SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Some pet owners will go to any length to spoil a pooch, as Caryl Scrimpsher can attest.
Scrimpsher runs the Rob Cary Pet Resort, which opened in 1976 and recently underwent a $750,000 expansion that doubled the number of indoor-outdoor suites — some with heated floors, televisions and miniature four-poster beds.
"People are getting pickier. Dogs are a part of the family now, and people are able to indulge in things that they couldn't do as a kid," Scrimpsher said.
Last year, dog owners spent an average $1,266 on everything from veterinary care to toys and leashes, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Multiply that by about 68 million dog owners, and it's easy to see that pets are big business.
At Scrimpsher's resort, lodging in the suites ranges from $19 to $41 a night. There's also day care for up to $39 a day. Massages — for the pets, not their owners — are $25 for 30 minutes.
Some kennels have piped-in music and phone jacks so guests can hear their masters. Separate areas are available for "special-needs" pets, cats and birds. Pet psychiatrists are on duty to handle behavior problems.
Scrimpsher, who borrowed $700,000 to build a retail shop and the first luxury suites in 1997, struggled to find a lender for her latest expansion. No local bank would help, but she found a willing lender in Atlanta.
Scrimpsher told the San Antonio Express-News that the expansion has paid dividends: Income has doubled, and bookings are bouncing back after Sept. 11 — fewer people traveled after the terror attacks, so they didn't need to board their pets.
In fact, she said, the kennels already are half-booked for the Christmas holidays, traditionally one of the toughest times to find boarding.
Scrimpsher runs the Rob Cary Pet Resort, which opened in 1976 and recently underwent a $750,000 expansion that doubled the number of indoor-outdoor suites — some with heated floors, televisions and miniature four-poster beds.
"People are getting pickier. Dogs are a part of the family now, and people are able to indulge in things that they couldn't do as a kid," Scrimpsher said.
Last year, dog owners spent an average $1,266 on everything from veterinary care to toys and leashes, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Multiply that by about 68 million dog owners, and it's easy to see that pets are big business.
At Scrimpsher's resort, lodging in the suites ranges from $19 to $41 a night. There's also day care for up to $39 a day. Massages — for the pets, not their owners — are $25 for 30 minutes.
Some kennels have piped-in music and phone jacks so guests can hear their masters. Separate areas are available for "special-needs" pets, cats and birds. Pet psychiatrists are on duty to handle behavior problems.
Scrimpsher, who borrowed $700,000 to build a retail shop and the first luxury suites in 1997, struggled to find a lender for her latest expansion. No local bank would help, but she found a willing lender in Atlanta.
Scrimpsher told the San Antonio Express-News that the expansion has paid dividends: Income has doubled, and bookings are bouncing back after Sept. 11 — fewer people traveled after the terror attacks, so they didn't need to board their pets.
In fact, she said, the kennels already are half-booked for the Christmas holidays, traditionally one of the toughest times to find boarding.
