Walk inside Urban Out Sitters pet day care facility near Halsted and Lake streets, and it feels like you’re stepping into an elegantly furnished parlor. It’s a place where dogs lounge on chenille throw-covered upholstered chairs, snooze on plush stools, take catnaps while stretched across sofas — and sometimes, across each other. Here, fresh flowers spill out of vases, and gilded frames displaying photos of the center’s canine clients decorate the fireplace mantel and buffet table.

“All day here is playtime,” says Joseph Giannini, who three years ago, along with partner Tommy Spinosa, transformed this 2,000-square-foot former strip club into a $23-a-day dog heaven. “They really find their own little spaces. They have friends they make because of it. Because there are couches and tables and things you find in the home, the dogs respect it more.” Just wait until they open their new Randolph Street location next month. The three-story spot will include a full-service grooming salon and spa, “resting room” for older dogs, outdoor cafe and gourmet pet bakery.

Yeah, it certainly is a dog’s life — and you, mere human, should be so lucky. For many pooches in Chicago and other cities, it just keeps getting better.

Across America, we’re embracing dogs like never before, welcoming them on the road at hotels, in outdoor cafes — even in the workplace for June’s annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. Modern-day industries have sprung up to meet the ever more diverse needs of dogs and their pet “parents,” everything from doggy day spas to pet medical insurance to pick-up-and-drop-off day care centers like Urban Out Sitters. (Pet parents can access Webcams to check out their “kids” while working or on vacation.) Pet Sitters International, for example, claims more than 7,400 business members nationwide, with nearly 300 in Illinois.

To many owners, pets are far more than pampered possessions. Rather, these four-legged folks are members of the family. Best pals. Surrogate kids and grandkids, even. And with canine-crazed celebrities toting their couture-garbed dogs around like the latest Gucci bag, they’re increasingly in the pop culture spotlight.

The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association says that pet spending has more than doubled over the past decade, swelling from $17 billion in 1994 to a projected $35.9 billion this year. Medical policy coverage at the California-based Veterinary Pet Insurance ballooned 130 percent between 2000 and 2004, ensuring that a whopping 350,000 pets are insured for everything from teeth cleanings to life-saving chemotherapy.

Here in Illinois, the Cook County Department of Animal Control estimates that 2 million dogs live in Cook County, with about 1 million in Chicago — the big city that www.DogFriendly. com named the nation’s top dog-friendly destination in the United States and Canada earlier this year.

Not only do visiting dogs live it up in Chicago, but so do many who live here. Their owners might not have backyard running space for little Max, Molly and Shadow, but they’re willing to shell out cash to make sure the dogs don't have to do without life’s small joys, such as twice-a-day walks.

“Our members are not just serving the upper echelon; they’re serving middle America,” says John Long of Pet Sitters International. “People are working longer and working later, and they want to make sure their pets are being well taken care of. It’s well worth the money for a lot of people of varying incomes.”

But with all the pampering comes real responsibility.

Potential owners, says Nadine Walmsley of the Anti-Cruelty Society in downtown Chicago, need to be sure their lifestyles and living arrangements suit a dog before bringing one home. “People think of them as toys,” she says, “and they really are a lifetime commitment.”

Nacho, a spunky brown Yorkie, runs around Urban Out Sitters' lower level--barking cordially as people walk through the door. His owner, Russ, is handed a 4 x 6 print shot by photographer Bob Kessler of Nacho and something that looks not unlike a mall Easter Bunny. But this is the doggy daycare's newest mascot: 6-foot tall Wendell D. Rabbit. And Nacho, along with a plethora of other Urban Out Sitters' clients, has just taken part in the first annual "Hop Along Tails," a pet portraiture event.

The "studio" has been transformed into a spring milieu, complete with lush, leafy plants, a stone walkway, ferns and a small trickling waterfall. The elaborate backdrop surrounding Wendell D. Rabbit confirms this is far from a suburban mall photo shoot.

Shop owners Joseph Giannini and Tommy Spinosa walk around the spring wonderland clad in pale green shirts and black overalls, awaiting clients to arrive. Giannini says the event, which is not the first portrait event they've held, but the first spring-themed, is "a way for people to really bond with their pets."

This being the first day of the weekend event and also the day of Chicago's downtown St. Patrick's Day parade, there's some downtime between shots. Wendell D. Rabbit takes its head off for some air in-between clients, who have so far, been mostly dogs. "We'll do any pet," Giannini says. "Some guy even called earlier to ask if we'd do a snake." He turns to Chris, the woman inside the custom-made rabbit suit. "You'll do a snake, right Chris?" She smiles nervously. Just then, two new K-9 clients arrive.

Joseph Giannini quit his successful corporate job in computer sales and marketing to start a dog-walking business five years ago. He had a couple of reasons for making the change.

"I could not find anyone to accommodate my schedule" to watch my dog, he said. "And I was crazy for animals."

The dog-walking business grew as customers asked for dog boarding, training and other services. Giannini, 32, and his partner, Tommy Spinosa, 32, own Urban Out Sitters, 161 N. Halsted St., where they offer doggy day care, dog boarding, training, dog walking and vacation care for all pets.

