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saturday oct 4 2003 19 economist simsimtribiine furry children need social outlet too bylisa queen staff writer rosies friends are happily chasing her around me daycareyard each deter mined to snatch away her cool toy with her buddies lance and maggie at her heels rosie races by the plastic slide and darts past the tunnel before she is cornered by thefence the others move in for some goodnatured roughhousing the wrestling match breaks up before the daycare staff have to intervene and the pals run off to pursue another game just a typical day at a daycare centre where the friends enjoy play time potty breaks meals and snacks afternoon haps and a time- but room for anyone who gets a lit tie too rambunctious or just needs some quiet time except this isnt your typical clientele the children at newmarkets k9 to 5 doggie daycare training and activity centre are the four- legged variety a v theyre kids with fur said ownerverriessawysocki a gradu ate of cynology college an online program with courses in dog psy chology behaviour and training like kids she argues dogs need to interact with friends i guess the alternative to day care is for your dog to be left at homealone while you work and your kids go to school dogs can bark all day from separation anxi ety said ms wysocki adding one ofjfier clients favourite activities is chasing soap bubbles she and her staff blow for them instead they can come here arid socialize which is one of the most important things you can do for your dog and attheendofthe day theyre going home tired from day care and spa treat ments to organic food and big box stores offering trendy merchan dise people are pampering their vernessa wysocki and some of her doggie daycare crew at k9 to 5 doggie daycare staff photobill roberts pets these days like never before according to the american pet product manufacturers association pet owners in the us alone spent 30 billion last year on products for fido fluffy and other furry feathered and reptilian friends thats an astounding 28 per cent increase from 1998 vet bills eat upthe single largest chunk of change followed by food but supplies and gadgets are the fastestgrowing area of pet expen ditures not surprising since 62 per cent of us households now have a pet compared to 57 per cent in 1990 for generations people tended to see the role of animals as purely ajnctional cats were kept around for catching mice and dogs duties ranged from herding sheep to retrieving the kill 011 hunting trips any other animal had better produce eggs milk or some other food if it didnt want to end up on a dinnerplate but these days animals are nearer and dearer to us than ever before according to bruno csdaielii owner of pet valu in maple nowadays pets are not consid ered pets theyre part of the fami ly people will do whatever they need to do to make them happy and confident he said they can come here and socialize which is one of the most important things you can do for your dog and at the end of the day theyre going home tired for a lot of people these ani- mals are their grandkids of chil dren you can see people have a soft spot in their hearts for these pets but mr caldarelli argues as much as people give their pets he acknowledges the skys the limit for some owners they get more in return pets make peoples lives more enjoyable studies show they reduce stress and theyre great companions they dont argue you just come home at the end of the day and they love you no matter what he said pet owners will come in to his store ready to spend any thing from 99 cents for a plastic toy to 150 for a kitty townhouse owners who drop off their dogs at k9 to 5 shell out 25 for a full days care and 15 for a halfday buying five- 10- or 20day passes saves money in the long run ms wysocki also offers training classes ranging from puppy kindergarten to advanced dpg obe dience all classes feature humane dogfriendly tech- niques the entire family is encouraged to participate in their dogs train- ing 7 one client said this centre will be her dogshome away from home because shes bringing her dog for day care arid training ms wysocki said however doggie daycare cen tres and pet shops arent the only spots where york region pet own ers can turn to get the latest and greatest products and services pet websites are the latest way for owners to check out musthave items yorkbased infopetca sells cat tents in light blue denim or a sweet dreams motif for 35 the denim tent conies with an ortho pedic foam bed and sheep boa cover while sweet dreams comes with a sponge bed and unreal sheepskin pad i canine couches and cat riapper beds range iri price from 90 to 170 pets can also enjoy a wide range of bath products fromshampoos and conditioners to detarigters ari 5- debdorizing body sprays if your pooch likes the out doors why not pick up some outward hound travel gear such as i f l 1 i- ii see website page 20 m 1 a join mayor don cousens foan exciting evening of deliciousfood vvfth wines complimenting each course and music with roger abbotty ofrgyal ganagfan air farceasour masfer of ceremonies mayors dinner for the arts 9500 per person supporting the arts and culture in our community today will enrich the lives of our youth tomorrow i i a t i t jii jlf i i i j i ii i t i i t t 4 call 905305show 7469 to reserve your seats today corporate tables are also available egr information pct lesleydohninico 1 ar9056ab072 eyeningjof october 17 2003 v r arignsgien golf cdufcse 10080kttinedy rdad- a i crmarkham mm mt ikhmhmi