Dogs are good for business, too

Dogs are good for business, too Dogs, long anointed man's best friends are about to get yet another laurel: they are good for business. "Dogs are not just effective stress busters, in single-child nuclear families, they often play the role of a companion," observes Shailesh Omkar, a professional dog breeder and trainer for over two decades. In Pune alone, around 300-400 pedigree pups are sold every month, Sanjay Devare, a distributor for pet food in Pune and Mumbai quotes. Typically, owners spend anything from Rs 3000 to Rs 10,000 a month on each of their pets. To boot there is an army of service providers who have stepped in: veterinarians, trainers, 'beauticians', pet shop owners, dog-hostel owners, toys and accessories makers, and even dog walkers who, one hears, can earn up to Rs 60,000 a month in one of Mumbai's elite quarters. Special needs could include hospitalisation for surgery at a private pet hospital and care during pregnancy. Dogs are good for business, too Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 10/06/2012