DTLA LIFE MAG #22 | OCTOBER 2015 | Page 49

Halloween is fast approaching, so whether you show your spirit and opt for a little fun during the festivities– one thing is certain, the Halloween holiday kicks off a season of dressing your pets. The holiday brings out the inner kid in most of us and so it’s no surprise that the holiday family fun has been extended to our furry companions. It’s estimated by the National Retail Fed- eration that more 20 million people will dress their pets for Halloween. Whether you do or don’t dress your pets regularly is most often a matter of personal preference and/or practicality, however the explosion in the ‘humaniza- tion of pets’ has made this trend into the new norm and it’s gone global. The United States is the leader of the pack in setting pet trends, which is no surprise con- sidering two-thirds of our households have pets. To understand the concept of ‘humanization’ one just needs to think about the type and level of quality of products and services you enjoy for yourself, and then seek the same for your animal companions—from hu- man-grade healthy super foods and supplement op- tions; premium ‘lifestyle’ gear for walking, traveling, sleeping, and training; technology and apps for pet care, playing, and feeding; fashion and apparel on trend or matched to your own personal style; and mod- ern luxury services like lodging (hotel-style overnight boarding), spa treatments, and holistic or specialized health care. In short, humanization goes way beyond dressing the part—and possibly anthropomorphizing your fur kids for a smaller percentage of some folks— as the options for pets in the modern world are abso- lutely endless and from one end of the spectrum to the other, in terms of cost, er investment, in our kids’ well-healed lives. your chance to try it on for size, choosing something clever that suits their personality, naturally… and then remember to treat them to a Pumpkin Spice treat or some Bacon & Apple jerky… tis the season! PET SAFETY TIP: If you do dress your pet, be sure that its costume doesn’t interfere with the pet’s ability t o breathe, see, hear, move, or bark. If they do not re- spond positively and are frightened, it’s also best to remove the costume immediately. Spiders, witches, funny monsters, and scary charac- ters-- We have something to suit every dog (or cat’s) style this Halloween with our largest assortment of cos- tumes and accessories ever! Stop in-store and check out our BOO-tique, LOADED with frighteningly fun Halloween pet costumes and toys including Sushi, Nin- ja Turtles, Minions, Mermaids, Dinosaurs, tons more... Did we mention this was FUN? Do YOU Love to Dress-up for Halloween Too? Don’t miss our annual HOWL-o-ween Pet Costume + Cocktail Party – a social for you and your pets on October 27th, 7-10pm (The Unique Space, 1275 E 6th Street, Downtown LA) which can be a TERRIFIC way to socialize your pet in a Halloween setting, showcase their costume, eat, drink, and be SCARY! Join us for games, professional pet photos, pet psychic readings, delicious treatbar for the dogs, cocktails for the hu- mans, and lots of great prizes. For more info and advance ticket sales, please visit: http://bit.ly/HOWL2015 We are a society that loves animals. We just want the best for them. The bonds we create with our dogs and cats are both emotional and social, so it seems only natural and fitting that as humans we develop an equally strong desire to provide them with things that also please us. Dressing the family pet is just one, small piece of this shift in attitude among pet ownership. Choosing a pet costume or festive accessory for one or two days of the year is about having fun and sharing an experience with your pets, and not about committing to dressing the dog daily. It is in fact true, that there are many an- imals that seem to really enjoy being dressed up and associate the experience with extra attention, positive reward and praise. So if you haven’t joined the millions of people preparing your pets for Halloween yet, now’s PUSSY AND POOCH 564 Sout Main Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 438 0900 www.pussyandpooch.com