Leona Helmsley may have received lots of attention for leaving $12 million to her dog, Trouble, but clearly she isn't the only one dropping lots of cash on a beloved pet. According to Russ Alan Prince, of Prince & Associates, super wealthy "pet-focused" families spend an average of $328,000 per year pampering their pets. He came to this figure after surveying 304 affluent families who have a mean net worth of $46.7 million and describe themselves as pet lovers.
Some may refer to Leona Helmsley as the 'Queen of Mean', but I think her dog would disagree. Helmsley died last week at the age of 87 and on Tuesday her will was made public. In it, she provided quite nicely for her dog Trouble, creating a $12 million trust to ensure that the Maltese lives out the rest of her life in the luxury she is no doubt accustomed to. The trust will be overseen by her brother, Alvin Rosenthal, to whom she left $10 million. When Trouble's days on earth are over, she is to be buried next to her mistress in the $1.4 million mausoleum in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Westchester County, New York. Talk about a pampered pooch.
The latest "it dog" is no tiny pursefiller, it's the Tibetan mastiff. The Times Online reports that the dogs are so popular among China's elite that a perfect specimen can sell for over $500,000. The large dogs were domesticated in the mountains of Tibet 6,000 years ago and are considered to be the oldest, biggest and fiercest domestic dog. They are prized as loyal guard dogs and are seen as a status symbol. The dogs with pure bloodlines fetch high prices because of their rarity.
It is a dog's world right now. The popularity of dogs versus cats appears uncanny. Even for a regular old joe dog, the treatment they receive is amazing! I have friends that treat their precious pets as children. And of course I would not want the treatment of dogs to be any less than civil. Now, if you are a celebrity dog, forget about it. You have reached instant stardom and the pinnacle of 4 star treatment. 
A Karim Rashid bottle, a scent of bergamot and vanilla musk combined with patchouli, mandarin and nutmeg oils. The latest it fragrance? Yes, if you are a dog. That's the blend in the eau de parfum from Sexy Beast. The perfume is just part of a luxury line for dogs. A recent NY Daily News article profiles Renée Ryan who used to help launch fragrance brands for companies like Estee Lauder and is the force behind the line of elegant pet beauty products. Ryan also has a motor home that she calls "The Beast" and uses as a mobile dog spa. A 3.4 ounce custom engraved bottle of the perfume sells for $65.
I am not sure exactly when I became one of those people who shower their pets with the same attention usually reserved for children, but here I am. And while I do like to pamper my dog, providing an indoor toilet might be going a bit overboard.
Advertise with Luxist
| # | Blogger | Posts | Cmts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deidre Woollard | 184 | 0 |
| 2 | Rigel Gregg | 65 | 0 |
| 3 | Sandy Maple | 44 | 0 |
| 4 | Marsha Reid | 23 | 0 |
| 5 | Laura Malesich | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Erin Mays | 3 | 0 |
Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in:
|
|
|
|
|
