Feeling sad about leaving your pet behind when you go vacationing? Well, you can rest easy now. With expensive spa treatments, fancy resorts, pool parties, pet-friendly cafes, hydrotherapy centres, branded apparels, hostels, play dates, socialising sessions, treks, picnics, customised nutrition and what-nots pets today are getting luckier than us lesser mortals!
5-year-old Axl is a Springer Spaniel that likes to spend a good chunk of his vacations at a popular pet resort in Pune. While his owners are away holidaying in Goa, Axl hits the resort for his own sabbatical - some pool fun and spa treatments.
* Rashes, a seven year old mixed breed , loves an occasional dip in the pool after she lost up to four kgs through hydrotherapy and swimming sessions in a 'dogs only' pool.
* 9-month-old Muddy fractured his paw recently and the pooch needed to build some muscles. He therefore began frequenting the Hydrotherapy centre for dogs six months ago, and is feeling much better.
* Curly is a one-year-old Cocker Spaniel that likes to flaunt her shiny tresses, thanks to the customised diet regime prescribed by her nutritionist for a shiny coat.
A Pune-based pet management centre offers a wide range of such services. "Be it training or nutrition advice, boarding, day care, hydrotherapy and salon treatments or grooming - pets and their owners have a plethora of facilities to make use of," says Tanya Kane, co-founder of the centre.
These pet care experts refuse to call their boarding facility for pets a kennel. "It makes the place sound more like a prison. So, we have suites for the dogs; no crates and cages," says Kane. Apart from comfy beds, each suite has been decorated in its own inimitable fashion. "The courtyard is where the dogs get to run and play, while there is also a swimming pool for them.
In addition, the pooches get to luxuriate in the myriad spa treatments, apart from yummy meals," adds Kane. Air-coolers are provided at an additional cost.
Kane also talks about the pool parties where dogs and their owners 'chill out' together. "A pool is a great place for dogs to burn off excess energy. The pools here are hydrotherapy pools," she says.
Neha Jangle, Kane's partner in the venture, believes that hydrotherapy reduces the pain and can accelerate recovery after surgery. "Even ageing dogs can benefit from controlled swimming, as the soothing effect of warm water improves circulation and encourages increased mobilityin sore, stiff and arthritic joints," adds Jangle.
A pet hostel located on the outskirts of Pune was established to provide personal vacations for pets. From walking the dogs in lush green patches, to providing them with individual play areas, meals as per their needs to a swimming pool, opportunities to socialise, daily grooming and plenty of attention - the hostel is almost a notch above home.
Shalaka Mundada, the owner of the hostel, says, "The pool is for dogs to exercise and splash around for fun. All dogs are natural swimmers. But as pets, they are not exposed to water, hence the compunctions about entering it. However, after completing 2-3 rounds in water, 90% of them enjoy the experience and love the feeling." Mundada had organised a birthday pool party for a three-year-old Labrador recently, with invitations sent to a group of seven friendly mutts.
Then, there are pick and drop services provided to boarders. In addition, socialising parties and camps for pets are a common affair too. "Socialising parties are camps where dogs mix around with one another, play, or just be. Some dogs need initial coaxing to help settle down in a group, while others need some serious minding.
Very few cities in India have dog parks where dogs can move about freely. A socialising camp allows them to do that," says Mundada, adding that a Valentines' Day party for owners and their pets as well as a Splash Pool party for children and pets are also some hot favorites this year.
The grooming salons and spas for pets cater to almost everything from regular baths to specialised spa sessions. "Salons are the perfect place to get your pet's coat styled, trimmed or cut as per its requirement. Although salons are considered to be quite a luxury, some breeds actually need to be groomed regularly.
Breeds like Lhasa Apso and others with long coats need regular grooming to avoid matting," says Kane. "We get dogs as well as cats at our salon, and over a hundred clients a month," she adds.
And, if you love your furry friend, Rs 500 expended on having his hair cut and styled does not seem that big a price! A regular bath at this salon will have you shelling Rs 400, Rs 50 each for the extra services-ear cleaning, nail clipping and gland cleaning. Then there are medical baths for dogsgrappling with dry coats, shedding hair, bad odour and skin problems, priced at Rs 500 each. Grooming packages ranging from Rs 800 to 1,500 are equally popular.
A pet friendly cafe where a man and his best friend can grab a bite together is a novel concept. "Besides catering to dog treats, we provide special kinds of tea and coffee for pet owners," says Kane.
The duo also runs a pet boutique, where one would find collars, clothes, shampoos, shoes, leashes, toys, treats and fancy grooming equipment. "We have t-shirts, jackets, bandana, personalised collars and beds for dogs. Some pet owners demand certain styles and we try and cater to that. The idea is to bring in the best brands from across the world and make them accessible to everyone," says Jangle.
There is more in the offing: a puppy school for growing pups to socialise in a controlled environment, receive toilet training, deal with teething issues and other things. Furthermore, there is another service that offers total nutritional consultation for your pooch, along with analysing feeding protocol in order to ensure balanced nutrition for adult, puppy and senior dogs, formulating their diets to manage medical conditions and creating home cooked recipes which are delivered to your doorstep. "The idea was to have tailor-made food for each dog, completely natural, with no preservatives, delivered to residences daily, absolutely fresh. We supply to over 50 families across Pune," says Jangle.
The menu is what humans will die for too: waggamuffins, apple cinnamon muffins, banana muffins, quiches, meatloaf, cheese biscuits, Casse-Roll-Over, Frosty Paws, Pawsh cake and baked chicken chips, among other lip smacking delicacies.
A five-star property in the city offers pet-friendly facilities as well. It happily greets guests who check-in with their tail-wagging comrades. "If a pet owner asks for dog or cat food, we make sure we provide the best. We allow a maximum of two pets per residence, canine or feline. Fish are allowed too," says general manager Sudhir Jena. In addition, a list of veterinarians is on call. The property also boasts of an animal-friendly staff and dog walking and bathing facilities.
Dog lovers, needless to say, are a happy lot. Architect and landscape designer Shobha Bhopatkar owns a one-and-a-half year old Golden Miniature Pomeranian named Leo. "One needs to take good care of a Pomeranian's coat. Brushing the coat at home is impossible. I have been taking Leo to the grooming salon since four months now and his coat looks extraordinary. He visits the salon once a month and the cost is just Rs 500, which is quite reasonable," said Bhopatkar.
Sameer Gadre, a hospitality management student, takes his 16-month-old labrador, Lizzie, to the hydrotherapy centre to assuage the agony due to hip dysplasia. "Hip dysplasia is a genetic problem that many pure-bred dogs experience. Lizzie was in pain and we thought that she would have to undergo a surgery. However, we were suggested to treat her through hydrotherapy. She has already finished ten sessions and seems stronger and more energetic. We are also having her diet controlled through a nutritionist," said Gadre.