From doggie day care to pet therapy, the coddling of our pup population has created an entire industry of people who work in a parallel canine universe. “Because New Yorkers have found companionship in dogs, they’ve elevated dogs to human status and need to reward them in human terms,” says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Association, which estimates the pet industry has grown 31 percent since 2005, to $47.7 billion. “My dog would be happy with a ratty tennis ball, but instead we buy him a beautifully decorated, fur-lined collar.”
With 2,500 dogs strutting their four-legged stuff at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden Monday and Tuesday, we’ve doggedly snooped around to find the New Yorkers dedicated to top-notch doggie care.
Food for Fido
Alireza Niroomand, 70 Charles St.; 800-790-3403
Chef Alireza Niroomand, 32, went from making foie gras for finicky Parisians to whipping up liver treats for local hounds. He started his career in the kitchen of an Alain Ducasse eatery and quit his most recent job four months ago as general manager of Bagatelle to launch DOOD, homemade dog food. “My wife was about to give birth, and I didn’t want to work crazy hours,” he says. “And my dog Louis was always getting ill and refusing to eat. I started cooking for him. He hasn’t been sick since.” Niroomand buys restaurant-quality lean ground beef or turkey from a butcher near his West Village home, mixes it with whole grains, sweet peas, carrots, parsley and flaxseed, then vacuum-seals the meals in individual packets. It costs about $2.50 to feed a small dog per day. “My first dish at Ducasse was pasta with truffles,” he says. “Now I am trying whole-wheat pasta dishes [for dogs] — but no truffles.”
Rinse Rover
Dr. Dan Carmichael, dentist, Animal Medical Center, 510 E. 62nd St.; 212-838-8100
Many vets can handle routine cleanings, but Carmichael, 47, is the city’s only board-certified dog dentist — and he has access to sophisticated machinery such as sonic scalers and X-ray equipment. “It’s a nicer celebration of the human/pet bond when the animal doesn’t smell, especially if you sleep in the same bed,” says Carmichael, who recommends brushing a dog’s teeth daily. He even developed invisible braces he used on a schnauzer whose fangs were poking the roof of her mouth. The doc commutes from Babylon, LI, and charges $300 to $350 for a routine cleaning.
Doggy duds
Edward Alava, owner, The Dog Store, 170 E. 61st St.; 212-317-5987
Need to get Teddy’s tux altered for his next canine affair? Alava’s tony shop not only sells one-of-a kind coats and sweaters, it will tailor them to fit your pooch perfectly. “My customers want to pamper their dogs even more than they want to pamper themselves,” says Alava. The 40-year-old Upper East Sider picks out fabrics including leather, fur and cashmere for clothing, bags and boots, and carries such luxe indulgences as crocodile harnesses and cabanas for country houses. He recently sold a silk-and-velvet canopy bed to a Manhattan socialite for $6,500, but you can buy an adorable wool hunting coat for a mere $75. “I enjoy working with dogs,” says Alava, “and they never ask me if an outfit makes them look fat.”
Pills for pooches
Best Pet Rx, 1751 Second Ave.; 800-792-6160
Is your pooch depressed or bothered by allergies? Pharmacy Best Pet Rx has a medication for every possible malady, and will flavor it with liver or chicken to make it more palatable. Paramus residents Danny Carrero, 41, and Sam Abdrabouh, 37, used to run a regular pharmacy, and noticed an increased number of customers coming in for pet medicine. Two years ago, the duo got some veterinary training and converted their store into the city’s first pet pharmacy. “People come in here and they can’t believe we just do pet medication,” says Carrero. “They say, ‘Only in New York.’ ”
Pampered purebreds
Dr. Trish Dean, 525 W. 36th St., Apt. 2A; 917-696-2608
After a successful 10-year career rubbing down celebrities, Dean abandoned her office at Paramount Studios in 1998 and slipped into the animal kingdom. “I massaged every butt in Hollywood, and I was burned out working with humans,” explains the 51-year-old Alabama native, whose clients include the pets of Magic Johnson and Ricki Lake. “The animal’s eyes started talking to me; it was like they knew I was a healer.” After getting her certification in veterinarian orthopedic manipulation, she began with actors’ pets, then broadened to a full animal practice and moved to New York in 2005. Dean, who charges $50 per session, says, “I’ve been able to get dogs off medication through bodywork, and I just saved a dog from needing knee surgery by taking the stress off his mid-back, which directly relates to the knee joint.”
