Look who let the dogs in

Shreyas Deshpande, an illustrator from Chennai is on vacation in Goa. His Labrador retriever Timothy has been lodged in a plush, fully air-conditioned kennel with round the clock CCTV monitoring. While Shreyas spends some time lazing by the beach, he logs on to the kennel’s network using his smartphone as the dog handlers prepare Timothy for a Skype chat with Shreyas. They are finding it hard to get Timothy online as he’s busy frolicking with his newfound friends in a swimming pool, adjoining the kennel. A smile lights up Shreyas’s face as the handlers initiate the video call by the poolside itself.

It’s a scenario that will soon be reality. Shravan Krishnan (23), a B. Com grad will unveil his Hotel for Dogs in Chennai on Saturday. His aim is to serve urban dog lovers looking for a comfortable boarding and lodging option for their four legged friends while they are out of town.

The hotel is located in an expansive property off ECR in Akkarai. Speaking about his USP, Shravan explains, “We can accommodate up to 30 dogs here. Dogs are housed individually in kennels located within a fully air-conditioned complex, monitored by CCTV cameras. If you want to video conference with your dog, we can arrange a Skype call for you. We have open spaces for the dogs to play and a specially designed swimming pool, useful for overweight canines and dogs with hip dysplasia (a joint disorder). There’s also a doctor on call and two full-time handlers.

In the midst of readying the hotel for the soft launch and pacifying his one-year-old albino Great Dane, Chotu, he says, “Having run a kennel for a year, I decided to open a hotel exclusively for dogs. With help from my family, I was able to find a suitable location."

Shravan's partner in this venture is his schoolmate and second year B.Com student TA Adhishwar. He says, “Lodging a puppy would cost you ₹500 per day, an average sized dog costs ₹600 and a large dog costs ₹700. We have special packages for long duration stays. We do not admit dogs below four months or above 10 years of age out of health concerns. The owner of the dog needs to provide the necessary food for the dog for the duration of the stay.”

Future plans include the opening of a café within the premises where people can come and enjoy some quality time with their pets, while munching on some bhajjis and chai .

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