Banner Holiday Season for Pets?CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Santa isn't the star at a Sunday afternoon pet photo shoot; it's Jackson, the Ellis family's 12-year-old mutt. South Charlotte resident Stacey Ellis says, "Before our children came along, she was our only baby!" This was Jackson's first Santa photo, but when it comes to Christmas gifts? She's got her family trained well. "We probably spend about a hundred dollars on her," says Ellis. The Ellis' are far from alone. 53 percent of dogs and 38 percent of cats get Christmas gifts, according to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). The holiday season isn't just good for pets, but for business owners, too. The owner of Pet Essentials in south Charlotte says the day before Christmas Eve is always the best day of the year for him. "That's always last minute (shopping). Always toys, treats, generally not for their own dogs but for grand dogs or cousin dogs, that sort of thing," explains Paul Rowan. He says, "We've had a really good November and December is starting off very strong." The APPA says pet products have been "habitual leaders" in retail during the holidays and this season, that'll likely continue. So far this year, Americans spent a whopping $53 billion on their animals. "Yeah, I believe that," says Rock Hill resident William Christian. He will spend about 50 bucks on his two dogs this holiday. He'll even gift wrap their favorite bones. "They like to rip 'em open," Christian says. Meantime, Jackson got a great picture with Santa. And her family hopes a little holiday spoiling shows her how much she means to them. Ellis says, "She brings us way more joy than a hundred dollars a year, so she's worth every penny!" Rowan says the big splurge gift for pets during the holidays is usually expensive pet beds. |
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