From pet psychics to mobile dog washes to acupuncture for cats, here are the area’s latest, greatest, and just plain unusual services for furry friends.

Sit, Stay, Smile

It’s not easy to photograph a pet. More often than not, most people end up with a blur of fur, a whisker, or the edge of one wing. But Stephen Bobb, 33, has put a new, unique face on pet photography.

Two years ago, Bobb, based in Takoma Park, Md., decided to branch out from wedding photography to something a bit ... furrier. Already using a more candid, documentary-style method in his wedding shots, Bobb was inspired to apply that same technique to pet photography and dubbed his business FidoJournalism.

Instead of posing bored little dogs on fluffy cushions, Bobb uses a photojournalistic approach to document pets in their own environment. “Photojournalists observe, watch, capture things that are happening,” says Bobb. “So I do the same with pets. I use more of a storytelling kind of approach.”

Shoots, done mainly at clients’ homes, are often eventful, with Bobb running or sprawling on the ground, looking for a unique angle. Somehow, despite the proximity of expensive equipment to claws and slobbery tongues, the photographer usually comes away with nothing worse than a few nose prints on his lenses. And the results are worth the risk. “I just enjoy the creativity that goes with it,” he says. “And I’m giving people some nice memories with their pets.” 202-329-1670, http://www.fidojournalism.com —L.S.

Good Sports

When a portuguese water dog fell 35 feet over a retaining wall onto a highway, its owner flew all the way from Greece to Maryland for treatment at the Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group (VOSM). Then there was the dog flown in from South Korea, brought all the way to VOSM for stem cell therapy.

Hunting dogs, police canines, search and rescue dogs, bomb squad dogs— even Secret Service dogs—VOSM treats them all.

VOSM was founded in 2005 by Drs. Sherman and Debra Canapp to give pets a standard of care equal to that given to humans. “That was our vision,” says Sherman Canapp, who modeled the facility after the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “They do [these treatments] on the human side, so why not on the vet side? People want as good medical care for their dog as for their kids.”

The sleek, modern interior—with floors covered in rubber so the dogs don’t slip—includes everything from a canine gym to a rehabilitation pool to a state-of-the-art Gait Analysis System, which uses sensors to determine whether a dog is healing correctly.

Specialists also build custom braces, prosthetics, and can outfit paralyzed animals with custom-fitted carts to help them get around. And all equipment is human grade. “We do a lot of crazy things that no one else does,” says Canapp. 10975 Guilford Rd., Annapolis Junction, Md., 410-418-8446, http://www.vetsportsmedicine.com —L.S.

Creature Clairvoyant

Gena Wilson is not your ordinary psychic. Yes, she can sense desires and fears and decipher hidden pasts. So what makes her so unusual? Well, her clients aren’t exactly human.

Wilson, 56, has worked as an animal psychic in the Baltimore-D.C. area for the past 13 years. While she also sees human clients, “some people just know me as the pet psychic,”?she says with a laugh. “I have a lot of repeat customers.”?

Clients come to her for a plethora of reasons: to solve the mystery of their pet’s strange behavior, to discover health problems, to learn the creature’s likes and dislikes, or to understand an animal’s past.

According to Wilson, everything is made of energy that she can channel, including animals. “They’ll give me images, like on a screen, and I have to decipher what that means,” she explains.

So what sorts of things do they have to say? Plenty. For instance, she says, “They might tell me about their relationships with other pets in the house. This one dog was in love with a cat. It was a scream!”

Although Wilson works mainly with cats, dogs, and horses, she’s also dealt with fish, rats, monkeys, sheep, snakes, dolphins, and ducks. “Ducks might say, ‘Oh my god, the fox is coming every night, you need to make sure the fox doesn’t get me!’” she says. “Or, ‘I want to be in this cage with that chicken, not this one!’”

So far, Wilson, who charges $55 per half-hour for her services, says she has never met an animal she couldn’t channel. She currently sees approximately five human and five animal clients per week, and several local vets have even developed a habit of calling her for help.

