dipchand bihari
post news network
Bhubaneswar, August 28: One facility any pet owner with wanderlust would love to have in his neighbourhood is a place to entrust his pet before going on, say, a trip. A canine lover in the city has been running such a facility that provides dogs a home away from home in the short absences of their masters.
Brijesh Das calls the facility a “hostel for dogs” he has named Tailwaggers Centre of Canine Excellence. Located in Army Colony, Niladri Vihar, the hostel offers a home-like ambience for dogs.
“Usually people plan vacations during festivals such as Dussehra, or during summer holidays for kids. They are unable to carry their dogs along. Such people can opt to leave their dogs with us. We ensure amenities and provide the necessary ambience for these beautiful creatures,” Brijesh says of the idea behind establishing the ‘hostel’.
The idea also stemmed from the problems that Brijesh himself had faced as a pet owner.
The hostel checks in inmates after a little bit of paperwork. The owners need to fill in a form to put the dogs in the hostel. “The form is meant to collect details such as the names of the dogs, their age, gender, diet specifications, and addresses and other contact details of the owner. This helps us treat the canines well and take good care of them,” Brijesh says. Of course, the fee for accommodation has been customised based on the breed to be accommodated.
According to Brijesh, the hostel currently caters to 10-15 dogs on regular days and 30-35 during holidays. “We are have three people taking care of the dogs and it is physically impossible for us to care for more than this number ofdogs at one time,” he said.
The care given to the dogs at the hostel includes maintenance of dental hygiene, baths at regular intervals and care for their coat and appearance. Medical checks are also conducted, says Brijesh. Dogs that require behaviour modification are also accepted at the facility.
Brijesh’s love for dogs grew from living in a household in their midst. “My father was a big dog lover. He kept nine dogs. That is how I, too, started loving them. It appears it has been in my blood.”
Brijesh believes running the hostel is no mean feat considering the many risks involved and he is the able warden keeping these four-legged wards in good humour in their masters’ absence. “If a dog dies or is bitten by a stray or escapes from the kennel, it spells trouble for us. We take utmost care to keep these animals happy on the premises,” Brijesh avers.