The recession is little deterrent for Los Angeles residents who insist on body wraps, massages and aromatherapy - for their dogs and cats.
"I definitely would first stop colouring my hair before not taking my dogs to get pampered," said Adriana Merida, the owner of two Havanese named Otis and Zoe. She takes the dogs to members-only The Club Beverly Hills, where they can partake in yoga, jacuzzi soaks and kosher meals.
Such indulgence contrasts with an increase in animals surrendered to shelters across the US by owners who can't afford their pets because of economic setbacks.
However, Joan Storms, a retail stocks analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities, said southern California had enough wealth to sustain companies that supplied upscale pet care.
In Hollywood, LA Dogworks offers day care with aromatherapy and hydrotherapy, along with a so-called Fetchmobile to chauffeur pets for its 2 000 clients, who include actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Nicole Richie. It plans to open a second 1 000-square-metre branch in west Los Angeles later in 2009.
LA Dogworks charges $45 (R452) for 12 hours of day care and $75 for a one-hour massage.
For felines, a bath is $39 and clipping is $60 to $100 at The Best Little Cat House, which has branches in Los Angeles, Pasadena and Burbank.
Playrooms have aquariums to entertain the guests. It also offers cage-free boarding and webcam links for owners to monitor their cats' activities.
"A lot of young childless or same-sex couples consider their pets to be their surrogate children," said Andrew Rosenthal, the owner of LA Dogworks. "They will do anything to care for them to the best of their abilities."
At LA Dogworks on a recent afternoon, pet owners checked out $400 Italian leather dog coats in the boutique as 10 small canines frolicked in a room with orange-pillowed bunk beds and a flat-screen television playing animal movies. Larger breeds cavorted across and under plastic bridges and benches in an indoor run.
"The same way people would take their children to an extra outing to cheer themselves up during difficult times, they like to treat their animals to something special," said Marjorie Lewis, the owner of The Club.
Meanwhile, animal intakes at the city's shelters increased 20 percent in 2008, mainly because of the housing crisis, according to the website of Los Angeles Animal Services.
"The economic crisis has definitely worsened the situation," said Martin Mersereau, a spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Norfolk, Virginia.
"People whose homes have been foreclosed often evilly and cruelly leave their animals behind. We have seen this across the US."
In contrast, Barclays Capital analyst Michael Lasser said sales of high-end pet food were withstanding the crunch.
"The types of customers that can afford these brands are less likely to change behaviour in difficult markets," he said.
Demand for fake testicles for neutered dogs and cats is also holding up during the recession. Southern California was the biggest market for Neuticles, said Gregg Miller, the founder of the firm. - Bloomberg