Yoga, reiki, ozone baths… In Brazil, a country with four times more pets than children, the term “dog life” can take on a completely different meaning.
“All the treatments that are available for humans are available today for dogs,” Eliane Rodrigues, owner of the “Starpet Dog Spa” in a middle-class neighborhood of Brasilia, told AFP.
In this wellness center dogs can undergo “chromotherapy”, a treatment based on light rays, or complete fur care, hydrated and shampooed with special “detox” products.
And for more anxious dogs, the spa provides a “low stress” space.
“Before, people didn’t really take care of their dogs. We gave them food scraps and washed them with anything, sometimes even washing-up liquid,” recalls Eliane Rodrigues.
“Today we are much more careful,” she insists as one of her staff examines a dog’s fur using a digital microscope.
– “Family members” –
Brazil has 160 million pets, including 62 million dogs and 30 million cats, according to the Pet Brasil Institute, which represents several companies in the sector. In total, far greater than the Brazilian population under the age of 14 (40 million).
Brazil (population 212 million) has seen its birth rate fall over the past 20 years, mainly due to the growth of its middle class, and “animals have become members of the family”, Eliane Rodrigues assesses.
“It’s more than just children, because children, when they grow up, they disappear with animals, they stay,” says one of her clients, Silvana Matos, who holds two Pomeranian dogs in her arms.
She first came to the dog spa three years ago to treat one of them, Bento, who suffered from alopecia, a disease that causes hair loss.
The other, Fénix, is the “favorite” of the staff, who love to pamper him during fur-hydration sessions.
– A booming market –
Between feeding and monthly baths, the cost of pampering Bento and Fénix is between 500 and 800 reais per month (80 to 130 euros), estimates Eliane Rodrigues.
But “when you love, you don’t count,” says Silvana Matos, math professor and real estate agent.
The pet market generated revenue of 68.7 million reais (11.4 million euros) in Brazil in 2023, a 14% increase over the previous year, according to the Pet Brasil Institute.
Kibbles and veterinary consultations represent the majority of this turnover, but this market now also includes treatments such as chiropractic or acupuncture.
“I’ve never cared so much for a person,” says Marco Barroso, a 54-year-old musician who pays weekly for acupuncture sessions for his dog Lino, who has cancer in one leg.
“I never wanted to have children because I thought it would be too demanding, but in the end this is where I came from,” he admits.
– “Energy well-being” –
“The world of pets has changed a lot in recent years, there is new knowledge, new studies,” explains Fernanda Rizzon, owner of the “Banho dos Gatos” (Cat Bath) establishment.
After good care, felines can follow a reiki session.
This method of Japanese origin consists in placing the hand on the body of a person (or an animal) to transfer “vital energy” and relieve stress and other ailments.
“In addition to good physical health, we want to give them energetic well-being,” describes Ms. Rizzon, caressing one of her “cat patients”.
published on October 8 at 05.41, AFP
