Corrections or additions?
This article was prepared for the February 14,
2001 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Between the Lines
When U.S. 1 documented the opening of a $2 million
animal
hospital at the corner of Roszel and Alexander roads, we thought we
had written the final word on how the pet business has prospered (June
7, 2000). That article drew lots of response, most all positive.
Our cover story last week revealed that the pet business offers yet
another angle — the last rites for deceased dogs, cats, and other
domesticated animals. It told how three women bought an old animal
cemetery and brought it to life as the Hamilton Pet Meadows, a place
where grieving owners can put their beloved pets to rest.
This story had a mixed response. One reader was "amazed and
horrified
that people can actually make a living in such a business, given the
level of poverty in the world." And a psychologist complained
to a U.S. 1 deliverer about the cover (which showed an old gravestone
for a pet named "Snooky") because, he said, he has many child
clients.
But Marc L. Weissman, owner of the Princeton Veterinary Group on Route
27 in Kingston, felt it was "an important article, given that
many people treat animals as family members, and they accord them
the same respect in passing. It allows the public to get a sense of
the depth of emotion and the bond between the pet and the pet
owner."
Animals as family members? That concept is familiar to Carol Lini
and Kristi Lupescue, owners of a pet sitting service called Whisker
Watchers and a brand-new doggie day care center that rents space from
Weissman at 4491 Route 27, Kingston. After seeing the cemetery story,
Lini wrote to tell us about her business, All Good Dogs Day Care
(609-497-1511):
"On weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. we provide care for dogs while
their owners are at work. Our dogs have a cage-free environment and
are grouped in three rooms, according to age, size, temperament, and
activity level. They have play time (rope toys and balls), outdoor
time (three fenced yards) and nap time. We don’t mix small dogs with
the big; we’ve had Labradors, golden retrievers, standard poodles,
boxers, English bulldogs, silky and Yorkie terriers, Lhasa Apsos,
and Eskimo dogs. Our clients are people who work long hours and feel
guilty that their dog is alone for such a long period. Many are New
York commuters or apartment dwellers who have no yards. Our service
is as close to a child’s day care as you can get."
Note that the cost is also remarkably similar to children’s care,
$30 for one day if you buy a coupon book for 10 days, $38 for a single
day. (This contrasts with pet sitting at $14 per half-hour home
visit.)
But before she can break even she has monthly expenses of more than
$4,000. "We’ve been trying to do this for four years," says
Lini. "It’s not a business for everyone. You really have to know
dogs’ temperaments and behaviors."
A clarification: the Pet Meadow is hosting an Adopt-a-Pet open house
on Saturday, February 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (609-586-9660). The
sponsors are Pet Rescue of Mercer and Focus on Animals, and these
are animal rescue groups, not animal shelters, as stated in the
article.
The animal shelters are SAVE in Princeton (609-921-6122) and APAW
in West Windsor (609-799-1263).
Corrections or additions?
This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com
— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
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