Paw power

South Florida CEO, Jan, 2008 by Oriane Lluch

South Florida is going to the dogs, and apparently their owners want top-notch accommodations for them. VIP: Very Important Paws--a doggie daycare, spa, hotel and training facility--recently doubled the size of its West Palm Beach property to 24,000 square feet. The expansion, which accommodates larger indoor play areas, also includes 10 more luxury suites with televisions, plus 19 standard suites. Owners William Corrente, Marc Street (vice president of dog training) and Kevin Keene (vice president of marketing) also added more outdoor play areas and grooming and training space. Luxury suites cost $55 to $75 per night and standard rooms start at $39.

"We have celebrity and Fortune 500 doggies that have frequented our facility," Corrente says, adding that the expansion cost between $150,000 and $200,000, and the company had revenue of more than $1 million for 2007. VIP also planned to open a new 6,000-square-foot facility in Wellington before the end of 2007.

Shawn Ryan, founder of Oregan-based SafeJourney Pet Sitting LLC, says that with the pet industry's gross revenue expected to climb from $42 billion to $52 billion during the next two years, an explosion of dog spas, designer pooch clothing, doggie ice creams and other high-brow treats is likely. "Pet-loving entrepreneurs are all too happy to provide the services and products customers want," he says.