Hong Kong Doggie Style
Hong Kong is spending a frightening amount of money on our dogs, writes Angie Wong
Weekly pedicures, cosmetic surgery, hair extensions, Gucci bags, lingzhi tablets, telephone psychics, cell phones and skinny jeans. Think we’re describing the extravagances of the modern-day Hong Kong teenager? Close, we’re talking about the modern-day Hong Kong dog.
Today, many canine-lovers among us spend more on our pooches than on ourselves, with extravagances like the $1,200 doggie spa days driving the pet market into a $1 billion a year industry, with approximately $300-$400 spent per dog per month, according to organizers of the Hong Kong International Pet Accessory Show. Fashion houses such as Tiffany, Gucci, Chanel and BVLGARI are creating doggie jewelry and accessories for small pooches. One local breeder charges upwards of $20,000 for purebred poodles. In China, standard poodles can cost as much as RMB$5 million.
And it’s not just that we’re buying our dogs for big sums. We’ve seen dog accessories going for big bucks ($3,000 designer dog jumpers), and even an entire mall dedicated to the canine: Dog One Life, a six-storey dog-pampering Mecca in Causeway Bay (459 Lockhart Rd., Causeway Bay, 3105-5577).
On the second floor, you can outfit your pup with the latest fashions and costumes (small-size only; big dogs go elsewhere). You can even purchase mini-hangers and a garment rack to properly park Muffy’s Hermes coat, Juicy Couture matching mommy-and-doggie sweat suits and hoodies and skinny jeans (G-strings, too).
Designer Shirley Liu started out designing ready-to-wear clothes for women, but then found a great market in designing matching outfits for mom and pup. She says her most popular items are her scarves, personalized jewelry and handbags. “I have a waiting list for some of my designs,” she says of her products sold at Dog One Life.
At their salon and spa, mommies and pets can also get matching manicures, aromatherapy massages and colored hair extensions. But book early, as there is a one-month waiting list for the top stylists. There is also a photo studio, obedience center and a rooftop playground and swimming pool.
