This year’s pet expo had a bigger and better spread of services to ease  international travel for your pets, keeping them stress-free, finding them a home and boosting their self-confidence. By Unnati Joshi

If the digital revolution is sweeping your world, it is app time for your dogs too. If you are guilty of leaving him behind while you chase deadlines at work, just click on an app for the nearest dogwalker in town so that your furry friend does not feel isolated, neglected or distressed. If he needs to be rushed to the vet in an emergency, click again. If he needs an international visa for air travel or a friendly resort at the nth hour, click on the emergency mode. And if this year’s edition of Pet Fed, the country’s biggest pet festival was anything to go by, every transaction is cashless and e-enabled.

But clearly dog depression is now an urban malaise. Which is why there were dog therapists of two kinds, the furry alpha coach who would open up your sullen pet by making him part of a peer group and the one who would destress adults after a cuddly session with them.

Travels safe

So you are going out on a trip, but your pet, on the other hand, may not be. It’s tempting to want to bring your pet with you, but some animals aren’t suited for travel. AirPets, a relocation service for pets helps you to take your pet wherever you go with experienced pet travel consultants and pet handlers.

“Our pet relocation veterans will ensure the entire process runs smoothly, from paperwork and immunisations, to a safe flight and personalised, door-to-door pickup and delivery. As an integrated group of passionate team of pet relocation specialists we are dedicated to provide quality services to our clients for safe and successful pet relocation. At AirPets, you can be sure that your pets will receive first class services like international pet relocation, domestic pet relocation, dog boarding, pet park with swimming pool, IPATA approved kennels, export permits, microchipping, rabies titer test and a lot more,” said Varun Siddhartha, Managing Director, AirPets.

looking good

You can’t let your dog run around naked any more, not in a world that contains dog tutus and dog fedoras, Minion dog wear and formal dog tuxedos. The fair witnessed dogs setting the fashion statement as they walked the ramp dressed up in their best attires to win the title of the most fashionable pet.

Free-zone

Well, you can’t let your dog run freely especially in a city like ours. But there was an offleash zone for dogs. Dogs running freely and playing around with their gang without any fear was fun to watch.

Poochie app

Pets love you unconditionally. It’s time you return the favour. There is an app that takes care of all that your pet needs. You can now find vets, trainers, walkers, medicine stores, mates, food,  personalised vaccination calender, home delivery of all possible desires and accessory suppliers all at the click of a key.

“Moved by the desire to make a difference and stay connected by a common sentiment towards developing a better ecosystem for our pets, we have launched the app, PetYaar. Based on your pets’ breed, gender, age and location, our app automatically searches for opposite sex and same breed. Pet parents can view the mate’s info and generate interests. As soon as both pet parents accept each other’s interest, we connect them by sharing their contact details,” explained Varun Gupta from PetYaar.com.

Puppy therapy

The event introduced us to the Puppy Therapy. What is puppy therapyIJ “Fifteen minutes with a dog helps you leave all your worries behind. It helps in relaxation. We are training four dogs to become therapy dogs.  The dogs will be trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes and to people with mental illness,” said Animesh Katiyar, Managing Director, Fur ball story.

Groom your pup

There was a dog spa too, taking pet pampering to new heights by offering to drive out a pooch’s inner demons. Apart from the regular accessories, this year saw the introduction of herbal shampoos and conditioner, mouth fresheners (which even you can use) and organic perfumes.

In addition to this, there were musical performances, adoption camps, graffiti walls and activities which focussed on spreading awareness about stray dogs.

You could have even got yourself clicked with quirky pet-related props at a vibrant photo booth. The event was India’s first ever attempt at getting most dogs to wear bandanas. 

Photo: Pankaj Kumar