Dog's Day Out

It’s that time of the year again 11 hen you start scrutinising the many travel supplements that come with the morning dailies and noting the websites of the travel portals that keep advertising on TV these days. The kids want to go to Disneyland-yes, again; you're dreaming of Paris; and the husband thinks cheapest is best (and any place where there's no shopping is heaven). But at the back of all those thoughts lurks the Great Big Worry: what's go­ing to happen to the dog? The ser­vants have declared their annual village plans, even the driver says he has to go home this time. So where does that leave Boxer Shaitan Singh?

Relax. Help is at hand. Your dog will have his day every day this sum­mer, aided by professionals. The cap­ital has a bunch of well-maintained kennels and homes which take good care of dogs, feed them on time, groom them more regularly than you do at home, have AC rooms to keep them cool and trainers who get them working up a sweat. Yes, it comes for a price. But it's more than worth it.

Our pick of the centres is Kennel 1, a canine boarding and training centre in Gurgaon. Spread over 3.5 acres, this dog house was started two years ago by dog lover Shailen­-dra Uniyal to give pets a temporary home while their masters are travel­ling. I.ater, he also began taking in dogs to be trained. Qualified train­ers teach the dogs basic obedience and give them guard and sniffer training for 2-3 months at a cost of Rs 3,000 a month.

Kennel l's highly sanitised quar­ters can board 14 to 1 S dogs per day. Before the kennel takes in a dog, the owner is required to [ill up a detailed form about the pet's medical history and food preferences. Says Uniyal: "We started the service to give dogs a place where they would be taken care of as well as have fun." Fun is right. Be­sides a special cook to cater to doggy demands, Kennel 1 has a swimming pool for its guests. The price of such an experience comes to Rs 250 per day (Rs 300 for an AC room) which in­cludes food, boarding and activities. The pets can also be picked up from home if you want, with costs depend­ing upon location Ills 300 for Delhi, Its 200 for Gurgaon. Its 400 for Noida and Its 450 for Ghaziabad).

The clients appear to be happy. Says Arvind Bhola of Bholason Jewellers, and owner of a Doberman: "I wanted the dog to undergo guard training for security reasons and left her with Kennel 1. The experience was great."

Petstop, The Petshop is another boarding house for pets. But it's not strictly for dogs. Owners can also leave their birds, rabbits and guinea pigs here. It has two centres; the one in Mehrauli houses only small puppies and birds. Says Jayesh Mathur, one of the partners. "Our three-acre farmhouse in Sultanpur is more spacious and has about 40 kennels." Boarding for dogs costs between Its 220 and Its 400 a day depending on the breed, while they charge Rs 50 for birds, rabbits and guinea pigs. Here too, the medical history of the pet is required before admission. Care is also taken about food habits and specific requirements.

Dr Chaggar's Dogs & Cats Clinic is yet another stopover for pet lovers. The clinic boards both dogs and cats and caters largely to diplomats. Chag­gar's has three centres in Delhi and one in Gurgaon and all provide board­ing facility for pets. Costs range be­tween Its 500 and Its 2,000 a day, and include boarding. food and specific needs as listed by owners. Incidentally, hoarding for a puppy or a 10-year old dog would mean an extra Its 200 to Its 300. The facility on the Sohna-Gur­gaon Road has a swimming pool, vast outdoor spaces and 15 kennels. In spe­cial cases, such as when a dog is dia­betic or has undergone a recent surgery, Dr J.S. Chaggar keeps them at his Saket home with his own dogs.

Josan Pet Care Centre in Gurgaon also provides boarding for dogs but it's mostly for regular patients. The dogs are kept in veterinarian Satbir Singh Josan's own home in Gurgaon. The cost is between Its 300 and Its 500 a day depending on the breed.

So, go ahead and plan your holi­day. Your pooch will be happy being sent to the doghouse.