Sarah, a border collie mix, is ready for water sports with this canine flotation vest available at Sunny Hill Pet Center.

Sam, a cocker spaniel, enjoyed a "day at the spa" with Bruce Masterson, owner of A-1 Dog Grooming and Kennels.

Pet owners have a variety of ways to show their love for their pets, including buying a variety of toys, clothing and greeting cards.

Pets are big business. Television channels, magazines and Web sites devoted to animals and the people who love them are springing up all over. Pet supply stores, animal salons and pet sitting services are doing equally brisk business, all competing for the pet lover's dollar.

As pet care (and indulgence) has become increasingly more sophisticated, pet owners have shown they're willing to shell out the big bucks to make sure their furry friends get nothing but the best.

Sunny Hill Pet Center has been in business for 39 years and is owned by the Brinkopf family.

Located on South Christine, the business has seen trends come and go. From where he sits, Bill Brinkopf Jr. said business hasn't seen a big revolution, more of a gradual change.

"You see rises and falls, as different animals gain popularity," Brinkopf said.

A large part of the store's business comes from the fish department, he said, but "sometimes it's tough to get people to look away from their computers long enough to clean the aquarium."

To combat that, the store sells attractive desktop aquariums.

"We sold out twice before Christmas last year," Brinkopf said.

But if the fish have to fight for attention, the fuzzy pets are making out like bandits.

The dog treats are a big seller, Brinkopf said. One of the most popular is baked specially by a cookie company.

In addition to the staples of pet food and grooming supplies, Sunny Hill also has a wide array of specialty items, such as doggie life vests, kitty "condos," and toys and treats for all manner of pets.

And then there's pet wardrobes, including sweaters, vests and specialty collars and leashes.

Jungle Gems, another family-owned pet supply store at the West Park Mall, is owned by the Scott family of Perryville. The store has been in business since 1995.

Like Sunny Hill, Jungle Gems sees a large portion of its business in its fish department, but it also sells a large variety of dog and cat toys, as well as pet clothing. That includes a summer line of bathing suits and footwear for dogs and the latest fashions for iguanas and ferrets.

Some of the clothes are functional, designed to keep short-haired pets warm in cold climates, but most are novelty items.

"The pets are their (the customer's) babies," Crystal Scott said holding up a mini-biker jacket designed for a ferret. "They like to dress them up."

And what's a new wardrobe without a makeover?

Groomers such as Pampered Pets, Dogs In Suds II and Special Touch Pet Grooming offer a variety of services, including bathing, styling, pedicures, and teeth brushing and hot oil treatments.

Bruce Masterson, owner of A-1 Dog Grooming and Kennels, said summer is a busy time, with outdoor dogs (and some cats) getting shaved for the warm months.

Recently, Masterson bought his Doberman pinscher, Viper, a pet.

"I bought my dog a dog so he won't be by himself when I'm not here," Masterson laughed.

Masterson, who trains dogs, said the biggest change in the business has been in pet food.

"People are looking for quality food," Masterson said.

Brinkopf agreed, saying: "Companies are constantly trying to come up with new foods." One has even developed a food that is breed-specific.

There is also diet food for the overweight or "less active" dog or cat, pet food to address skin and coat problems and food for the senior pet.

"People don't care what they put in their own bodies, but the dog food has to be the best," Masterson said.

Special Touch, owned by Sissy Colyer, is expanding its services to include doggie playschool, a daycare service for dogs.

"Your pet will be supervised in play groups with other dogs," a brochure reads. "Petting, loving and exercise are all part of the Playschool service."

In-home care is also available for travelers who can't take their pets along. Nancy Simminger owns Pet Care Plus, a pet-sitting service.

She goes to clients' homes to care for their furry (or feathery or scaly) loved ones.

"I feed, water, walk, play and cuddle them," Simminger said.

She'll visit your home as many times a day as needed, picking up mail, adjusting curtains and watering plants as an added bonus.

Though she cares for all types of animals, Simminger said she mostly cares for cats, dogs and birds "and a rabbit now and then."

Clearly, pet lovers are a large market, and business owners are catering to them.

Even Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards has gotten into the act.

According to Pet Industry News, Hallmark has launched a new line of greeting cards and items for pet lovers and their pets.

The "Pet Love" line of greeting cards and products features something for every occasion including adoption certificates, new puppy and kitten announcements, pet photo albums, sympathy cards and "pet to owner" cards.

Veterinarian Mary Becker, co-author of "Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul," consulted on the creation of the new line.

Her goal was to make the artists and writers to understand the unique bond between pets and owners.

"We're a special tribe, we pet lovers," Becker said. "It (Hallmark) gives us a mechanism to communicate these deep feelings we have."