We really should consider revising certain idioms in English. For example, the negative connotation of the term 'It's a dog's life' should now be nothing short of a compliment to a millionaire's extravagant lifestyle! Because, figure say, despite the economy slowing down to a grinding halt, pet business in poverty-stricken India is booming like never before!
Chikku is a new breed of Indian dog -- the centre of attention for adoring owners who spare no expense to ensure he has everything he needs and, like his Gucci collar and lead, a lot that he doesn't.
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The next time you ask your pet pooch to fetch a stick, try to remember this stark warning: dogs suffer as many injuries chasing and catching sticks as they do on roads.
The next time you ask your pet pooch to fetch a stick, try to remember this stark warning: dogs suffer as many injuries chasing and catching sticks as they do on roads.
"He loves that dog so much," she said of her son as the pug puppy played on the lawn of her New Delhi home.
"(He) wanted something special for his birthday -- the day we brought him home. So we bought the collar and lead."
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They are forced to eat leftovers. Some are made redundant and a few even end up homeless, roaming the streets. The global crisis has hit China's pets as hard as anyone. In the
They are forced to eat leftovers. Some are made redundant and a few even end up homeless, roaming the streets. The global crisis has hit China's pets as hard as anyone. In the
"We've seen no slowdown," he told AFP at a recent trade fair in New Delhi. (Current annual growth being between a whopping 10 and 15 percent.)
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Wash Your Hands, Or You Might Infect Your Pets!
Dog owners are more likely to spread germs to their pets by not washing hands than by sleeping with them, or getting licks on the face, according to a new study.
Dog owners are more likely to spread germs to their pets by not washing hands than by sleeping with them, or getting licks on the face, according to a new study.
Experts say that thanks to the economic boom of the past decade, pets have become status symbols in a society undergoing seismic changes that have undermined the traditional extended family.
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Blind Man Plans to Run Marathons to Raise Money for Guide Dogs
A blind British man is to run seven marathons on seven continents in the space of seven days next month to raise money for guide dogs, he said on Tuesday.
A blind British man is to run seven marathons on seven continents in the space of seven days next month to raise money for guide dogs, he said on Tuesday.
"An animal is something which will greet the children with love," she said.
While mangy mongrels are a common sight on city streets across India, it's the high-status breeds, such as Great Danes, Dalmatians and Afghan hounds, that are to be seen on the end of an expensive leash -- usually being walked by servants.
The breed of the moment is the pug, which soared in popularity after one featured in a mobile phone TV advertisement.
Labradors and golden retrievers have shown staying power, with owners willing to spend up to 300,000 rupees (6,000 dollars) for a championship-level imported purebred specimen -- and to leave the air-conditioning on so thick-coated breeds such as giant St. Bernards won't perish in the summer heat.
Property developer Javed Akhtar Pascha employs a maid to look after his 10 dogs, which include a pair of bulldogs, three pugs, a Pekinese and a Rottweiler.
"We keep them as family members," said Pascha, adding that the cost of their care is no object.
Neither is money a consideration for the clients of pet grooming outlet ScoobyScrub, owned by Sanjeev Kumar.
"Nothing seems too expensive for our customers when it comes to doing things for their animals," he said, adding: "Some treat them like their children."
ScoobyScrub offers such services as "full body massage" and hair streaking -- "to give them a new look" -- which can cost up to 1,000 rupees, more than most maids earn in a week.
It's not so long ago, before the boom fuelled new prosperity, that Indians fed their dogs leftover rice and beans, and a bit of meat if they were lucky.
These days they fear that home cooking isn't nutritious enough and buy their dogs imported food that often costs more than the weekly budget of the 420 million Indians officially classified as poor.
India is home to nearly half of the world's hungry, according to the World Food Programme, with some 40 percent of the population living below the global poverty line of less than 1.25 dollars a day.
"Families want to spend more on pets whether it's branded foods or toys -- that's part of the 'humanisation' process" of the animal, said Euromonitor researcher Yvonne Kok.
Pet stores are catering for the new obsession by stocking herbal shampoos, digestive tonics, scent, designer beds, knitted coats, mufflers, dog shoes and raincoats, as well as regular items such as flea spray.
"People often don't look at the price tags -- they want what's best for their pets," says Mohan Kadam, owner of New Delhi's Windsor Pet Market which sells a range of pet food and accessories.
"We're very excited about the Indian market," said Lars Bogdahn, of retractable lead maker Flexi International.
As he spoke, a crowd gathered at his trade fair stall to marvel at a Swarovski crystal-studded leash his company sells for 8,000 rupees.
Source-AFP
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