India’s love affair with pets is undeniable. Ranked fifth globally in pet ownership, we are increasingly enamoured by the rise of gourmet pet treats and puppy playdates.
Pet parents in India are more than willing to go the extra mile for their furry companions. With an increasing number of DINK couples (Dual Income, No Kids) adopting pets and changing societal attitudes fueled by rising disposable incomes, the pet care industry is booming. A recent Ken Research report estimated the industry to be worth USD 9.85 billion in 2023.
However, being a pet parent in India comes with its own set of challenges. From travel-related struggles to the lack of acceptance in housing societies, we are still far from being fully equipped to support this growing trend.
Touring the thin line
Pet parents have come a long way from the days of leaving their pets back home. (Source: Canva)
Picture this — you wish to grab a coffee with your furry friend at a nearby cafe. After multiple refusals from cab drivers, you agree to overpay an opportunist rickshaw driver to allow you to you travel with your pooch. Your excitement soars as you picture yourself sipping your brew beside your favorite companion, only to be confronted by reality. The posh cafe that claimed to be ‘pet-friendly’ does not let pets inside their premises.
Pet parents have come a long way from the days of leaving their pets back home. With changing habits, our four-legged companions have become a part of our family. Why leave them behind?
However, limited travel facility poses a major challenge to pet parents. For Namrata Belgaonkar, a 23-year-old based in Belgaum, Karnataka, the challenge of travelling with her pooch Soldier, is amplified by the woes of living in a small town. “Transportation is the biggest challenge here, I don’t know if there are any travel services available at all,” she told indianexpress.com.
For lecturer Navleen Atwal and her furry friend Archie from Jalandhar, travelling is more favourable thanks to the convenience of her car. However, the struggles are not limited. Most service stations or halts on highways pose one looming question to pet parents, ‘Where do I walk my pet?’
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The long haul
From the stress of calculated loo breaks at isolated train stations to premade meals, traveling on the train with your furry friend is not for the faint of heart. (Source: Canva)
Air travel is not hassle-free either. With only two airline options available for domestic flights, a mountain of paperwork, and the anxiety involved in wondering how your furry companion would fare in the cargo section of an airline, pet parents often resort to opting for a train.
From the stress of calculated loo breaks at isolated train stations to premade meals, travelling in trains with pets is not for the faint of heart.
Leaving them behind
With limited travel options, one would assume that lodging and boarding facilities would take the front seat. However, the horrors of unhygienic and often abusive shelters persist. (Source: Canva)
With limited travel options, one would assume that lodging and boarding facilities would take the front seat. However, the horrors of unhygienic and often abusive shelters persist.
Atwal shared that her biggest fear associated with leaving Archie behind in a shelter is that “none of the facilities are pet-friendly, in the sense that they may make our pet feel uncomfortable by pairing them up with a more aggressive dog or be unhygienic and filthy in general.”
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For Soldier, private caretakers take the lead when the family has to travel. At the price of exorbitant charges and multiple uncertainties, these caretakers often prove to save the day for pet parents.
India has a long road to travel towards becoming pet-friendly for pets and their parents. Sustainable solutions are required to achieve societal acceptance and accessible resources for all. This requires a collaborative effort among pet parents, and service providers alike.
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