Pet Guests

Dog owners in the city who are planning a vacation will no more have to leave their pets with not-so-eager relatives or at kennels. While dog owners are away vacationing,Waggle,a service now being expanded to Mumbai,will ensure that pets stay with a host of their choice.

Leaving golden retriever Zoe behind at a kennel turned out to be a nightmare for Bangalore-based Samira Abraham. This led to the creation of a common platform for a few dog owners— those who wanted their dogs to live in comfort while they are away and people who were happy to host dogs. Waggle,which has been operational for seven months now,has brought 25 hosts together who communicate through the website (http://waggle.in). “We reach out to hosts through social media. We had started with five hosts. It has increased to 25. We are now looking for hosts in other cities including Mumbai,” says Samira. Hosts are segregated by location,fees,residence (apartment or independent home) and even the breeds of dog that they are open to hosting. Charges range from between Rs. 150 and Rs. 500 a day. However,potential hosts have to comply with a set of guidelines before they register. “The idea is to provide a home-like atmosphere for dogs while their owners are away. We visit homes of hosts once they register to see if the place is spacious enough. More importantly though,hosts have to show that they are capable of taking care of dogs. We always recommend that owners visit the homes of hosts before deciding,” Samira says.

Waggle has also given an opportunity to people who don’t own dogs to become hosts. Twenty-eight-year-old Eva Thomas doesn’t own a pet as she and her husband frequenty shift houses. But hosting dogs,she says,has been fun. After registering as a host in May,she has hosted dogs for nearly 30 days. “During the first meeting,owners usually bring their dogs along as it is important for the dog to feel comfortable at my place. I like the idea that they are toilet trained and do not bark too loudly as I live in an apartment,” she says. Eva is open to hosting all breeds of dogs.

Anuradha Sudheer,owner of a one and a half-year-old golden retriever Aura,says she found out about Waggle from a magazine. “I immediately registered with it. In May,Samira told me I should meet Eva. Since then,I have called on her every time I travel out of the city for family functions. I feel reassured that Aura has a loving home even in my absence.”

So if you are travelling to a destination that is not pet-friendly,you have hosts from Waggle to take care of your pet.