Clever pet store name sparks uproar

When Lori and Ryan Pacchiano opened up their Seattle pet store in 2002 they never expected it would live up to its unusual name.

But area residents complained about the name, High Maintenance Bitch, and the brother sister owners have been forced to consider changing the shop's signage, the Los Angeles Times said.

"It's never been such a huge deal till now," Lori Pacchiano, 36, said. "It's just a word -- it's what veterinarians call female dogs, it's how the American Kennel Club refers to girl dogs."

In addition to being clever, she said she wanted the sign to empower women by reclaiming a word that has been used to disparage the female gender for years.

Lori remains optimistic that given time the store's name will be accepted by all.

"If the concern is about kids, we're talking about kids who are old enough to read. And if they can read, they're old enough for their parents to talk to them about what the word means," she told the Times. "I think it's good to start that kind of dialogue."