America has truly gone to the (pampered) dogs

Dogs, cats and other pets rule our planet. 

If you think the stalled economy,  pirates off the Somali coast or reality shows dominate our lives these days, think again.

Quietly and adorably, dogs, cats and other pets have taken over our lives. These days, we pledge our allegiance – and our pocketbooks and our hearts – to our beloved pets. Yes, our lives have gone to the dogs, cats, birds, ferrets and other pets. But how and why? Newspaper reporter-turn-book author Michael Schaffer has the answers.

He was a recent guest on my weekly radio show, Oh Behave! on Pet Life Radio where he unleashed his amusing and omigosh look on America’s fascination with pets from the pages of his must-buy book, “One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics and Organic Pet Food.” Schaffer sniffed all over the country to spotlight the true portrait of pets – and people – in America. At last count, Americans spent more than $43 billion in the pet industry. Talk about paw power!

A sampling of his fur-raising findings:

• * A cat who gets an $18,000 kidney transplant.
• *A dog who will only eat home-delivered organic meals.
• * Grooming perks for pets that include blueberry facials.
• * The wide range of characters in the pet scene from quarterback Michael Vick who fumbled his life away by staging dog fights to the Queen of Mean Leona Helmsley who bequeathed $12 million to her lapdog but not a penny to several grandkids.
• * A “pet-repreneur" named Joe Markham who came up with the bright idea of converting tough pieces of rubber from Volkswagen suspension systems into a multi-million dollar Kong line of products.
• * The training feud that pits self-taught dog trainer Cesar Millan (aka The Dog Whisperer) vs. positive reinforcement champion Ian Dunbar.

Here is one of my favorite excerpts from Schaffer’s book that captures America’s pet obsession:

“Self-cleaning litter boxes. Aquariums that can be hung like picture frames. NASCAR-branded pet beds. Snoop Dogg-themed pet hoodies. Birdcages shaped like castles. Talking food bowls. Dog kimonos. Leashes that blink. Leashes that beep. Leashes that glow in the dark.”

If you go ga ga over your pet, I highly recommend you paw through the pages of Schaffer’s book. And, tune in to my radio show, Oh Behave! on Pet Life Radio.com that features him as a guest. Invite your pooch or kitty to tune in – you will be guaranteed to be amused and amazed by his findings.