Dog Peddling
Parties for Pets Are Part Social, Part Sales Pitch

By Jura Koncius
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 8, 2007

Tupperware parties have gone to the dogs.

With pet owners demanding increasingly elaborate goods and services for their animals, one of the latest strategies in the $40.8 billion pet industry is taking its cue from the genius idea behind hawking plastic containers: displaying the products in living rooms and inviting friends and neighbors to come over and check them out.

Premised on the assumption that busy people will gather for a shopping opportunity cloaked in a social event, direct-sales companies such as Shure Pets and Petlane are selling their paw balm and pesticide-free pet food over artichoke dip and a glass of pinot. The evenings may begin with neighborhood gossip but typically end with conversations about cherished pets and how to pamper them.

"Pet people are some of the most social people out there. They are looking to connect with other pet lovers," says Andrew Shure, who started Shure Pets in 2002. His Chicago-based company now has 1,700 consultants selling in all 50 states. The approach has met its greatest success in suburban settings where houses have more space, because guests are invited to bring their pets. (Cats rarely attend.)

"Welcome Party Animals!" said the sign on the front door of Sharon Presley and Jim Waddell's home in Brambleton, a Loudoun County planned community of 2,000 homes just past Dulles Airport. Domestic animals play a significant part in the life of the neighborhood. Walking trails are dotted with pet waste stations equipped with plastic bags. Residents are eager to foster a sense of community among neighbors, many of whom commute long distances to their jobs. It is prime territory for what Shure Pets calls a Pupperware party.

On this night, Presley, who had e-mailed invitations to friends and neighbors days earlier, was lighting candles, setting out a cheese log and crackers, uncorking wine and arranging chairs. The doorbell rang just as Zebulon, her English Labrador retriever, was about to rummage among the reversible canine coats, breath mints and oatmeal conditioning shampoo that Shure Pets consultant Tracey Shepherd was arranging. (A cardinal party rule: You slobber on it, you buy it.)

Ten families had accepted Presley's invitation, even on a busy Tuesday evening.

"Why did I go? I'm a really busy person, I have three kids and I'm taking online classes at night and I don't go to parties much," said Presley's neighbor Maria Cerow, who showed up with her sheltie Shiloh and 8-year-old son Adam. "It happened to be a night with no lacrosse or soccer practice, and I thought it was a good way to get together with the neighbors. Adam was really excited about being invited to a party with dogs."

Shure says it is these social connections -- as well as the heated bed liners for arthritic dogs, all-natural catnip and organic stain removers -- that attract customers.

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, Americans are spending twice as much on their pets as they did a decade ago and seeking out more than the usual offerings at pet superstores and grocery aisles. Many lavish their animals with state-of-the-art health care, customized beds, organic food, doggie spas and videos of chirping birds to amuse the family cat. Proud owners congregate at dog parks, pet day-care sites and coffee bars that double as dog-washing stations. So why not at a party with other pets and humans?

"As we continue to humanize pets, we will do more and more things that are traditionally human with them," says Bob Vetere, president of the manufacturers association, which tracks statistics such as how many people buy Christmas gifts for their pets (56 percent of dog owners, 42 percent of cat owners). "They have birthday parties for pets, engagement parties for pets. I have even seen weddings for pets."

Other direct-selling firms are climbing on this gravy train. Petlane is a three-year-old company founded by Lane Nemeth, the woman who started Discovery Toys. The company now has 800 consultants (including in Virginia and Maryland) and is growing at about 40 percent a year.

Petlane specializes in health and safety products such as dog seat belts and holistic pet food. "We discourage pets at parties because we don't want to have a fight; we think it's unsafe," Nemeth says. "But we love the social aspect of pet owners getting together. People like to talk about their dogs, cats or birds almost as much as they like to talk about their kids."

The Brambleton party was mostly the gang from Zeb's neighborhood, including Bert the beagle and Snuggles the Shih Tzu-Maltese. The first to arrive: Bob, a 9-month-old pit bull, accompanied by owners Lydia Best and her mother, Patti Best. "This is Bob's first party," Patti Best said. "He loves people." Bob, by the way, has a blog (Everythingandthedog.com), where he later bragged about his night out.

Presley works in product development at Sallie Mae. "I like to get working women to come in the evening to socialize and shop," she said. On this evening, it wasn't long before guests began networking and sharing names of vets who do house calls and stain removers that actually work.

Meanwhile, Shepherd was talking up the paw balm and the pet first-aid kit on display. Like Tupperware sales people, she tried to drum up sales with games and prizes. Two hours later she was still writing orders. Michelle Kline from Sterling spent $78.75 on gifts for Kodiak, her dachshund. "I do spend a lot, but he's my only child," she said.

Total party sales: $350. The hostess pays for the refreshments and gets 10 percent of sales plus a hostess gift and a bonus for anyone from the party who offers to host a future Pupperware event. One person signed up.

Zeb was getting restless. Although he has been awarded a Canine Good Citizen Certificate from CES Dog Training in Manassas, this night he had had enough. He padded to the Shure Pets display table, helped himself to a blue fleece dog bone and carried it to his bed. Where he slobbered on it.

It was time for the party animals to go home.