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other elite department stores and specialty shops. This loved dog, usually a purebred, is a
canvas to display the owner’s wealth and social status.
The quality shopper regularly shops at Three Dog Bakery because they want to
give their mixed breed or purebred dog, quality, healthy treats. They also prefer shopping
at small businesses where they and their dog get personal attention. Finally, the social
shopper has the same qualities as the quality shopper but they utilize the bakery as a
mechanism to socialize their dog and to gather with other dog lovers. It is the social
shopper that attends Yappy Hour on a regular basis. Although most social shoppers can
also be considered quality shoppers, these are not mutually exclusive categories. There
are a number of people who attend Yappy Hour who could fall under the category of
bargain shopper, since they do not buy much for their pets. This paper focuses on the
quality and social shopper who attends Yappy Hour on a regular or semi-regular basis.
Purpose and Significance of The Project
Much research has been conducted on consumption and the construction of self
and identity (Lury 1996; Crawford 1992; Allen, 1999; Murphy 2000). Research on
animals and society has been conducted for the past twenty years, including work on the
role of pets in the lives of the elderly (Siegel 1993; Sanders 1993; Franks and Hart 1993),
the bereavement process following the death of a pet (Archer and Winchester 1985),
understanding the thought process of pet dogs (Sanders 1993), the role of pets in
promoting social interaction among strangers in dog parks (Robins, Sanders, and Cahill
1991; Wolch and Rowe 1992), and the social significance of pets in the lives of their
human companion (Veevers 1985).
Convention