Diane Rossi didn't mean to turn her home in Belmont-Craigin
into a menagerie of pet information. The idea just hatched over time.
Seven years ago, she and Ivan Bilic started Have Doggie We’ll
Doo, a service that cleans up dog droppings. Costumers kept asking
for referrals for everything from pet walking to dog grooming. Last
year, Rossi and Bilic published Pet Needs Yellow Pages. Now they’ve
distributed 25,000 updated copies of their free guide at more than
100 city and suburban location.
The 40 page booklet has ads for everything from pet therapist to cat
sitters, along with tips on pet care and phone contacts for various
agencies.
Businesses, including Rossi’s, often have names as playful as
a puppy: Paws for Thought pet store; Kittin Sitten for felines and
Jefferson Bark Doggie Day Care in Jefferson Park, and Petraits Photography.
Cute names aside, this is serious business. Pet food, training,
animal insurance, critter graveyards and even a pet modeling agency
beckon from the pages. One of the biggest categories is pet walking.
“People realize they don’t have to keep their animals
cooped up” she said, “And it gives (the pets) a chance
to socialize.
|