Sometimes, however, Wilson will find an animal that doesn’t have a whole lot going on upstairs. “Maybe this horse doesn’t have a lot of ambition or a lot going on in there, and you just have to admit, this animal is dumb as mud.” 301-441-4526, http://www.inspiredbyangels.com —L.S.

Prayers for Pets

Since 1996, Annapolis’ St. Anne’s Episcopal Church has hosted a Blessings of the Animals service, when up to as many as 40 pets receive a personal touch from heaven. In recent years, the Rev. Gid Montjoy has conducted the service, which was begun to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment. This year’s service takes place on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. “It’s typically held the first Saturday in October,” says Montjoy, “but that’s the day of the Navy-Air Force game, so we had to back it up. We felt we couldn’t compete with football.”

1. Who comes to get blessed?
We get everything: dogs, cats, guinea pigs, goats, white mice, parakeets, hedgehogs, gerbils, chinchillas, hermit crabs, turtles—even snakes. I bless the snakes from afar. One year, we tried to get Homestead Gardens to bring in one of its llamas, but it was too complicated.

2. What happens in the service?
The service centers on the creation story told in the book of Genesis. It’s held on the front lawn of the church. I lay my hands on each animal and explain to the congregation that they’re part of God’s creation; we also ask God to bless everyone else who lives in the pet’s household. We have music, and we add a twist by asking folks to remember the environment since humans were given authority over Earth.

3. Any special, pet-friendly accommodations for the service?
We have treats for everybody and poop bags, and obviously, all dogs are on leashes and cats are in carriers. Most of the time, the cats stay in their carriers, but some people will take them out and hold them. I always ask if it’s OK to put my finger in the cat carrier before I bless them.

4. What do you enjoy about the service?
I love seeing all the animals together, their charm, and their relationships with their owners.

5. Do people look forward to this service?
If we said we weren’t going to do it, there would be a revolt. People really look forward to it. It’s a hoot.
—Kessler Burnett

spotlight

Critical Care

By Carol Denny

It’s Sunday afternoon, and Emmie, the wobbly feline in Anne Arundel Veterinary Emergency Clinic’s exam room 9, looks like she’s been on the losing end of a fight. And, in fact, the long-haired calico has. Several days ago, a nasty run-in with a neighborhood dog left her with a large tear in her abdomen. Her owner, Diane Wogaman, rushed her battered pet from their home in Greenbelt to the Annapolis center for surgery.

Now Emmie is feverish, and Wogaman has returned to ask veterinarian Tasha Fleury to take a second look. “I’m a little concerned by the fever and the fluid around her lymph node,” Fleury notes. “I want to have a look at that under the scope.” As she lifts Emmie, the feline manages a weak meow. “She’s complaining, [but] not in pain,” the women agree.

As Fleury departs, Wogaman praises the care she and Emmie have received at AAVEC. “The clinic staff couldn’t have been nicer,” she says. “Last week, while we were waiting, they brought a CD player into the exam room to play music for her, and when the tech arrived with food, she brought a whole armful of different bowls, just to try to get her to eat.”

Started in 1991, AAVEC has treated an ark-full of ailments. All told, the clinic treats more than 10,000 patients a year (nearly all four-legged), including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, pocket pets (hamsters and guinea pigs) and other animals in crisis. With its muted dŽcor, comfortable sofas, and magazines, the tiled space isn’t all that different from a human ER, except for the extra-large floor scale and the complimentaryÊleashes at the front desk.

Patient care is administered in a large, high-ceilinged treatment room, where scrub-suited vets and technicians circulate among kennels stacked two high. As they check fluid pumps, insert IVs, and administer medicines via Pill Pockets, a hound bays mournfully, ignoring the “Quiet Please!” sign in the adjacent cat ward. A tiny hedgehog sleeps in a cylindrical container on a nearby counter, oblivious to the bustle. Stopping to peer at the fist-sized patient, named Sparky, veterinarian Julie Wentzel, admits, “I’ve put catheters in a lot of things, but never a hedgehog.”

Access to a range of specialists like Wentzel is a hallmark of the clinic, which is affiliated with the Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center. A team of cardiologists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, internists, surgeons, and dentists comprise the center’s staff. “We’ve got more than two dozen docs,” says Dr. Tom Kozek, who founded AAVEC with a partner and still works several night shifts a week. “The practices are separate, but we all work together to provide overnight care andÊICU services.”

