Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

In a city with over 160,000 dogs and cats, not to mention thousands of other types of companion animals, finding the Yellow Pages full of listings for pet services makes sense. The listings includes those providing grooming and kennelling services, aquarium installation, to those willing to look after your number-one pet's number-two.

Calgary boasts about 200 businesses employing approximately 1,700 people in the pet service sector, according to figures from the 1998 Calgary Business Directory. Of those 200 business, about 165 employ one to four people, the statistics show. So just what are these people in pet services doing? Well, just about everything you can imagine.

Pet Waste Removal

Every day Lana Horan looks after her own business while taking care of pets' unwanted business. With one hand on the phone and an eye to the sky, Horan begins each day knowing only that she'll have to put up with a lot of you-know-what no matter where she goes in the city.

"I do the phone and office work in the morning, then I start doing the poop scoopin' boogie," said the owner of A1Pooper Scoopin'. "I tell people 'If you don't like picking your own brown flowers, then call me.'"

Over five years ago, tired of her downtown job, Horan turned her love for animals into a full-time business, and enjoys every minute, despite having to often scale fences to do her thing. "Usually there's dogs there and that's the fun part of the job. You visit them every week and you get to know them."

While the weather determines just how easy, or hard, each day may be -- snow requires a rake, freezing temperatures a shovel -- Horan wouldn't have it any other way. "I like dogs, and I like working outside."

Pet Pals

Whether visiting an animal on a day-to-day basis, or providing live-in care when pet owners are away, being a pet pal has started many friendships for Sandra. Working in the position for four months, Sandra, who asked her last name not be used, said rewards come on two fronts. Not only do you have regular contact with a variety of different companion animals, but their owners as well. "I really enjoy it because you really get to know the pets and the people," she said of working for the pet pal division of The Animal House. "And they get to know you and call you by name."

While visiting unfamiliar animals may be a concern to some, Sandra doesn't worry. "Cats and dogs are all pretty good. And the dogs usually aren't a problem because we go meet them when the owners are there to make everyone more comfortable." Although, she admits, not all pets warm immediately to their new pals. "Sometimes animals just aren't that friendly, or are scared if their owners aren't there." The knowledge gained by working regularly with companion animals helps manoeuvre around any unusual circumstances.

Just knowing you are helping the companions and their owners, and earning their trust is most gratifying, Sandra said. And it's a great way to work in the pet industry. "This is something I've always wanted to do. I've always really liked animals."

Pet Memorials

Don Brooks sees the best and worst side of the pet services industry on a daily basis. At Country Club Pet Resort he is comforted knowing pet owners will be happy to pick up their pet from his "Club Med" for companion animals. With the memorial services division, particularly when the pet is known to the business, he sees the pain people experience after losing their friend.

"It's the sad part of our business, but it's inevitable," he said. "Pets are part of the family and this is a small token for the unconditional love a pet gives you." Dealing with grieving pet owners is the hardest part of the pet memorial business, Brooks adds. "You just talk to the people and try to come up with a similar experience of another pet to get them talking. That helps." Having been in the pet industry for 40 years -- 18 in the memorial business -- the local businessman knows well how to approach those dealing with losing an animal companion.

When not reassuring the owners, Brooks, and others with the company, also have to deal with the bodies of the deceased pets. At times, the bodies are picked up at people's homes, or from vet clinics. Other times the owners drop off the pets themselves. Brooks then helps people decide if they want the pets placed in a community memorial site, a private casket, an urn to be buried in the pet cemetery, an urn to take home, or in a scatter box to sprinkle the pet's ashes at a place special to the pet and owner.

Brooks' business has a small church at the memorial gardens so owners can eulogize their pets, and owners are also invited to witness the cremation in one of two pathological crematories that burn at 2000 degrees if they desire. "People are thankful for the services," he said. "We have people come back every week to remember their pet."