Money can鈥檛 buy you happiness, but what about your pet鈥檚 happiness?
听most recent report predicts that by 2019 Canadians will be spending $9.2 billion on non-medical services for their pets鈥攁 statistic that doesn鈥檛 surprise Amy Morris of .
鈥淧eople are learning more about what dogs and cats need鈥攖o feel security, have enjoyment, really the same needs we have as people,鈥� says Morris.
Vancouver鈥檚 luxury doggy day-care chain, , will be opening North America鈥檚 first, fully customized dog purposeful facility in Olympic Village this July.听听
鈥淓very detail will be designed with a dog鈥檚 perspective in mind,鈥� says one of four owners, Fay Egan.
Pooch parents will recognize the dog purposeful approach if they take advantage of the free drop in tours JetPet offers at their pre-existing Richmond and North 麻豆传媒映画locations. For example, since dogs can be excited or made anxious by other fellow canine presence, the entryways are designed to shield dogs from visuals, while viewing boxes are installed for humans to view the space.
The 鈥淵VR鈥� Richmond location launched in 2010 and boasts 63 bedrooms and a cat lounge, while their newer North 麻豆传媒映画location can host 47 dogs only. The Olympic Village location is the first they'll have buit from scratch and will include 84 suites, some of which are cat inclusive.听
鈥淲e sit down with our clients to make personalized care plans for their pets, and we鈥檙e finding more and more people are opting for the extra add-ons to packages,鈥� Egan says.
The 鈥渁-la-carte鈥� services pet owners can choose from include nail clippings, food prep, bubble baths, the option to have a human bed in their room, and access to webcam streams for parents wishing to watch their pets 24/7. Daily Facebook updates and a departure date email report are included with every stay.
Nightly rates range from $29.00 per night for a condo to $108.00 per night for a luxury suite.
Egan suspects people are paying more because they want to be able to hike with their dogs on the weekends, while still earning an income on the weekdays.
鈥淚鈥檓 seeing an increase in young professionals using our services鈥攖hey want a dog to spend time with when they can, and they have expendable money to support it.鈥�
Morris doesn鈥檛 believe that Vancouver鈥檚 pet-unfriendly rental market explains the increase in non-medical spending.
鈥淧eople want what鈥檚 best for their pet, be it social time or down time. There鈥檚 more of an awareness about what animals need and environments make a really big difference,鈥� Morris says.
What a pet needs may vary, but for those owners worried about their pet's energetic environment, there are services for that, too.
offers energy healing services ranging from $90 single sessions to $680 end-of-life care packages. Veterinary fees aren't included in end-of-packages which consist of听 intake and consultation upon arival, pre-euthenasia reiki and environmental harmonizing, as well as family reiki support. Add-on services include personalized pet poetry and guided meditation.听
鈥淢oney means different things to different people,鈥� says , one of five veterinarians in Canada who specialize in sports rehabilitation. He is also a certified animal chiropractor and acupuncturist working out of Whistler and Pemberton.听
鈥淲hat is an inordinate sum of money to one person is nothing to another depending on what their income is, and ostensibly people will see pets as family members,鈥� Lane adds.
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