The dog-walking business is one of many adaptations that have created a pet-friendly culture in an urban landscape. In and near the Gold Coast, River North and Streeterville areas, parks are being developed just for dogs; some restaurants and stores are allowing customers to bring their four-legged companions; and some office workers are bringing their pets to work.

As an important member of about one-third of all American households, the pet is gaining attention in the consumer-driven society.

Pets are commonplace at Hotel Monaco, 225 N. Wabash Ave., a four-star, four-diamond luxury hotel where on average 10 to 12 percent of guests have pets with them, said general manager Nabil Moubayed. The concierge is ready to refer guests to dog walkers, pet-friendly restaurants, pet-friendly shops and other services.

According to Moubayed, among places that welcome well-behaved pooches are Cucina Bella, 543 W. Diversey Ave.; Neiman Marcus, 737 N. Michigan Ave.; Chicago Horse and Carriage rides; and Billy Hork Galleries, 109 E. Oak St.

Dogs are welcome at Navy Pier in outside areas only. Most restaurants with outdoor seating will accommodate leashed, well-behaved dogs, he said, including Brasserie Jo, 59 W. Hubbard St.; Bice, 158 E. Ontario St.; Bistrot Margot, 1437 N. Wells St.; and Ben Pao, 52 W. Illinois St.

And it's not unusual for a guest to send a limousine to pick up a pet from the hotel, he said.

"We've always had a lot of pets, mostly dogs, sometimes cats, every now and then a bird or a monkey," Moubayed said.

The hotel also has a dog mascot, Stevie Nicks, a Lhasa apso mix who hangs out in the lobby most days. Stevie belongs to one of the hotel employees.

"Pets have been accommodated because of necessity. It's difficult to tell someone who is paying a couple grand a night, `You can't bring your pet,' " Moubayed said. "It is a different world."

Built-in amenities

Developers also understand today's pet-friendly market. A rooftop dog run is among the amenities available to residents of the new Fordham 50-story luxury condominium at 25 E. Superior St.

Pet owners can simply page through any telephone directory or search the Web to find taxis, ambulance service, massage and acupuncture for their pets, Giannini said.

"It just goes to show you how much people love their pets," he said.

Giannini is Midwest regional director of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and a member of DAWG, the Dog Advisory Work Group (312-409-2169), a not-for-profit organization that advocates responsible pet ownership and keeps watch over abuse cases with a court advocacy program.

"Dog walking is no longer a luxury for people. Think about the dog trapped in a house all day long," said Giannini, who with Spinosa owns Sally, a 13-year-old chihuahua, and Ricki, a 3-year-old Rottweiler. "You try to hold it all day."

In terms of financial commitment, he said, a $12 dog walk costs the customer the equivalent of three cups of coffee.

Consumer demand also has led to an array of new businesses. Last year, Elana Morgan and husband, Todd Bartelstein, opened an indoor park called Of Mutts and Men, 2149 W. Belmont Ave., after she was frustrated with the bad manners of some dog owners in public places.

"I used to go to the park. I was mauled by dogs, and fights were started," said Morgan, who also owns the Morgan Dog Training Center across the street from Of Mutts and Men.

Of Mutts and Men is a club where people and dogs can socialize freely without the fear of traffic or unpredictable weather, Morgan said.

"Here, it's just safe, there's central air," she said. "There's free coffee."

Erin Shelley, 35, a full-time student who lives in the Gold Coast neighborhood, said she joined Of Mutts and Men indoor park to give her dog a place to run and socialize.

"She needs a place to run around especially when the weather's bad," she said of Wrigley, a 10-month-old bichon frise. She can play with the other dogs and I can study. I can bring my homework."

Dogs can exercise in a giant indoor ring or roam while owners watch television and play cards or board games. Membership is required to ensure that dogs are well behaved and healthy, said Morgan. At Of Mutts and Men, visitors who come without dogs can rent one of the club's adoptable dogs for $7 a day. Membership is $80 a month or $850 a year.

In June, the River North Association, a group of business owners, added a new pet feature to its annual River North Design Walk, which showcases its art, design, entertainment and dining community. Some businesses in the gallery district transformed plain wooden doghouses into unique pet homes. The homes will be displayed on sidewalks and in shops until July 22, when they will be auctioned to benefit the Anti-Cruelty Society.

Living in style

The houses in the Parade of Pet Homes have provided designers and artists with a creative outlet. Each is a work of art with titles fitting their styles, including "Safari," "Mouse Van Der Rohe" and "Dogs in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Bones!"

isa Rosenberg of Arrelle Fine Linens, 445 N. Wells St., transformed an ordinary doghouse into a place of luxury and comfort.

"Most animals like cozy things," said Rosenberg, who admitted that her two rat terriers, Bebop and Rex, are "privileged." She covered the roof with fleece and the interior walls in chenille. The house is furnished with a canopy bed, alpaca throw and soft boudoir pillows.

Brian Hudok, owner of Cambium Furniture and Kitchens, 119 W. Hubbard St., created a French chateau with black-and-white checked floor, two side windows with curtains, a small front porch and tile roof. Inside the pet can rest on a sleigh bed with a soft green duvet.

"We created a retreat for the dog to relax," he said.

Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune