Top ten pampered pooch gifts

Merry Christmas! We hope you and your pets are enjoying the safest and happiest of holiday seasons! (Watch the holiday ribbon--we don't want any pets to end up in the emergency room today because they chewed on the wrong thing this Christmas.)

It's a little late for the holiday season (and on the opposite side of the world), but New Zealand's Fairfax New Zealand Ltd included pet strollers on their list of "Top ten pampered pooch gifts."

The article from Reuters says "Spending that would once have seemed extravagant, such as on doggy day cares, pet cemeteries and dog strollers, have become commonplace with Americans estimated to spend about $US48 billion on pets in 2007 - nearly twice the amount of a decade ago, according to consumer research company Packaged Facts." (We love our pets! What can we say?)

Number five on its list is the "All terrain dog stroller." Says the article, "Why walk when you can ride? A range of dog strollers are now on the market with price ranging widely, and including more and more snazzy versions, such as the $US400 stroller/bike trailer with optional ski attachment. Available at justpetstrollers.com."

Of course, we take offense at the idea that pet strollers replace walking for your pet. We know people say that sort of thing when they don't take a moment to consider how a pet stroller may be appropriate for older or injured pets or for people who want to safely take their pets with them to places other than a park or down the street; still, it's nice to see pet strollers getting this kind of recognition from an organization such as Reuters (and all the way from New Zealand, no less!)