (pucciandcatana.com, 561-833-1001).
The family-owned luxury pet boutique, with stores in West Palm Beach and Naples, offers everything from couture clothes ($100 on up) and simpler looks like a "tank top your dog or cat can wear around the house (about $12)," Scouller said.
Fashion-conscious pet parents and pets tend to skew female, "although we have men who want to squeeze their big Labs into a sports jersey," said Vaida Morali, owner of Barkers Pet Center in Fort Lauderdale (barkerspetcenter.com, 954-888-2274). The store ran out of Miami Heat pet T-shirts turning the NBA finals, and customers keep begging for extra-large sizes.
Pup portraits
Puppy's first Christmas. Flower girl with the wedding party. A dog and owner both dressed as Marilyn Monroe.
These are some of the portraits Katia Medina has taken in her eight years as a pet photographer (katiax210.wix.com/phodography-by-katia, 954-687-6413). An administrative assistant for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport runway expansion, Medina started her Phodography business as a volunteer with Broward County's animal shelter. She hoped more polished pictures of homeless animals would give them a better shot at adoption.
But soon, people were offering to pay her for photos of their pets in Halloween costumes or at birthday parties, or to document their puppies' first few months.
"A lot of them have older pets and they want a portrait in happier times, to remember them by," she said. She charges about $100 for a photo session, delivering up to 80 shots on a CD, and gives half of her Phodography profits to animal rescue groups.
Delray Beach artist Carol Ann Sherman also didn't start out as a pet portrait specialist. But she often included her own dogs in her compositions and discovered a market in what she calls Pawtraits about 10 years ago (carolannsherman.com or 561-516-0378).
Sherman prefers to visit her subjects if they live close by, snap some photos and then finish the watercolor portrait at home. Sometimes, she said her clients will confess they feel a little guilty they are spending the money, usually around $250, immortalizing their pet instead of a two-legged family member.
via www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-online-dog-days-florida-20130830,0,2327084.story
It's a dog's life in South Florida. And between the yappy hours, pool parties and poochie haute couture, it sounds pretty darn fabulous.
So what are the fur kids around town up to? Read on — and try not to be too envious.
Paw-ty time!
Dogs are pack animals and, apparently, so are dog people. There are groups for pups and their pet parents to play bingo, go kayaking, have park play dates and eat out together.
Wine and Dine With Our K-9's (wineanddinewithourk9s.com), organized about three years ago, has 450 two-legged members who hit the cuisine hot spots in Broward and Palm Beach counties. It's a busy schedule, with about six to eight dinner dine-outs a month. Attendance ranges from a handful to up to around 25, not including the K9s. Membership is $20 annually.
Eateries are vetted in advance to make sure they are pet-friendly, said Ian Rothenberg, of Boca Raton, one of the organizers. "We insist on good behavior, but we want the dogs to have a positive experience, too," he said.
Pool parties also are a huge hit with the canine set, given that dogs are banned from the condo pool and most beaches. Arfington Pet Resort in Tamarac (arfington.com, 954-777-3647) frequently hosts private parties or fundraisers for pet rescue groups.
A closet full of clothes
Need a tuxedo or sports jersey for your bowser boy? A Swarovski-studded, tulle-skirted formal dress or yachting outfit for your fluffy favorite girl? You can get it in South Florida, which may possibly be the epicenter of canine fashion.
"It's just for fun and people do it because they love their pets," said Ashley Scouller, manager and creative director of Pucci & Catana (pucciandcatana.com, 561-833-1001).
The family-owned luxury pet boutique, with stores in West Palm Beach and Naples, offers everything from couture clothes ($100 on up) and simpler looks like a "tank top your dog or cat can wear around the house (about $12)," Scouller said.
Fashion-conscious pet parents and pets tend to skew female, "although we have men who want to squeeze their big Labs into a sports jersey," said Vaida Morali, owner of Barkers Pet Center in Fort Lauderdale (barkerspetcenter.com, 954-888-2274). The store ran out of Miami Heat pet T-shirts turning the NBA finals, and customers keep begging for extra-large sizes.
Pup portraits
Puppy's first Christmas. Flower girl with the wedding party. A dog and owner both dressed as Marilyn Monroe.
These are some of the portraits Katia Medina has taken in her eight years as a pet photographer (katiax210.wix.com/phodography-by-katia, 954-687-6413). An administrative assistant for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport runway expansion, Medina started her Phodography business as a volunteer with Broward County's animal shelter. She hoped more polished pictures of homeless animals would give them a better shot at adoption.
But soon, people were offering to pay her for photos of their pets in Halloween costumes or at birthday parties, or to document their puppies' first few months.
"A lot of them have older pets and they want a portrait in happier times, to remember them by," she said. She charges about $100 for a photo session, delivering up to 80 shots on a CD, and gives half of her Phodography profits to animal rescue groups.
Delray Beach artist Carol Ann Sherman also didn't start out as a pet portrait specialist. But she often included her own dogs in her compositions and discovered a market in what she calls Pawtraits about 10 years ago (carolannsherman.com or 561-516-0378).
Sherman prefers to visit her subjects if they live close by, snap some photos and then finish the watercolor portrait at home. Sometimes, she said her clients will confess they feel a little guilty they are spending the money, usually around $250, immortalizing their pet instead of a two-legged family member.
via www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-online-dog-days-florida-20130830,0,2327084.story
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