Pet
Animals are our best
pfriendrs—aond bjig beusincess
m ts
Itsounds a bit clichéd, but
Costco members have gone
to the dogs. And cats and
birds and horses and many, many other
kinds of animals. When The Connection
asked members to contact us about their
pet-related businesses and passions, the
response was nothing shy of overwhelming.
Writing in by the hundreds, members
reinforced what organizations such as the
American Pet Product Manufacturers Asso-
ciation (APPMA) know. According to the
APPMA’s 2005/2006 National Pet Owners
Survey, more than 63 percent of U.S.
households own a pet. Americans
own approximately 44 million dogs,
38 million cats, 7 million birds
and millions of horses, fish, rep-
tiles and other small animals.
Additionally, people
don’t just own pets; they
are “owned by” their furry,
feathered or finned friends.
A survey by the American
MARK MAZIARZ
Pet Association shows that
Misti and Larry
Seppi are among a
group of volunteers
who save unwanted
horses in Utah.
The horse
rescuers
Wasatch Humane
www.wasatchhumane.org
Bountiful, Utah
MISTI SEPPI spends count-
less volunteer hours helping
to rescue unwanted horses,
nurse them back to health
and find new homes for them.
When she’s successful, her
reaction tells the real story.
“Usually those of us who
know the horse stand around and
bawl,” says Seppi. “We hate to see
them go. But it’s really wonderful,
because they find a perfect home.”
Such love for animals is what
drives Seppi and other volunteers
at Wasatch Humane in Utah. The
organization takes in about 1,800
dogs and cats a year, saving them
from neglect and likely euthanasia, and finds new homes for
