A Landmark Event in the Evolution of Dog Toys

Building buffs can now share their enthusiasm with Fido.

Top dogs are chewing on vinyl versions of the Washington Monument or the U.S. Capitol (its dome replaced by a fire hydrant). Pups with a taste for the Big Apple can gnaw on the Empire State Building or on a Statue of Liberty lifting a doggy bone.

Two Washington entrepreneurs, Jennifer Stram, a former investment analyst, and Deanna Chang, a lawyer, launched Jet Set Pets last February and are now into the canine squeaky-toy business full time.

“We were on the road a lot and felt terrible about leaving our dogs behind,” says Chang. “You bring souvenirs home to family and friends. Dogs certainly qualify.”

The toys, which also include a Maine lighthouse, a New York City Yellow Cab and a Maryland blue crab, sell for $8.50. They are available at the National Building Museum Shop ([202] 272-2448) and Wake Up Little Suzie ([202] 244-0700) as well as on the Web at https://www.jetsetpets.com.

Coming soon, says Chang, is a California redwood. “We’d love to do the Golden Gate Bridge,” she adds, “but it’s hard to make a bridge look cute.”