Pet hostels for Indore's absentee owners

A number of shelters have come up in the city that are taking care of pets while their owners are away on vacations this summer season
Pet owners mostly have an added responsibility of ensuring a safe and comfortable shelter for their four-legged babies when they are travelling. While most metros have shelters that take care of pets, Indore’s animal lovers can also now heave a sigh of relief as quite a few pet hostels have come up in the city in these one-two years.Pet hostels say they are overbooked these days as it’s vacation time for everyone. The rush is such that hostels have to extend their pet-limit to accommodate all the bookings. But that doesn’t mean the pooches are getting a raw deal. With air-cooled rooms, 24x7 CCTV camera surveillance and medical aid, these pets are a pampered lot even when not with their owners.
Hostels booked a month in advance
Owners of pet hostels say that the ongoing summer-vacation period is the busiest time for them as most of them were booked a month in advance by pet owners. Dr Ashish Jain, owner of Care And Cure Dog Clinic and Hostel, says, “We witness a lot of rush at our dog hostel between May and mid-July, the time when people are out on family vacations. The rush is two to three times more than the rest of the year. This is closely followed by the Diwali season when people are usually travelling and have to leave their pets behind.”
Dr Rajesh Maheshwari, owner of Pet Aid, adds, “Our hostel can accommodate eight to ten dogs. But these days, we are getting a lot of bookings from people who have to go out of town and can’t take their pets along. We have had to vacate another floor to take in all of them. Currently, we have twelve adult dogs and they are here for between seven days to a month’s time.”
But not every hostel can increase their accommodation capacity at the eleventh hour. Priyesh Bakodia, owner of Pet Care, tells us, “I have an entire floor of my house for the pet hostel, which can accommodate six-seven dogs and currently it’s choc-a-bloc. Some pet owners are ready to pay us double if we keep their dogs with us. But due to lack of space, we had to turn them down. The ones that I have now had their rooms booked a month ago’ I can’t compromise with their comfort to fit in more dogs.”
Pet owners postponing their plans according to the availability in pet hostels
Pet owners say they don’t want to take any chances with the comfort of their beloved animals, and had booked the shelters a month in advance. Aastha Mundra, a homemaker, who owns a three-year-old German Shepherd, Zimbo, postponed her family vacation for her pooch. And even before the tickets were booked, she made sure that there’s a room available for Zimbo at a hostel. “We adjusted the dates of our vacation so that Zimbo’s accommodation at a temporary home wouldn’t be a problem. Initially, we were to leave on May 18, but since we couldn’t get a room for him during that period, we will now leave on May 20 after putting him in the hostel a day before we leave. All pet hostels can’t be trusted, so we have put him in his veterinary doctor’s clinic-cum-hostel. He is our darling, and we have to be sure of the care and comfort given to him while we are away,” she says.
Radhika Mehta, a young entrepreneur, recalls, “We got Oscar (their one-and-a-half year old Labrador) a year back, and during last year’s summer vacation we didn’t realize there’s so much rush in hostels. On inquiring with them, we got to know that all good hostels were booked. We had to postpone our plans so that Oscar didn’t have any problem when we were away. After a lot of scouting, we shifted him to a shelter where we were charged almost double as we were late in booking the room. So, this time I made sure that soon after our tickets were reserved, we booked a space for Oscar in a pet hostel.”
Owing to the rush, pet hostels are charging 30-40% more than the usual rates. Dr Paresh Jain, owner of Pet Passion Clinic And Hostel, says, “Currently, the per-day charges varies between `250-`400, depending on the size and breed of the pet. This is 30-40% more than the usual rates. Since this is the peak season, it’s also a good chance for us to make the most of it.”
A second home for the pampered poochies
From air-coolers, daily cleaning-and-grooming sessions, healthy diet and proper medication, the pet hostels in town leave no stone unturned to help your pooch feel at home. Dr Ashish Jain says, “Every dog has a different nature and we have to handle them accordingly. We usually don’t cage the animals, but in case it’s an aggressive one, we have to keep it away from other dogs to avoid any fights. Also, the rates charged include all the basic services like feeding, taking them for a walk, training, etc, so that even when they are away from home, they are as happy.”
Some hostels also have CCTV cameras installed so that their owners can keep a track on their pet online. Dr Paresh Jain adds, “We only take healthy dogs at our hostel. If the pet develops any health problems, proper medical treatment is given and the procedure is free of cost. Also, each one of them is fed as per their preference. While some dogs love non-vegetarian meals, others are strictly vegetarian. I being a veterinary doctor always keep a check on their health, and in case of any emergency their owners are contacted. At times, they bond so well with us that they don’t even want to go back to their owners!”