Animal health insurance, gourmet pet foods, designer dog clothing, chic critter birthday parties and “bark mitzvahs”—all are part of the burgeoning luxury pet industry. This program illustrates trends among American and European consumers that signify dramatic increases in pet-related spending. To track the new phenomenon, the film visits the quickly expanding Pets at Home superstore chain, observes the annual “Pet-a-Porter” fashion show at London’s Harrods Department Store, and surveys a variety of socioeconomic developments: rising disposable income, a growing number of empty-nest households, and changing attitudes toward the valuation of pets’ lives. Produced by the Open University. (29 minutes)