Divya Vallabhaneni talks to the founder of pet recreation brand DogNation Aparajita Baruah, who is determined towards improving the quality of our four-legged family members, putting the pet’s needs above all.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to leave your pet and go out of the station? Did you find yourself nervous about leaving your furry friend in a pet-care centre? Are you a pet parent who has been scared about your pet’s well-being while leaving them in a shelter? If you answer yes to any of the above, DogNation is at your rescue. DogNation is a lifestyle brand that focuses on providing a healthy environment to your pets.
Being dog parents, we all know how it is to leave your pet in a boarding centre and go out of the station. Our pets are our extended family and these furry family members need the right environment to grow the right way. Read on to know how DogNation works to fulfil the needs of your beloved pet.
What is DogNation all about?
DogNation is a pet day-care centre, where the boarding programmes are pet friendly, which helps your pet to stay safe and comfortable in an open environment. Most of the dog boarding centres either leave the dog in a kennel cage or leash them up. Socialisation with the other dogs isn’t encouraged in most of the centres; thus, dogs tend to become anxious and nervous.
DogNation is a proud member of the International Boarding and Pet Services Association (IBPSA), USA. Their mission is to provide transparent, trustworthy, and professional services which cater to all aspects of pet parenting.
At DogNation, the focus is on the overall wellbeing of your pet—to help your pet grow physically as well as mentally by curating activities that help them socialise and stay in an environment that’s happy and comfortable to them. This helps in the development of a healthy, happy, well-adjusted dog.
A Glimpse Into Their Programmes
DogNation’s day-care and boarding programmes are planned with plenty of structured and unstructured play designed for the mental and physical stimulation of your pets. Activities include swimming, agility training, snuffle mat, mind games, and puzzles. Right from puppyhood to senior dogs, they have something to offer that supports and assists the entire pet parenting journey.
They also have add-on features for their subscriber base, like monitoring your dog’s activity through an app-based tracker which gives you the satisfaction of knowing what your dog has been up to while they are at DogNation.
Their USP is their focus on the dog patron’s wellness and recreation for an overall development, making it a lifestyle choice rather than a utility-based requirement.
According to a survey, statistically, about 35% of the dog population is generally overweight; this can lead to various serious illnesses like arthritis, breathing issues, and reduce life expectancy in dogs. A lot of times, parents are unaware of their dog’s obese condition or the adverse effect it can have on them. DogNation thus offers programs like weight management which helps tackle obesity. Here the activity tracker proves to be very useful for the parents to monitor their pooch’s activity and fitness levels to track their progress.
Services at DogNation
- Socialisation
- Day-care
- Boarding
- Swimming
- Training
- Grooming
- Spa and massage
- Fresh food
- Events
DogNation is an exclusive dog club. We are membership-based, where patrons can customise and subscribe to the various services we offer as per the requirement and needs of their dog’s life stage.
“In the long term we want to expand our chain of centres across India to offer a seamless experience to our subscriber base.”
How did the idea of setting up a professional dog care centre start?
“I have grown up around dogs all my life so they have always been a part of my family and I am very passionate about them. My father used to be consulted by vets for behavioural issues and train them for basic obedience, so I felt I had the background and the expertise to add value to the dog community,” Aparajita says.
“When I had to board Zahra (my beagle) for the first time, I had a very bad experience with her returning from boarding being underweight and full of ticks and fleas. I realised that the quality of service provided in the pet space is greatly lacking in India and needs to be addressed. You have to be a pet parent yourself to understand the demands or requirements of a fellow pet parent. Hence, ideating the business model while putting yourself in the customer’s shoes was not very difficult for us. We understood that we were dealing with someone else’s baby, and this became the core value of the business,” she explains
Brief on the App Tracking
Even though we leave the pet at a boarding centre, there is always some kind of anxiety that pops up when we think about how they are being taken care of. Subscribers at DogNation can get access to the app-based activity tracker, through which they get access to monitor the progress and activities of their pets. “This helps build transparency, trust and reliability,” Aparajita says.
Membership and How It Works
A subscription package is for dog parents who want to be regular to DogNation and become an exclusive member to give their dogs a happy and healthy lifestyle. We offer a range of services and pet parents can make their selection and build their package depending upon their requirements and then subscribe to it either on a monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly basis.
“Subscription gives your dog a home away from home. Apart from the fact that your dog gets a regular dose of structured mental and physical stimulation, it also helps them with their separation anxiety and conditions them to become independent, socially adjusted, happy and well-balanced dogs. This means better vet visits and better trips outside. We maintain a complete leash-free and cage-free environment for them to realise their full potential,” Aparajitha adds.
DogNation provides the perfect environment for your pet to socialise and become confident, independent, and well-adjusted. All their activities are curated by keeping in mind the importance of giving your pet the right mental and physical stimulation for their all-round development in an open play, safe environment.
Places like DogNation and the services they provide are something one should choose if you wish to avail the perfect boarding and training for your pet.
KNOW MORE
Location: 3rdCross Road,RustamBagh Layout Main Road, S R Layout, Bengaluru,Karnataka 560017
Website: http://dognation.pet/
Call: +91-9019874462
Timings: 10:30 am – 7:30 pm (all days)
