A girl plays with a dog during the Omaxe Welham Girls’ Polo Challenge in Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

Mumbai, Dec. 17: He struts about the suburbs dressed in a trendy T-shirt and jewellery, jaws working overtime. A winter jacket completes the classy look, so what if Mumbai doesn’t have a winter.

But Fido is no gum-chewing teenage rebel — to him it’s the last word in cool to be cuddled by mom in public as he follows her about. At the end of an expensive leash, of course.

If Americans spent $38.4 billion on their pets this year, Mumbaikars aren’t too far behind in splurging on their pooches.

Apart from fashionable dog apparel, the 15 pet shops in the city today offer flashy collars, leashes, jewellery and other accessories and even spa products such as lotions, perfumes and robes.

With the prices ranging from Rs 40 to Rs 4,000, the city’s Simbas and Tricksies are sure leading a life of luxury.

“We have all kinds of people coming in to buy stuff. They spend a lot, but most of it is useful for their pets,” says Rahul at the rather fancily named KPS, My Pet Shop.

The store looks the part, with a large blue-and-white house on display at the window. Cute teddy bear-shaped shampoo bottles line the shelves and uniformed attendants are ready to guide the customer with tips on the pet’s needs.

If you want expert opinion, you can first go to the racks stacked with foreign magazines and Rs 495 DVDs on pet care — and perhaps let yourself be persuaded to buy that foam mattress or Rs 3,000-plus kennel.

The assortment of chewies, toy bones and catnip-flavoured mice are certainly par for the course, but does your Spitz really need a squeaking toy, or your Labrador that airplane?

“It’s not easy to keep a pet in this city,” sighs Namita, a young working woman who spends around Rs 5,000 a month on her dog.

“Other than the stuff I have to buy for her, there are the regular visits to her doctor. The caretaker charges me Rs 100 per day when I am out of town. But I adore her and don’t mind spending on her.”

A brief survey outlined the profiles of the dog owners: well-off single men and women living away from home, retired couples craving for company, and some for whom a well-groomed pet is a fashion statement.

“People have changed; their dogs are now part of their family. So when they shop, it’s like ‘my family member should look good’,” explained a pet store owner.

The shops offer merchandise for cats and birds, too, but dogs are the clear winners. KPS has a line of winter jackets priced at Rs 160 onwards and T-shirts that cost Rs 200 or more.

While Mumbai waits for the day when families will be taking their furry companions to dinner at a plush restaurant, the pooches may have already begun outdressing their owners.