Hyderabad: Kennels taking care of pets in tough times

Demand of such facilities rises as many find it difficult to look after their pets during the pandemic

Hyderabad: What happens to pets when their owners are battling Covid-19? In Hyderabad, they have a few homes which take them in and take care of them till they can return to their own homes. And these home owners are now very much in demand.

Take the case of Akhila Madireddy Kandadai, owner of Pawtopia Boarding and Training Kennel. Ever since the second wave of the pandemic began, she has received several calls from pet parents to help them with their pets.

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“People call us right when they notice Covid-19 symptoms and go for the RT-PCR. We received several requests last year too, however this year, the numbers are more,” said Akhila.

Families with pets are finding it difficult to look after their pets properly if one of them tests positive. Many animals are thus stuck at home, with no access to the outside world for over two weeks. In view of the situation, several home boarders, veterinary doctors and kennels have stepped up to help people.

“As soon as we get the pets, we sanitise the leash or any other accessories and take them to their room. Once they are a little familiar, they can come out and play. Our facilities include boarding and food. I have trained staff to take care of them and we also have a tie-up with a pet clinic, for any emergencies,” said Akhila.

Running a similar kennel, Archana Rao, founder of Bhaiya’s Camps Dog Boarding Facility, has around 10 dogs under her care. However, she shares that while most kennels have no problem taking care of animals whose owners have tested positive for Covid-19, some people hide the information from them.

“What we thus have started doing is as soon as the owner leaves the pet with us, we sanitise the animal and replace their leash. I urge people to not hide their Covid-19 status as my workers too are vulnerable to the virus. I have about 10 dogs right now, and we have space for another 15. They are all happy and healthy,” she said.

While most pet owners know of these facilities, some have difficulties transporting the animals from home to the boarding. Helping people take their pets for check-ups or to boarding is Hyderabad-based Somnath Kumar Das, the owner of Pet Set N Go, a pet taxi service.

“I have three vehicles and three to four drivers who help me. When a pet owner calls us, we go to their place, and ask the pet owner to leave the animal outside without the leash. The charges of the services depend on the distance they want us to take the pet.”

“You do not have to worry about the safety of your pets at all. Since I am a volunteer with People For Animals, I am equipped to take care of the animals. Once we drop the pets at the respective clinic/kennel, we also video call the owners to let them see their pets,” he added.

 

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