Two-year-old Tyson toddles out of a white stretch limousine at 10:30 a.m., eager to join his buddies at day-care. This is no baby heading for an exclusive Manhattan nursery school. Tyson is a bulldog.
He is one of about 10 dogs being chauffeured from their homes to day-care by Alice Moss, who runs a New York dog grooming, day-care and boarding business. Her operation has grown from five canine clients 12 years ago to around 50 today.
Americans are pampering their pets more than ever. Spa treatments, day-care and even psychotherapy have, in the literal sense, gone to the dogs in a major way, turning high-class, and often high-priced, pet services into big business.
That hasn't escaped the notice of industry heavyweights like Petco Animal Supplies and Petsmart Inc. Both have pointed to services as a key growth area, and both are testing day-care operations.