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Título: Pampered in N.Y. style Por: Mindy Fetterman, USA Today, FEB 15, 2005
Base de datos: Academic Search Complete
Pampered in N.Y. style
Listen American Accent
Hotel Pennsylvania caters to Westminster competitors
Section: Sports, Pg. 10c
NEW YORK Ava is having a shampoo and blow dry. Willow is working out on the treadmill. Manna is
having acupuncture to relieve stress. And Cleo has been promised a massage, if she wins.
All are dogs.
In the Green Room Salon and Spa in the basement of the Hotel Pennsylvania, hundreds of dogs
competing in the twoday Westminster Dog Show, which began Monday, are being treated to the
lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. The hotel hosts nearly 2,000 of the 2,500 dogs in the
competition and their owners, trainers and handlers, and it goes to some extraordinary measures to
take care of its canine guests.
"Let's be honest, who doesn't want to be pampered like this?" says Jerry Grymek, head of public
relations for the hotel who, for one week a year, is "Dog Concierge" in charge of "pooch relations."
The hotel, which is across 7th Avenue from Madison Square Garden, where the USA's most
prestigious dog show is held, has been a haven for the competitors since 1919, Grymek says. In the last
five years, it has increased services from just a couple of tubs in the basement for doggie baths to a
"spa" that offers grooming, treats, toys, jewelry, a photo studio, acupuncture and an indoor "loo."
"Nothing is spared," says Judy Davis, a dog owner and trainer of Samoyeds from Stockton, Calif., who
created and operates the spa. "We figured what's good for humans is good for dogs."
Linda Timmerman, a handler from Riverside, Calif., is taking advantage of the spa with her smooth
collie, Willow. She's running the dog on one of two treadmills.
"She just needs a little toning up," Timmerman says. "All smooth collies are notoriously lazy. At home,
she just lays on the couch."
Kristie Bate of North Berwick, Maine, is taking her Great Dane Cleo down for a toilet break. "She's a
country dog, and she won't go outside in the street," she says.
Ashley Dunbar of Staten Island brought her tiny Yorkie named Manna, whom she rescued two months
ago, to the spa for acupuncture. She's not a competitor, but she needs some help. "She has nutritional
problems, her coat is poor and she needs to calm down a little," says Babette Gladstein, a vet who's
providing acupuncture.
Grymek says the hotel will do just about anything to make its dog guests comfortable. "We get food
requests at midnight like, 'I need seven McDonald's cheeseburgers or a pepperoni pizza for my dog,' he
says. "We provide extra cots for the dogs. But then we realized, sometimes the owners were sleeping
on the cots and the dogs are in the bed."
It's understandable, he says: "They need their beauty sleep."
Diane Piagentini of Deer Park on Long Island waits for her sister to pick her up. In her crate is Baxter, a
9monthold Cavalier King Charles spaniel who won Best in Show for 9 to 12month puppies of his
breed.
And what does one cost?
"Fifteenhundred dollars for a pet, $2,500 and up for a show dog," she says. "They're worth it."
TEXT OF INFO BOX BEGINS HERE
129th Westminster Dog Show
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City.
Today: Judging of all Sporting, Hound and Herding groups; seven group winners vie for Best in Show.
TV: Today, 811 p.m. ET, USA Network.
Sports.usatoday.com: Bed, bath and beyond check out the fivestar services for fourlegged
competitors with audio, photos.
Video: For the first time, dog lovers can watch streaming video of today's events on www.west
minsterkennelclub.org. The video is a joint venture with DreamWorks Animation.
(c) USA TODAY, 2005
Source: USA Today, FEB 15, 2005
Item: J0E048723788705