Fort Worth, TX, is emerging as the new epicenter for dog indulgence. Animal lover Janice Ford Grimes, 57, is about to open the Spa Paws Hotel, a multi-million-dollar pet resort, which will offer both local and visiting hounds a startling range of amenities, from an animal-only wellness center to pet weddings. "There isn't another hotel like this," Grimes tells The Wall Street Journal, carefully avoiding the word "kennel." "It's a hotel like you and I would stay in." While, given the current recession, some might question Grimes' business acumen, the pet industry is one that continues to thrive. Here, a by-the-numbers look at the latest in pet-friendly splendor:
$4.4 million
Cost to build the Spa Paws Hotel
20,000
Square footage of the facility, which includes hotel rooms, a salon, an atrium featuring diverting "robotic squirrels," a photography studio, and a chapel for pet memorial services
69
Number of dog rooms (each featuring an 18" flat-screen TV)
6
Number of cat rooms, distinguished by skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows
$65
Per-night cost of the least expensive room at the Spa Paws
$200
Cost of the most expensive room
24
Hours per day that a "screened and handpicked staff" is available to cater to canine guests' "unique preferences" and needs
50
Radius from Fort Worth (in miles) of the hotel's pet limo service for pick-up and delivery of guest pets
$3,000
Cost of a dog wedding gown, which will be available at the Spa Paws' pet-centric clothing and accessory boutique
$8
Cost of arranging for your dog to receive a 10-minute "personal display of affection" at Fort Worth's other luxury dog kennel, the Grand Pet Resort and Spa
71.4 million
Number of American households with at least one pet
37.2
Percentage of American families who own dogs
32.4
Percentage who own cats
$28.5 billion
Total amount Americans spent on their pets in 2001, according to the American Pet Products Association
$47.7 billion
Estimated total amount Americans will spend on their pets in 2010
Sources: WSJ, Huffington Post, SpaPawsHotel.com