Pooch paparazzi
Eric Ferrar, 3A Points of View, Warwick, NY; 845-610-3444
The son of two photographers, Ferrar, 34, used to shoot landscapes, but agreed to photograph a friend’s two dogs, which were nearing the end of their lives. “They still had some energy, and I took them for a walk and just started shooting,” he recalls. “It was so special that I went out and had cards made the next day.” Ferrar, who has a rescue German shepherd, likes photographing animals because “they have no egos.’’ And he can talk to the animals — sort of. “I communicate; sometimes I bark, sometimes I meow,” he admits. “The ears go up, they stare at you and I only need a hundredth of a second to get that shot.’’ Rates are $250 for a studio session and run $350 to $450 for a location shoot.
Freud for fido
Dr. Emily Levine, 1237 Bloomfield Ave., Fairfield, NJ; 973-226-3282
When people heard Jennifer Aniston recently took her dog to a shrink because he had the blues, some were dubious. Dog psychiatrists — or “veterinary behaviorists” — may be rare, but they do exist. Levine, who’s been practicing for nine years and is one of only three dog-shrinks in the area, says, “Dogs can become depressed, and a lot of them have separation anxiety when their owners leave.” Anxiety, compulsive disorders, aggression and depression can be treated by a combination of medications, play, music, touch therapy and behavior modification, says Levine, 37, who charges $399 for an initial two-hour consultation that includes two half-hour phone follow-ups.
Canine concierge
Throw Me a Bone NYC, 317 E. 85th St., suite 3A; 212-933-1279
Three years ago, Upper East Siders Adam Light, 32, and Michael Lavora, 33, left their Wall Street jobs. “We knew things in finance would get worse before they got better,” Light says. “We love dogs, and we knew that the pet industry was taking off . . . we wanted to do something we are passionate about.” Their “companion” service charges $45 an hour for dog-sitting and $120 for overnight. They also travel with animals, and even keep them company when a client goes to the theater.
Dog designer
Olivia Ma, Pet Royalty, 347 W. 36th St., suite 504; 888-588-5269
Dog bags and carriers used to be very costly, or dull, or both. Thanks to designer Ma, 34, who launched her animal accessories biz in 2001, that’s changed, with fashionable pet owners such as Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson now transporting their tiny dogs in Ma’s stylish totes. Her trendy urban dog designs also include a little parka with a removable hood and sleeves that converts into a vest, as well as a yellow “Nantucket slicker” complete with metal toggles. The Chelsea resident began her career at her mother’s knitting factory, working after school. “When I tried to buy sweaters for my new Brussels Griffon at dog boutiques, the nice ones were about $100,” Ma recalls. “My mom said, ‘We can make those.’ I wanted to do something on my own, so I came up with a few samples to sell to boutiques.” Her line includes $20 T-shirts, $60 coats and bags at $100 to $225.
Dog house calls
Dr. Cindy Bressler, 1461 First Ave., suite 280; 631-255-8556
Bressler is the rare doctor who still makes house calls, visiting patients anywhere in the city, 24/7 — as long as the patients are sick puppies. When someone stepped on the paw of Jill Zarin’s Chihuahua on the set of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” Bressler came to her aid. For a Britney spaniel in kidney failure, she installed an IV and sent a nurse to sit vigil. “People hate to see their pets in cages and they want to be there for them when they are sick,” explains the vet, who tends to the animals of Kate Hudson, Donna Karan and Donny Deutsch. House-call checkups run from $150 to $250.