Patients are referred to the clinic by other vets or come through the emergency room for all sorts of ailments. Fleury rattles off a menu of possible maladies—immune system disorders, broken bones, gastric emergencies, heatstroke, seizures, paralysis, urinary blockage, lacerations. Foreign bodies run the gamut, ranging from Ping-Pong balls to entire sweaters. Sometimes, Fleury says, it’s not so much about stupid pets; it’s about stupid owners. As in: Keep that pack ofÊsugarless gum away from your pooch. “It’s got Xylitol in it,” she explains. “People don’t realize that it can be toxic.”

Appliances can be deadly, too. Fleury recalls a case where a dog licked a paper shredder, with dreadful consequences. She was on duty when the victim, still attached to the shredder, arrived. (She sedated the pet then hit the reverse button.)

Wentzel offers more common-sense prohibitions, the result of years of experience. “Don’t tie your dog in the back of your pickup truck,” she says. “And don’t let your dog off-leash outside—because that’s when bad things happen.”

Not all patients recover, of course, and some clinic visitors face the decision to euthanize their animals. At one end of the treatment room, Lorraine Caufield sits on a folding chair beside the kennel holding Susie, her elderly Australian shepherd-German shepherd mix. “Two weeks ago, she was jogging with my grandson,” Caufield says of her listless pet, patting the dog’s head and murmuring endearments. “But then she began to fade and wouldn’t touch food or water, so the vet told me to bring her here,” a lengthy journey from her home in Georgetown, Del. “She was such a good watchdog.” An hour later, Susie was gone.

“We deal with death daily,” Wentzel acknowledges. It can be traumatic for families, she says—even more so, Kozek adds, when owners must make a choice concerning intensive, high-tech care. “It can be very expensive, especially given this economy, and there’s usually no insurance,” he notes, “so we need to go over the costs and tailor the treatment to what’s best for everyone.”

“There’s a lot we can do in veterinary medicine these days,” says Fleury. “But there are tough questions about what owners can afford and what’s right for their animal.”

Emmie’s fluid sample revealed she didn’t have an infection, and Fleury sent pet and owner home to recuperate. A relieved Wogaman, whose invoice for Emmie’s first visit was more than the price of a new Apple laptop, admits that she’ll have to cancel her upcoming vacation to cover the bill. “But she’s such a wonderful cat,” she declares.
“I didn’t want her final memory to be in the jaws of an angry dog.” Or, heaven forbid, a paper shredder.

Carol Denny has owned several pet rabbits. None have needed emergency care.

Tony, Come Home!

Or why an increasing number of pets sport human names.
By Mary K. Zajac

When I named the pretty gray cat that showed up on my front porch one March evening seven years ago, Sylvie, I had no idea that I was part of a growing trend to give pets human names. After all, every family pet, beginning with Cleo, a cat, and Patrick, a dog, had had human, rather than descriptive, names. It just seemed natural to me to avoid Fluffy or Smokey in favor of a “real” name, one that captured my interest in all things French. Besides, the name suited her silvery gray color.

Turns out a lot of people prefer Sam to Spot. In June, The Associated Press reported that “almost half of American pet owners gave an animal a human-like name, such as Jack or Sophie.”

And according to a database of names kept by Veterinary Pet Insurance, the nation’s largest pet insurance company, Max is the most popular name for both cats and dogs, followed by Chloe, Lucy, Tigger, and Tiger, for cats, and Molly, Buddy, Bella, and Lucy for dogs.

Brian Iannessa, spokesman for VPI, reports that there’s not much difference in the naming of cats and dogs with the slight exception of cats more often being given names “representative of the species.”

“Tigger and Tiger are two of the most common cat names,” Iannessa points out, also mentioning the prevalence of cats called Smokey.

“On the dog side,” he says, “you see a lot more human names.”

Maybe this reflects pet owners’ strong bonds with their dogs, he wonders aloud. Or that dogs are “more integral family members. It’s dangerous to speculate though,” he adds hastily. “I don’t want to offend any
cat owners.”

