And never so more than in the 21st century.

The pet industry is one of the fasting growing markets around, with new products and services constantly being offered to keep owners and pets happy and harmonious.

One of the biggest changes is veterinary nurses breaking away from vets and branching out on their own. The first vet nurse clinic opened earlier this year in London, and what is believed to be the second, has just opened in Brighouse town centre.

Fuchsia Pet Boutique and Spa in Bradford Road is the brainchild of 33-year-old Annaliese Magee who is one of the country's top veterinary nurses. Annaliese, who is married with two young children, has been a vet nurse for the past 15 years and is one of around only 200 in the UK to hold the advanced veterinary nursing surgical diploma.

She has co-written four text books and is qualified to train and assess vet nurses. The British Veterinary Nursing Association has marked her achievements by awarding her the VN Times national award, which she picked up in Northampton earlier this month.

Fuchsia is a bit like a fashion boutique in that it's very girlie and sells designer products and clothes for pets from countries like Italy, the US, Canada and Korea. It also offers a wide range of spa treatments (think facials, pedicures, bath and blow dry ear and eye cleans, and teeth brushing) to keep your animal looking spick and span.

But it has a more serious side. Annaliese offers a nurse clinic which is aimed at keeping pets healthy, as well as a pet pharmacy where she can dispense a range of pills and potions for things like fleas, worms, behavioural problems and arthritis.

She says one of the aims of Fuchsia is to educate pet owners. But she is at pains to point out that she is working alongside vets, rather than being in competit-ion with them. "People don't always need to see a vet and my clinic is a cost- effective alternative. I can help with lots of different ailments and concerns such as old age, smelly breath, excess weight and stress. Getting on top of problems when they first start can help stop them developing into something more serious."

She decided to go it alone after the birth of her second son, Woody, and believes a lot of other vet nurses will follow in her footsteps.

"A lot of veterinary nurses are now leaving the profession because of a lack of career opportunities and low pay.

"I feel I am taking vet nursing forward by opening my own business and think it is the way forward. It will go a bit like the medical profession where nurses now have a lot more responsibility for patients than they ever did."

Annaliese, who has three cats, Myrtle, Allie and Dusty, and is an expert on cat behaviour, has been passionate about animals for as long as she can remember.

She chose Brighouse town centre because she wanted to make pet care more accessible and says animal owners often walk in and ask her advice on a number of issues.

Her clinic consultations – which have to be booked – start at £10 but she also does free evening classes on everything from spotting stress in animals to avoiding problems with fireworks.

Anyone who would like to know more can visit www.fuchsia-online.co.uk or telephone 01484 714872.

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