Wow, talk about a cool surprise this fine Wednesday morning.  I wake up and find some awesome news from CNN of all places that all of us dog and pet lovers that just can’t help pampering our puppies are actually doing a great service to the economy as a whole!  That’s right folks, our pampered, spoiled dogs are actually helping things along in this struggling, downward spirling economy of ours!

Turns out, all the dog clothes, dog gifts, dog accessories and silly gadgets we buy for our pups are helping more than just their egos.  According to CNN, “The American Pet Products Association estimates Americans will spend $43.4 billion this year on their pets — a figure that includes everything from treats to training — despite the dramatic slowdown in discretionary spending. That’s 26 percent higher than what U.S. consumers spent in 2004…”

Whereas many other industries in the country are taking large, brutal hits to their sales and profits, for some reason the dog industry has not been struggling at all; in fact, quite the opposite.  They seem to be an “oasis” in the dark and failing economy.  I think all of us dog owners know why…no matter how hard things get, we still love our pets, we still pamper our pets, and we still try so hard to give back to the dogs that give US so much!

It appears that store owners and people who provide these little toys, gifts and trinkets for the pet industry are changing strategies a bit, given the recent downturn of the economy, by buying less expensive toys to sell, $5 toys instead of $20, but nevertheless, steady rises are being noted just about everywhere.  The crazy thing is, those increases are expected to do nothing BUT rise in the years to come.

Right on Dog Owners!  We need to make signs:  “Proudly Boosting The Failing Economy Since 1981!”