In an era of gourmet dog biscuits, pet spas, and pet Halloween costumes, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that we name our pets like we name our children.

“We give our pets human characteristics,” says Dr. Wayne Eldridge, DVM, author of The Best Pet Name Book Ever!, now in its third edition. In a telephone interview from his San Antonio veterinary practice, he says it’s only natural that we give them human names.

“The pets that are named after humans are often closer to us,” he continues, “and we have closer relationships with them. If you name your dog Bob, chances are he’s not an outdoor dog.”

Eldridge began compiling lists of names after stumped pet owners asked him for suggestions in naming their pets, and his book offers name categories like “Appearance” and “Personality” (think Blondie, Slinky,
or Flash) as well as “Literature and Art” (Banshee, for example) and “Liquors and Drinks” (Chardonnay, anyone?). Currently at work on a fourth edition, Eldridge is constantly updating the “Sports” and “Screen
and Television” categories.

Still, Eldridge admits, “It throws me for a loop sometimes that people need to buy a book to name a pet.

“This subject is not complicated at all,” he says with the weariness of someone who’s been asked about pet names innumerable times. “I think you could summarize it as people name their pets after areas of interest to the pet owner. If they name their pet Ferrari or Martini that says more about the owner than the pet.”

So what does naming my pet Sylvie say about me? I don’t know that one, he says gently, spelling it back to me in confirmation, but it sounds nice.

Mary Zajac and her cat, Sylvie, live in Baltimore near a dog named Vincent.

Doggie Paddle

When Lynne and Maury Chaput’s black Lab, Shadow, tore her ACL, her surgeon recommended swim therapy to help her heal. But the only water facility for animals was located at an Aberdeen horse farm, more than an hour from their Millersville home. So the couple decided to build their own therapy center. “Here we were, two professionals—a CPA and an architect—and we’re looking at building dog pools,” says Lynne, the accountant.

Today, the Canine Fitness Center has more than 2,300 dogs who come to frolic in the center’s twin, ph-balanced, 11,000-gallon pools as well as exercise on the underwater treadmill or receive massage or acupuncture from doggie therapists. For the dogs, it’s not just about healing but fun and fitness, says Lynne. “Fit dogs live longer. Plus, it improves the bonds between owner and dog. It’s like taking your kid to soccer practice. It isn’t just the physical benefit. It’s like play day.”

Shadow died in 2005, but through the Canine Fitness Center, the Chaputs say her memory lives on. As a sign by the entrance reads: “Shadow: The $600,000 dog and worth every penny.” 1353 Generals Hwy., Crownsville, Md. 410-923-7946, http://www.caninefitnesscenter.com —J.S

Pets & Perks

The Bark ‘n’ Bean might be the only place in America where you could be asked: Would you like a double espresso with that flea dip?

That’s because it’s “likely the only dog wash and espresso bar in the U.S.,” says Theresa Mutlu, who opened the business, formerly known as Muddy Paw Dog Wash and Coffee Bar, with her husband, John, in 2005. The concept has proven to be both unique and successful, as the business boasts more than 6,000 clients and a new location in Severna Park.

Bark ‘n’ Bean offers self-serve and full-service washes, which include shampoo, conditioner, blow dry, and brush. Clients can choose after-bath sprays—in scents ranging from pina colada to lavender breeze—to keep their pooches smelling pleasant.

The coffee bar side (the two are separated by a glass wall and a small revolving door to pass beverages through) serves up traditional coffee drinks and has several racks of pet-themed greeting cards. Customers are encouraged to hang out, check their e-mail, browse the shop’s retail section, or chat with other dog lovers. Spend some time at Bark ‘n’ Bean, and you can see why dog owners find it a whole lot more fun than Starbucks. Mutlu certainly would agree. “I used to work in public relations for a science organization,” she says, “but now I get to hug all of my clients.”

130 Hillsmere Dr., Annapolis. 410-268-7387 and 543 Benfield Road, Severna Park, Md. 410-647-7646, http://www.barknbean.com —J.S.

