by John Lenti
In 2007, the American pet industry became our 8th largest retail sector -- larger than toys, candy, hardware and jewelry. Bare in mind this covers just the stuff to take care of the pet, not the pet itself.
Michael Schaffer's very engrossing book, One Nation Under Dog (Henry Holt Company, LLC, 2009) is subtitled, "Adventures in the new world of Prozac-popping puppies, dog-park politics, and organic pet food," and it provides an excellent analysis of our society's relationship with their dogs.
Schaffer effectively tracks the boom in pet industry sales following September 11, 2001, and provides sufficient historical background to make sense of it. A self-described dog lover who promised never to become one of those fanatics who treats their dog like a "fur-baby," Schaffer comes to learn that he has indeed become one of them when confronted with the realization that his beloved dog will one day die.
The American dog has moved from sleeping outside to sleeping in our bed, from eating table scraps to eating scientifically formulated kibble. Schaffer asks, "is modern petmania...a sign of modern lunacy?"
And yet, it all seems to make sense. Schaffer brings us into the world of the dog walker making a triple-digit salary, the vet providing experimental health care, and the funeral director caring for the bereaved. He is so compassionate with the people he interviews that you come to understand how it is that any dog owner became "one of those" dog owners.
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