Tall tales: What's an Italian prince doing in the doggy market?
For those whose pedigree pets simply must have the very best, an Italian prince (whose family owned great chunks of Rome until appropriated by the Italian government in the 1900s) has developed a line of pet products called Royal Treatment. Prince Lorenzo Borghese, 39, came up with his pet grooming line when he discovered that his own beloved black Labrador, Belle, had terribly dry skin which made her furiously itchy. Borghese, who can trace his family tree back to the 13th century, found that none of the products on the market worked for her - so he hired a research company to tackle the problem. Borghese discovered that most pet shampoos create dryness as a dog's skin has a much higher pH than a human's and needs to be treated with a more alkaline product.
Royal Treatment Italian Pet Spa was launched in 2002 on the Home Shopping Network in the US and as well as a sensitive dog shampoo now supplies products addressing distressing pet problems including hairballs, anxiety, bad breath, joint problems and bad odours.
Prince Lorenzo, whose family has been in the cosmetics trade since the 1950s when his grandmother Princess Marcella teamed up with Revlon to create a line of coloured lipsticks called Princess Marcella Borghese, doesn't mind using his title in the name of his work. His philosophy is: 'If I was in school and introduced myself as "Prince Lorenzo" you'd think I was a jerk but business is so competitive you have to use every asset you have to get ahead.' To that end, he has participated in two reality TV shows (including The Bachelor in 2006) and a third is in production - an undercover investigation into US pet stores that sell puppies from puppy mills to unsuspecting customers.
He is also planning to expand his business to include an overnight facility for dogs in Manhattan as well as a Royal Pet Spa and bakery with organic treats such as cupcakes made from peanut butter with yoghurt toppings, and home diffusers with fragrances for people who love their pets but aren't enamoured with the attendant 'Eau de Fido'.
Prince Lorenzo believes that the pet care world is only set to expand. 'It's an industry worth $52 billion at the moment and people love their pets so there is no reason to think it won't keep growing.'
getroyaltreatment.com
