Designer pins down ‘ruff’ job

Friday, June 23, 2000 | 9:14 a.m.

When Pet Sitters International announced its sponsorship of the first Take Your Dog to Work Day a year ago, jewelry designer Erwin Pearl perked up his ears.

Pearl has a soft spot for animals, especially dogs.

"I had a toy French poodle named Parfait that lived for 13 years and a sheltie named Sean that lived 15 years," the Austrian-born artist said. "I was very interested (in Take Your Dog to Work Day). When I talk to my friends they say you can't take your dog any place."

Pearl was inspired to create a line of miniature dog pins that can be taken anywhere. He donates 5 percent of the sale price of each "Adorable Pooches" pin to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

There is an Erwin Pearl store in the Venetian hotel-casino, and there will be a second one in Las Vegas at the Aladdin hotel-casino when it opens later this year. He has 22 stores around the country and will have 27 by the end of the year.

The process of designing and producing the intricately detailed pins took almost a year and was completed just in time for the second annual Take Your Dog to Work Day -- which is today.

This year the event is co-sponsored by Pet Sitters and pets.com, the online retail website for pet supplies. Pet Sitters is a professional organization, based in King, N.C., for people who earn money taking care of people's pets. It has a membership of more than 3,400.

Spokeswoman Ellen Price said that the purpose of the special day is "to emphasize what great companions dogs make and to encourage adoptions."

"Last year more than 400 companies got involved," Price said. "Loews Hotel in New York City even sponsored a 'bark breakfast.' Dogs are allowed in the restaurant. There were items on the menu for the pets.

"It succeeded beyond our imagination. It was so successful we had to find a corporate sponsor (pets.com) to help us this year."

One of their successes was in touching Pearl's heart. "I love designing jewelry, and designing the pins was especially a labor of love," the New York City resident said during a recent visit to his Las Vegas store.

Pearl has been designing, manufacturing and selling jewelry for almost 50 years. He has won many awards, among them the Diamonds-International Award for jewelry design and the Mikimoto Pearl Award for outstanding pearl design.

He calls the brooch pooches "little works of art ... like a Fabrege piece, but priced so the average person can afford them."

The hand-painted French enamel dogs, each about an inch high, cost in the range of $79 to $105. "They are limited editions. We only make 1,500 of each and then we break the mold," Pearl said.

Currently 27 breeds of dogs are available (some may be viewed at www.erwinpearl.com). Others are being added as per demand. The most popular is Pug (seven-eighths-of-an-inch high, $80).

One of Pearl's favorites is the Bulldog (one inch high, $89), because of the breed's "strength and tenacity."

The pins may be worn or displayed on the stands that come with them.

"They are small pieces of art that are great conversation pieces," Pearl said. "Many people are beginning to collect them."