By Adam Cagle
Point Park News Service

Professionally styled fur was what Tener, a two year-old Pomeranian, was used to but now he gets his coat groomed at home by his owner.

Amos Hutchinson, 27, of North Hills said that he has started grooming Tener at home.

“Between buying food and paying for vet bills I have to try and save money somewhere,” Hutchinson said.

With the current economic landscape dog owners are using different methods and coming up with creative ways to care for their pets. The extent to which the recession has affected consumer behavior varies.

“I try to stay on the lookout for coupons for food and toys,” said Nick Jackson, 22 of Penn Hills.

Yet, he said, besides looking for coupons not much else has changed when it comes to taking care of his 8 week-old puppy, Capone.

“The economy hasn’t stopped me from taking my dog to the groomer every two weeks,” Jackson added.

While dog owners seem to be paying closer attention to their spending habits, business owners said they don’t seem to be noticing much change. Chrissy Marburger, 34, of the Southside, is a manager at “Diamond in the Ruff,” a pet grooming service located on South 18th Street. Marburger said she hasn’t noticed a decline in business at all.

“Pet grooming is a luxury-type of thing for our customers,” she said. “Those that could afford it before still can.”

Najeeb Shafiq, an economics professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said, “In general, people spend less when faced with economic uncertainty and a recession.”

Shafiq said predicting what will happen in the months to come is impossible and a lot will depend on the upcoming election results as well as state policies on housing, education and health, just to name a few.

Phil Lipko, 23, of Irwin said he buys the big bags of dog food at Sam’s Club and looks for coupons. Lipko got his dog through a friend of his fiancé and didn’t want to keep him at first.
“We looked for a home for him but ended up getting attached, I guess that’s what happens,” Lipko said. “Now the extra cost doesn’t seem like such a big deal.”