July 9, 2007
Home parties for pets
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The party snacks on the buffet table included grilled hot dogs, animal-shaped cookies 
and goldfish crackers. Arriving guests at the Mt. Lebanon residence were greeted by party hostess Linda Pokrajac, her husband, Paul, and their dog, Dodger, who was very much a part of the proceedings.
A second table held an array of products that guests were invited to buy, for this event was like a Tupperware Party, but was billed as a Pupperware Party.
Pupperware Party guests can choose from more than 225 products. Some are for pets, including Aromutt Therapy Shampoo (17 ounces for $11), Divine Canine Breath Mints, beds, sweaters, toys, vitamins and treats that look like cookies-for-humans. Others are for people who love pets, including purses, ties and tees with a head-and-shoulders portrait of your favorite breed of dog or cat.
Most of the products are for dogs and cats, but there are a smattering of products for horses, rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets, including Paramount Ferret Fresh Shampoo (8 ounces for $8).
In keeping with the pet-oriented theme, party guests often bring their own pets to Pupperware parties, although that, of course, is up to the discretion of the host or hostess.
Four-legged Pupperware Party guests "are usually all cats or all dogs because cats and dogs don't always mix and mingle well," said Carol Lee Shepherd of Mt. Lebanon, an Independent Pet Consultant for Shure Pets.
Some of the many Shure Pets treats, with colorful paw prints, for sale at the Pupperware Party.
Click photo for larger image.
Since December she has shepherded a handful of Pupperware Parties in Allegheny and surrounding counties. Her own dog, the aptly named Happy, accompanied her to the Pokrajac party.
The parties are the brainchild of pet-lover Andrew Shure, who started his Chicago-based Shure Pets business in 2003 "after recognizing the strength of both the home party and the pet products markets and realizing that no one had yet put the two together," says a company news release.
The direct-to-consumer distribution strategy put companies such as Tupperware, Avon and Mary Kay Cosmetics on the map and now generates more than $40 billion in U.S. sales annually, according to the release. The pet product and services industry is 60 percent larger than the toy industry with sales of $38.5 billion in 2006.
At the Pokrajac party, Happy mixed and mingled nicely with human and canine guests. Happy, 5, a playful and well-behaved taffy-colored Cairn terrier, played gently with Dodger, a 14-year-old beagle-mix. Happy ran and frolicked with the younger, friskier Augie in the Pokrajac's fenced back yard. Augie, 4, a black Schipperke-mix, came to the party with Joann Hoffman and her daughter, Jenna, who live across the street from the Pokrajac family.
Mrs. Pokrajac held the party as a fund-raiser for the 88 members of Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church, who will be traveling to the Dominican Republic and a South Dakota Indian reservation to do mission work.
Dogs played and people chatted while Mrs. Shepherd demonstrated Shure Pets products.
Happy attracted smiles and chuckles when he modeled the black and white tuxedo-style coat that is available for $48 in sizes that will fit dogs from 2 pounds to 14 pounds.
Mrs. Shepherd treated Dodger and Augie to free "waterless shampoo" baths that made their coats shine. The 7-ounce product is $12 and comes in three scents -- orange mango, vivid vanilla and mountain fresh.
Shure Pets has more than 1,500 pet consultants in all 50 states. A two-hour party typically generates $400 in sales, although Mrs. Pokrajac said her small party did not reach that amount.
Pet consultants like Mrs. Shepherd earn 25 percent commission on party purchases. The party hostess receives merchandise credits of 15 percent to 25 percent toward the purchase of products if party sales exceed $200.
For more information, visit shurepets.com or send an e-mail to info@shurepets.com or call 1-888-748-7373.