Dog gone it!

How far would the love for your dog take you? Many people keep dogs, but some end up being kept by the dog. It is not rare for one to see an...

How far would the love for your dog take you? Many people keep dogs, but some end up being kept by the dog. It is not rare for one to see an obit in the papers for their dearly departed (dog of course), have air conditioned rooms for those `helpless’ little animals, but where does one draw the line between ownership and obsession? For example would you:
Spend Rs 17 lakhs for a bungalow because your dog cannot live in an apartment?
Bhakti Wagle claims she did just that. Since she has a Great Dane, this huge dog needed more space which a flat could not afford. Says Bhakti, “We bought our Danta from the Maharaja of Danta because he was born on the same day as my sister who died at a young age. We used to live in an apartment in Mumbai but as Danta grew, it was difficult for him to adjust to a small place. So my parents and I decided to purchase a huge bungalow for him.” Champion Damler of Danta as he is called, is 3 and a half years old and was presented a sprawling bungalow near Bhartiya Vidyapeeth at Katraj for winning the three Challenge Certificates at Mumbai, Khandala and Pune.

Celebrate your pup’s birthday with frosted cake, aarti and a big bash?
Birthdays come and birthdays go but never at the Patwardhan household. Rani Layla Patwardhan who is the proud owner of eight Pekinese dogs never lets any one of their birthdays pass without much fanfare. Says Patwardhan “My babies’ birthdays are a huge event in our house. After doing their aarti I get a cake from the pastry shop and blow out the candles and get it cut in style. Their birthdays are an ocassion for celebration and I don’t miss a single one.”

Live with 18 dogs in the house
Avi Doctor’s love for dogs made her take in five pariah dogs at first. Then it grew to accommodate 18 dogs all whom live with her in the house. Says Doctor “I have 18 dogs with me. Four of them live in the bungalow and 14 live in my garden. I have a maid who is as crazy about dogs as I am and she cleans their poop in the garden. Once a year I have a vet come in and vaccinate them with Parvo for rabies, etc. I love them and can never think of giving them away. I will keep them to their last day”.

Story continues below this ad

Sanjay Desai has not just one or two, but 25 dogs. Though they do not live with him at home, he has built special kennels at his farm house for his 23 German Shepards and two Boxers. Now, this is not just any old kennel where you put the dog in and forget about it. These kennels have a proper drainage system and water supply and is cleaned every single day. Says Desai “These things are necessary for my dogs, or else they can catch an infection.”

Spend Rs 5000 a month on the upkeep of just one dog!
Wagle buys four litres of milk for her Great Dane and in a month spends Rs 5000 on him. “This includes his medical treatment, his food since he eats in bulk because of his size and incidental expenses like a driver who takes him around.” While some people slog an entire month and still not make that kind of money, Champion lolls in the lap of luxury.

Desai does not spend that much on one dog, but when you add up the total it amounts to a whopping Rs 12,500 per month! All that money just for the food and medications for his 25 dogs is one big hobby!

Keep two servants exclusively to look after the dogs in the house
Domestic help is something people would give their right arm for. But not the Eight Pekins of `Peke Palace’. Rani Layla Patwardhan who belongs to the royal family of Jaamkhandi, Karnataka, makes sure her `little babies’ never have to do anything for themselves. “I have two maids whose main job is to look after my babies. They have to take them for a walk, bathe them with the imported shampoo and spray that I buy and take them for a walk.” No matter if one has to do the dishes oneself, but Rani makes sure that the Pekins of Peke Palace never have to lift a little paw …

Story continues below this ad

Little wonder then that these pampered nonchalant canines swear that there’s nothing better than a dog’s life.

Trump vows to keep ‘massive’ tariffs on India until Russian oil imports cease

World1 hr ago

President Trump spoke with Prime Minister Modi about India's continued purchases of Russian oil, warning that if they don't stop, tariffs on Indian goods will remain high. However, India denies any conversation took place and defends its energy policy. While the US claims India has halved its Russian oil purchases, Indian sources say there has been no immediate reduction.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS