Four-legged family members

When her children grew up and flew the coop, a void grew in Annette McNeely's heart.

To treat her bad case of loneliness, she adopted four more children. She named them Blizzard, Kodiak, Czar and Sally.

But the new kids are a little different. They're furry. They have four legs. They bark.

"I tell my kids that my dogs are their brothers and sisters," said McNeely, who works as a ranger for the DuPage County Forest Preserve.

With her four fur-babies, McNeely is in good company. Empty-nesters are filling their homes with pets when their children leave.

Younger people may have different reasons: Some hear the pitter-patter of little paws as a bridge to or a replacement for having children. For others, bringing pets into their homes is about instant stress relief at the end of a long workday.

No matter what gap a pet fills, dog owners who take their affection beyond a scratch behind the ears are fueling a multibillion-dollar industry.

In 2006, Americans spent roughly $38.5 billion on their pets, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. In 2007, that number escalated to almost $41 billion. Michael San Filippo, spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association based in Schaumburg, said baby boomers may be a key reason behind the increase.

"They have the space and they probably have the income," San Filippo said.

The way people treat their pets has changed greatly in the past few decades, he said. According to a study by the veterinary association, nearly half of pet owners now consider their nonhuman companions to be a member of the family as opposed to simply a pet.

"It's a new relationship that people have with their pets," San Filippo said. "When the baby boomers were growing up, the dog was sleeping in the backyard. Now these same people are sharing the bed with their dogs. It shows the changing face of pet ownership in the U.S."

That also means no expense is spared.

McNeely said she spends all her disposable income on her loving fur balls. That comes to thousands of dollars annually.

Her pooches, three Siberian huskies and a husky hound mix, regularly get groomed at the Hand and Paw in Lisle. They eat special high-protein foods. Like children, they must dress up on special occasions and pose for photos.

McNeely even plans vacations around her tail-wagging companions.

"The only things I do when I go on vacation is dog sledding or dog weight pulling," she said. "We travel all over the country with our dogs."

All the dogs compete in such competitions, and they've even snagged a few gold medals.

To keep them healthy and fit, her Siberian "children" get exercise at least five times a week for a few hours. During the summers, they visit the Downers Grove Ice Arena where employers allow them to build a snowy dog track in the back of the arena -- from the ice that has been shaved from rink.

McNeely's relationship with her pets provides the sort of emotional contact that's fueling a notable increase in pet ownership across the country.

According to the veterinary association, the number of U.S. households owning pets grew by almost 13 percent from 2001 to 2006. While baby boomers and retired couples may be a driving force, recently married young couples could be a contributing factor as well.

"With young couples, it's sort of like easing a way into the responsibility of having a child," San Filippo said. "They sort of start their parenting with a dog or a cat. We hear that a lot."

Susan and Matt Majchrzak, who live in Lemont, are a prime example. Susan, 26, and Matt, 31, have been married for nearly two years and are the proud owners of a German shepherd and husky mix named Guinea.

"She has been acting as our guinea pig before we have a child," Susan said. "Everyone knows that she's our baby."

When it comes to spending money, the couple have invested thousands of dollars since they adopted Guinea two years ago. The pooch has multiple leashes and accessories, undergoes regular grooming and constantly receives toys.

"We would cut down on our expenses before we cut down on her," Susan said.

Todd Bulmash and Shawn Bechtol of Arlington Heights feel the same way. The slightest hint of a doggy sniffle by either of their miniature pinschers and they reinforce the first-name basis they have with their veterinarian. Those trips can rack up big bills, but money isn't a huge concern if it means Allie Joy Victoria and her slightly bigger brother Chip Aaron Nathanial are happy and healthy. That's why they also have little yellow raincoats for walks in the rain and turtleneck sweaters for when it gets chilly outside. At naptime, they have a hand-sewn bed with their names stitched into it. For meals, they have framed portraits over their bowls so there's no quibbling over kibble.

Then, of course, there's also the effort Bulmash and Bechtol put forth to find companions for their companions. Both dogs have their own page of Dogster, a canine equivalent to MySpace that connects local pet fanatics to each other.

"A pet is a member of the family," Bulmash said. "So our dogs are definitely treated like family. It's just a comfort having them there at the end of the day, seeing their smiling faces when you come through the door."

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