Westminster Backstage

Irma Tillman and her husband, Donald, of Severna Park, Md., spent many years on the dog show circuit with her Staffordshire bull terriers racking up awards at regional and national shows. In the early 1990s, her dogs, Jim and Lizzie, competed in the granddaddy of them all, the Westminster Dog Show in New York.

1. So what was it like the first time?
It was exciting because it was the first time we had gone. The dogs all have to be champions. They only take so many. The second and third year, Jim won his breed. Lizzie got a medal.

2. We’ve heard the show can get political, is that true?
I think it’s very political, especially when you get to the groups and best of show. The judges know the professional handlers. We used to have a handler who’d show our dogs, and he said a judge told him once that he could walk in there with a donkey, and he’d win. When you hear that, it’s sad. Judges do play favorites. I guess it’s hard not to. The judges see the same handlers all the time.

3. Do you get any money for winning?
You get no money, just a cup or ribbon. But you can get a good stud fee afterward. Jim’s stud fees were $400 or $500. Our last litter in 1995 from Jim and Lizzie—both champions—were $1,000 apiece.

4. How would you primp the dogs before a show?
Actually, our dogs didn’t need any grooming. Just a bath before the show, and we’d have to make sure their eyes didn’t have any coating. We took Jim to so many shows he knew the routine. Whenever he heard the bath water, he’d come running.
—J.S.

Pet Art with Pop

Every pet has its own “color,” according to Annapolis pop artist Erin Simmons, who likes to scope out an animal’s personality first before rendering its portrait in acrylic paint. Based on the vibe she gets from the pet, she’ll choose a bold color scheme—blues and pinks, reds and oranges— to bring the creature to life on canvas.
1. Why pets?
I’ve done some people portrait work, but I find you have a lot more creativity with dogs. With people, you have to be spot-on with details; with dogs, you have a little more room to be creative and wild.
2.What’s your style?
My paintings are huge! The smallest I did was 30 by 30 [inches]. They’re large-scale, sort of like Andy Warhol. They’re funky and a little alternative: big, bright colors and broad strokes.
3. What types of animals do you paint?
I’ve done a cat, a bird, but mostly dogs. I’ve done probably 40 to 50 dogs. But I can do any animal. Right now, I’m working on a koi fish.
4.What message are you trying to get across?
When people remember their pets, they don’t always remember what they look like—they remember how they were, how they interacted with them and what kind of spirit they had. So I wanted to be able to capture both in a painting.
5.Anything weird about this job?
Every dog has their quirks, but the owners are funky, too. Actually, for every dog I’ve painted, the owner has been just like the dog!

443-534-0172, http://www.hotdogsandcatschup.com —L.S.

For the Birds

If you’re a bird person, you might already know about M & D Bird Farm Exotic Birds and Supplies. It’s one of the largest bird supply stores in the Mid-Atlantic, according to its owner, Terri Martin, 47. If you’re not, the store is still worth a stop on your way to the Delaware beaches just to gawk at Martin’s moluccan cockatoo, Princess, who performs her shtick for customers. “Yes, she’s a rock star,”?says Martin of the bird who talks, spins on a bar, and generally does whatever Martin commands.

Martin, who bought her first bird at 18, opened the shop in 2002. “I had 17 birds in my bedroom at home already,”?she says. “Nobody else in the area was doing this, so I figured I would.”?

The colorful, 4,000-square-foot store boasts every bird toy imaginable, plus full grooming and boarding services, not to mention a “bird room,” which contains 75 to 100 exotic birds. But beware, as the half-joking sign on the door reads:?“Enter at your own risk. We sometimes snack on fingers and small children.—The Birds.”
26754 Lewes Georgetown Hwy., Harbeson, Del. 302-684-4101 —J.S.

Pet P.I.

Remember that lost whippet fiasco in New York City back in 2006? The one in which the famous show dog, Vivi, took off at JFK Airport, resulting in city-wide upheaval? Laura Totis, certified Missing Animal Relief (MAR) technician, was one of the first “pet detectives” on the scene.

