More than 25 guests and a half-dozen pooches gathered at the South Toledo home of Lee Bates for a party.

The hostess indulged guests with chilled champagne, frosted cupcakes, and a spread of fresh fruit and finger food.

In turn, party attendees came with gifts in hand to celebrate the woman of the hour, Margot, who had her own cache of cake and crowns.

But Margot is not a human. She is a female English Bulldog and Boxer mixed breed.

Ms. Bates invited friends and family to mark Margot turning 1. “I don’t have children. So a dog party equals kid fun party for me,” she said.

“I got the idea on Bravo. They had a dog party on TV. Then I searched on Pinterest, and there are so many different recipes for dog cakes and foods,” she said.

Ms. Bates, 28, mainly invited “dog people,” who were encouraged to bring their four-legged friends along. The gifts for Margot were an unexpected surprise.

The idea of a pet-centered party raised a few eyebrows among some invitees.

“A couple of people commented on going to their first dog party. My father thought it was odd. I told them it was just an excuse to have people over,” she said.

For the comfort of those uncomfortable with Lassie jumping on their lap, she set up a designated playroom for the pups, enclosed with gates.

Just before Valentine’s Day she hosted another intimate gathering with a champagne toast to mark her Chihuahua Maggee turning 2.

“My advice to anyone about to host a dog birthday party would be, do it when it is nice outside so the dogs don’t have to be in the house. Mine were both in the winter so all the dogs had to be inside and it made it a little chaotic,” she said.

A group of dogs invited to a recent multi-dog birthday party at Toledo Pet Farm had no trouble finding space to pounce and play indoors or outdoors.

Emily English, 16, of Maumee, hosted the party at the facility which had play park access from its party hall.

“Most of these dogs were my fosters,” she said. The five “pit bull” mixes, from the same litter, turned 2 last Monday. They were in high spirits partly because they were reunited with their mom, Aria.

“They were adopted into amazing families. We get together and everyone sees how they’ve grown and changed,” she said.

Dogs donned festive party hats and bow-tied collars, while catching up with their tail-wagging pals and party guests, just as a child would at their own birthday party.

Ms. English is not new to the pet birthday party concept. She has hosted parties for her pooches, either her own or those she was fostering through the Lucas County Pit Crew. In the summer months she took advantage of the Pet Farms’ pool to host a swim meet for her now deceased dog Bambino and his friends.

The Toledo Pet Farm, at 1429 Baronial Plaza Dr., offers party packages to its clients and rents its Celebrationz hall for $10 an hour. The facility also offers daycare, pet styling, boarding, photographs, and a veterinarian.

“We do things for our clients like clean-up and prep. We find out cute things about their pet and construct a poster board and take-home goodie bags for them and their friends,” facility manager Katrina Pope-Young said.

Besides the prominence of tail-waggers, the hall was decorated as any other birthday party. In addition to putting up happy birthday banners and signs around the room, staff purchased cupcakes and punch for humans, and frosted pretzels for dogs, along with the edible treats in the doggie goodie bags.

The pet parties have been offered since 2011. Mrs. Pope-Young said she noticed an increase in hall rentals in the past six months.

“In the beginning we hosted one or two every six months, but since Jan. 1 we’ve hosted four,” she said.

She thinks the party popularity is because people are more likely today to consider their dog as more than just a pet.

“I think people are now more likely to look at their pet as a family member,” she said.

In Rossford, dog bakery and pet hotel the Canine Castle and Dog’s Deli has seen a spike in birthday cakes for dogs since it first offered the banana-based confections 15 years ago.

“I feel like in this past year we are really busy. We are doing 10 cakes a week. It really has increased a lot. When we first started maybe we made one birthday cake a week,” co-owner Monica Tilton said.

She said dog owners purchase a sweet treat for their own pup and think of other dogs’ sweet tooth by purchasing party packs that can serve two to five other dogs.

She thinks the uptick in the bakery side of her business this year is because the idea of celebrating a dog’s birth date is spreading.

“I think that dogs are becoming more part of the family now and more available. And people are doing it more and talking about it more. On our Facebook page a lot of people share photos of dogs with their cakes” she said.

According to the American Pet Products Association, overall pet spending climbed 4.2 percent to just over $58 billion in 2014. Broken down by industry segments, the report says spending on pet supplies increased by 4.6 percent to $13.75 billion in 2014. The category includes purchases of birthday gifts and nonessential items.

Bob Vetere, president of the nonprofit trade association, stated in its 2014 report that “a recovering economy and the continuation of the humanization of pets as the two leading forces behind increased growth in overall spending.”

“People are pampering their pets more than ever,” he wrote, with manufacturers and businesses meeting the demand.

In 2012, of 527 dog owners surveyed, 28 percent gifted Spot with a birthday present, up from 25 percent of dog owners surveyed in 2008. The average amount spent on a gift was $10.50.

The pet owner survey found that 7 percent of dog owners hosted a birthday party.

Adina Slotsky, chief executive officer of Hollywood Pet Parties, wrote in an email to The Blade that, on average, her clients spend about $600 on Barkdays. Based in Hollywood, it plans events for pets, but she said dogs take the cake, with 99 percent of party business.

“It’s always been the most common animal that people host parties for. Cat owners tend to just have a birthday cake for their cat made. A lot of people do not have children, so their pet is their child. Pets seem to really enjoy these parties and so do their owners,” she wrote.

She said over the years dog parties have gotten “bigger, more glam, and more elaborate.” A typical “barkday” consists of games for the pets and owners, a DJ, cake, hors d’oeuvres, treat bags, and a customized outfit for the pooch celebrating.”

She said some of “Hollywoods finest” host fetes complete with a band, catered food, massage therapist, dancers, and more.

She partners with a seamstress to cloak the pet in a customized birthday suit designed with tulle, lace, beading, and broaches.

If some are questioning the idea of showering their No. 1 pooch with some birthday love, consider this: “It’s a great way to get family, friends and loved ones together.”

“If we can celebrate our birthday, anniversary, bar mitzvah, or wedding, why can’t they,” Ms. Slotsky wrote. And yes, you read it right. Owners are hosting dog weddings.

For those looking to host a barkday at home, social media sites such as Pinterest offer ideas and recipes.

Veterinarian Robert Esplin, owner of SylvaniaVet, said dogs have a sweet tooth and love fruit, including bananas.

Use carob as a chocolate substitute. Avoid garlic, onions, as well as grapes and raisins, as they are toxic to a dog’s liver. Beyond that you can use your imagination, Dr. Esplin said. Yogurt also makes a good cake frosting.

The facility does acknowledge pet birthdays with some owners bringing in cupcakes for all those in doggy daycare.

He said when owners bring cupcakes in, they list the ingredients for those with food allergies or sensitivities.

When Ms. Bates hosted her party she made thank you notes for those who brought Margot a gift. She found Chihuahua note cards for Maggee’s thank you notes and said dog cards were not difficult to find in the Toledo-area.

Ms. Bates encourages dog owners to expand the invite list beyond animal lovers.

After all, “Who doesn’t like cake and champagne?”

Contact Natalie Trusso Cafarello at: 419-206-0356 or ntrusso@theblade.com, or on Twitter @natalietrusso.

First Published March 8, 2015, 5:00 a.m.