23 January,2014 12:12 PM IST | | Kartiki Nitin Lawate
Dog owners can head to The Peppy Paws facility which offers daycare and boarding facilities for canines. They recently kickstarted a new facility for elderly dogs
The Peppy Paws, dog owners, boarding facility for dogs, Pune, Life & Style
Pet owners, who want to go on a vacation, are often faced with a dilemma about where to keep their pets. One option is The Peppy Paws, a boarding and daycare (with home pick-up and drop facility) for all breeds of dogs.
Priya Poduval with the dogs
It is the brainchild of Priya Poduval (27) and her husband Roshan Poduval (28) who have been running the place since 2009. The couple say that they got married, in the first place, due to their affinity for dogs. They even left their jobs for running the venture and consider the pets as their kids. While Roshan focuses more on the training aspects, Priya helps to groom them.
Every dog has his day
Speaking about the latest developments at The Peppy Paws, Priya says, "We have started a new facility for taking care of senior dogs. Dogs above the age of 10 years are mostly not liked by their owners; they throw them out of the house or put them to sleep. I beg all dog owners, who have senior dogs and do not want them, to give them to us.
We will take care of them. What the dogs expect is food twice a day and a little love which we can give for sure."
The Peppy Paws centre
Roshan points out that in the process of running The Peppy Paws, they have learned more than 10 languages to talk with the dogs. "If a Bengali person keeps his dog with us, we have to talk with them in Bengali and that too in the exact Bengali accent so that they understand what we are saying. We learn at least 10-15 words that are used daily (such as words for sit, stand, eat, etc)."
At times, there are more than 25 dogs on the premises for daycare. On New Year's Eve, they had 46 dogs boarding with them as their owners went for parties. "During summer vacations or for other vacations, we get more dogs as the owners have to go out," adds Priya.
Quiz them on when do they go for a vacation and she quips, "We go once a year to the beach and that too because our dogs love to play in the water."
Roshan Poduval taking care of pets at The Peppy Paws. pics/Sachin Thakare
Roshan adds that the work itself qualifies as a vacation for them: "We do not follow the traditional approach of boarding the dogs in kennels all the time and letting them out just for walks. Dogs are social animals. If your dog is friendly and loves to socialise, he/ she will get the freedom to play and make friends, under our supervision and professional care." Thanks to their SKYPE facility, dog owners can check up on your pets while they you are away.
The Peppy Paws centre provides boarding to dogs from Mumbai as well. Also, on offer are pet-friendly suites to cater to different breeds of dogs.
Pet peeve
As a helpful tip for dog owners, Priya advises, "Dogs should not be tied as they tend to become more aggressive. If they are left free from childhood, for at least three- four hours a day, they get used to it. So, when they grow up they do not go into depression when left alone for longer hours."
The centre also offers training to dogs
At The Peppy Paws, they offer separate meals for senior dogs and for puppies. The meal includes boneless chicken cooked with rice and vegetables.
Pet care at its best
At the facility, we spotted a variety of breeds of dogs ranging from the Saint Bernard to bulldogs. Some of the dogs are aggressive in nature (as their owners keep them tied up) and for such dogs, there are separate enclosures. The other dogs are kept free in the 4,500 square feet area.
There is a swimming pool on the premises for the summer months. There is an on-call veterinary doctor as well as a homeopathic doctor.
The facility is cleaned regularly and food is cooked on the premises. There are four full-time workers who stay there to take care of the pets. The staff's children also gel with the dogs.
"We conduct a trial session for first-time boarders. This is for us to know the dog and the owner to see our facility.
Also, we need a health certificate from the dog's vet. All pets need to do their tick and flea treatment prior to boarding. De-worming needs to be up to date," adds Roshan.
They also offer pet grooming services for dogs and cats at the Pet Spa. It offers services like grooming, pet hygiene, nail clipping, hair trimming and de-matting, massage, tick and flea bath. They also organise pool parties, gatherings and events for pets.