When Totis started her unusual career seven years ago, only four other certified MAR technicians existed in the country. “Initially it was a running joke about the whole Ace Ventura thing,” she says with a laugh.
“But a lot of info has gotten out there and people do take it a lot more seriously now.” Any pet qualifies for the chase (Totis has pursued llamas, tortoises, and skunks), though dogs and cats
are the most common.

Totis, based in Clarksburg, Md., started out conducting human search-and-rescue on a volunteer basis but subsequently branched out to pet detection. She uses two trained dogs to locate missing pets throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, asking only that clients cover her time with “whatever they feel is reasonable and can afford.” Her bag of tricks run the gamut from behavior profiling to mounting wildlife cameras to listening devices to setting humane traps.

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of her clients are recovered. Much of her success is due to her website, which people can use to post lost pet notifications and track sightings as well as consult with Totis (for a fee of $20). So where is the most common place to find a lost pet? “The last place you look,” she says. 410-239-4746, http://www.ljtpettracking.com —L.S. 

To the Point

When Mac, a 100-pound chocolate lab, collapsed as a result from his diabetes, his owners were told he wouldn’t last more than a few months. But Annapolis animal acupuncturist Lydia Wainwright had other ideas. “They carried him in, and he walked out. It was amazing,” she says. “I saw that dog for three years.”

Wainwright is constantly sur-prising herself and her clients with the effectiveness of acupuncture, a method of ancient Chinese medicine that uses needles to correct imbalances in life force energy or Qi. “If you were a toaster, the electricity that runs through you to make you work is your Qi,” explains Wainwright. “I’m the toaster repairman.”

Wainwright works with both animals and people to improve maladies ranging from arthritis to kidney failure. The result? “Ninety percent of the time there’s some kind of change,” she claims. “This is especially true of animals, because they tend not to hold on to baggage the way people do.”

Wainwright, who is certified by the Maryland Acupuncture Board and sees 15 to 40 patients a week, attends to cats and dogs but is also qualified to help rabbits, ferrets, and birds. Each animal responds differently to the treatment, she says. Some get worse before they get better, some need continued treatment (especially for chronic ailments such as arthritis),
and others are cured after just one treatment. The only common side effect, she says, is that “all animals seem to really enjoy it.“443-474-3631, http://www.acuanimal.com —E.B.

In the Raw

If you’ve ever been to Crunchies Natural Pet Foods in Crofton, you’ve likely met Charlie. The 10-year-old
beagle is not only the store’s mascot
but also something of a poster dog for the benefits of the all-natural foods Crunchies sells.

When store owner Julia Cahill adopted him in 2008, he was suffering from a list of ailments ranging from upper respiratory problems to conjunctivitis. “He was absolutely a mess,” recalls Cahill. “We adopted him on a Friday, and the vet wasn’t sure he’d make it over the weekend. We brought him back two weeks later, and the vet couldn’t believe it was the same dog.”

All Cahill did was switch Charlie’s diet to one rich in raw foods, and “it changed everything about him,” she says.

Raw food is the buzzword in dog parks and kitty condos these days. The tainted pet food scare of 2007 helped give legs to the movement, which emphasizes serving foods made only from raw meats and vegetables—no grain fillers. Cahill and other advocates claim “commercial pet foods,” loaded with chemicals and filler, are the equivalent of fast food. “If you ate fast food every meal, every day for a year, how would you look and feel?”

Cahill asks. “People don’t realize it’s like milkshakes and french fries. You’re not going to have a healthy, well-behaved dog. And people are just starting to realize this.”
Cahill admits that her food lines may sport higher price tags than those found at the big box pet stores, but she says dog owners can feed their pets less because raw foods are nutrient dense.

“Besides,” she says, “you’ll have a healthier dog with less allergies, less ear problems, less skin problems. And you know how vet bills can add up very fast…” 2421 Crofton Lane, Crofton, Md. 410-721-5432, http://www.crunchies.com —J.S.

When Pigs Fly… Literally

Say goodbye to the cargo hold, Rover, and welcome to first class. Pet Airways, the first airline to carry animals as “pawsengers” instead of cargo, started service out of several airports (including BWI Marshall) on July 14. With one-way airfares starting at $149, Pet Airways offers flights out of Baltimore, New York, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles.

Beechcraft 1900 turbo-prop planes, filled with pet carriers instead of seats, are used to transport the animals. For now, Pet Airways plans to work solely with cats and dogs, but pigs, birds, and reptiles may soon have their chance to fly the friendly skies, too. 888-PET-AIRWAYS, http://www.petairways.com —L.S.

Laps of Luxury

The kennel, as it used to be known, is a dying breed. Dogs and cats now have “pet resorts” with spas and luxury suites to enjoy while their owners are away. “It wasn’t that kennels were horrible,” says Elizabeth Chaney, owner of Perfect Pet Resort in Lothian (410-741-0000, perfectpetresort.com), “but there’s a demand for dogs and cats to have a great experience while their parents are away, with more benefits than just accommodations.” At Chaney’s resort, both dogs and cats get luxury suites with couches or beds and dogs get TVs playing animal-related shows.

The new Maryland Shore Pet Resort in Vienna (410-376-2107, mdshorepetresort.com) boasts a spa offering blueberry facials and paw cream. Pets can unwind during “Yappy Hour” and “Meowy Hour” with complimentary “happy-tizers” made at the in-house Pure Bred Bakery.

And at Dogwood Acres Pet Retreat in Davidsonville (410-798-4776, dogwoodacres.com) dogs can get “cuddle time”?at the end of the day. “Dogs walk out the door with [richer] experiences than when they came in,” says Chaney. “It’s just like camp. A kid goes in shy and comes out strong. People are not just paying for space anymore. It’s the experience.” —J.S.

Natural Healing

Dr. Francine K. Rattner of South Arundel Veterinary Hospital is not your typical vet. She treats everything from dogs, cats, and birds to rabbits and iguanas, but as one of only 53 vets in the United States certified by the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy, she does so in a very different way.

Through homeopathic treatments, a formal system of “natural medicine” developed in the 18th century, Rattner addresses all aspects of the animal’s health—from its diet to the amount of exercise it gets to its exposure to toxins.

Symptoms of illness, which vets normally attempt to suppress with drugs, are viewed by Rattner as the body’s attempt to heal itself. She prescribes remedies derived from natural substances that would normally cause the symptoms the animal is already showing, in order to encourage self-healing. For instance, for runny eyes or a bad cold, she might prescribe diluted allium, derived from onions.

Rattner, who also practices conventional medicine, admits that homeopathic medicine for pets has its skeptics, but she believes that her treatments work best with the cooperation of owners who are careful and observant, willing to note subtle changes in their animals. “My favorite cases are patients diagnosed with cancer that have been given a very poor prognosis, who instead choose a holistic approach and live a longer and happier life than was predicted,” she says. 410-956-2932, http://www.southarundelvet.com —L.S.

Clean Machine

For anyone who has ever tried to bathe a dog, doing so in a van may sound like a daunting task. But it’s just another day at the office for Jeff Bawkins, who, as owner of Arnold, Md.‘s U Dirty Dog Mobile Pet Grooming, makes his living grooming dogs out of the back of his white Ford E-350.

1. How did you decide on this mobile pet grooming?
It’s actually been around for quite some time. I like it because it’s quiet and comfortable. It’s also more convenient for the customer.
2. How does it work?
I go to each customer’s house and groom the dogs right
in their driveway in the back of the van.
I groom about 10 to 15 dogs a day. On
a given year, I’ll have a list of 1,800 to 2,200 clients.
3. What’s the van like?
The setup is basically like any other groomer’s: We’ve got special grooming equipment, high-velocity dryer, stainless steel bathtub, hydraulic table, air conditioning—just about everything you could ask for.
4. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened with a dog?
A bite—that’s the worst. Of course, it depends on the dog and what kind of mood they’re in. If it’s a playful bite, it’s not so bad as if it’s an angry one, but a bite never feels good!
5. Has a dog ever escaped?
No, I’m really careful. Most of them are very cooperative and have never tried. Even if they did, I’m a pretty fast runner. 410-349-3647, http://www.udirtydogmobile.com —E.B.