RETAIL ROUNDUP:Paws off, these are for pets

Nine years ago when Sandy Deem opened Three Dog Bakery in Newport Beach she was scoffed at for thinking there was a market for pet snacks.

Now Deem’s having the last laugh as the store thrives, so much so that on weekends it’s hard to even find any elbow room in the shop, and dog parties twice a year attract hundreds of pets, she said.

“The pet industry has exploded in the last 10 years,” Deem said. “When I opened my store nine years ago, people laughed at me. But now with everything going on in the world, pets have become more therapeutic for us and more a part of the family.”

Doggy retailers, bakers and spas — dare I call them spaws? — continue to pop up and thrive around Southern California. Deem delights in treating pooches to extra-special treats — but these aren’t like the snacks you’ll find at your average grocery store.

Her treats are made for the most part by a pastry chef at her bakery in Corona del Mar Plaza. Some of the more popular treats have carob chips, and the bakery’s birthday cakes made with wheat flour are always a hit, Deem said.

Treats run anywhere from 60 cents to $4.

Customers need not worry about these treats being contaminated. They don’t have any ingredients involved in the recent massive pet food recall. At Three Dog Bakery, all the treats and the food it sells are made with all-natural, human-grade ingredients, Deem said.

Pet food recall or no pet food recall, the business of animal companions is big business.

This year American pet owners will spend more than $40.8 billion on their pets, according to estimates made by the American Pet Producers Manufacturers Assn. Inc.

The association estimated that pet owners spend about $113 annually on treats and toys for dogs and $72 on cats — a figure that you can bet is more in Newport-Mesa.

Muttropolis Dog and Cat Boutique in Fashion Island and Three Dog Bakery sell single leashes that cost more than that, with the most expensive at both stores encrusted with Swarovski crystals and coming in at about $200. Muttropolis is also a pioneer in what manager Kathy Jones called an up-and-coming trend — pet strollers.

“Some people just roll their eyes and think, ‘Are you kidding me with this?’ But a lot of our customers have a really good reason,” Jones said. “In some cases it’s for an elderly pet whose parent is still active, and they want to get out there and walk and enjoy the boardwalk at the beach, but the pet can’t keep up, so you pop him up in a stroller and go on your way.”

But whether this could be considered too much or not, one thing is certain — pets, especially dogs, have become more a part of everyday family life.

“A lot of our customers are waiting till later in life to have children — we have thirtysomethings waiting to have children…. Also empty nesters and folks whose kids are gone away, they are buying pets now to fill their homes,” Jones said.

Despite selling many “kitschy” items, Jones said a bulk of the store’s business comes from its food, which, like Three Dog Bakery’s, is made with human-grade ingredients.

“People are realizing it is important to maybe spend that extra dollar on ultra premium food,” Jones said.