Attention, party animals: Events for dogs are all the rage

Have you ever been in the middle of singing “Happy Birthday,” when the birthday boy lifted his leg and peed on the table?

No?

Then you’re either really lucky or you’ve just never attended a dog’s birthday party.

Dog parties — for birthdays and adoption anniversaries — are the hot new social event in town, per The Wall Street Journal.

Nearly half of American dog owners celebrate their pets’ birthdays and buy them gifts, according to a recent YouGov survey.

Parties and gifts mean spending money, and money means businesses looking to cash in:

• The London Dog Party Co. plans “pawties” of all sizes, complete with on-site dog minders, behavior therapists, and buzzers to alert owners if their pup is making a scene.
• New York’s District Dog is a bakery and pet supplies store with a dedicated selection of birthday party goodies.
• Polkadog, based in Boston, sells a “Party Planner” bundle complete with a bandana, chew toy, and cake batter dog treats.

There are even party planners who specialize in dog parties and hundreds of Etsy sellers peddling all types of decor, outfits, and gifts.

It’s all part of a larger trend…

… of people loving the sh*t out of their pets.

The majority of Americans (62%) own a pet, and 97% of those owners say that their pets are part of their family.

This means consumers are willing to spend big when it comes to their four-legged friends.

Plus, people seem to embrace parties when coping with tumultuous times: Divorce parties and even resignation parties have recently been trending.