Closeness and commitment

Closer together

Although each country develops in its own way, we can see a number of similarities. People are migrating to the cities for employment. As prosperity grows, so does the number of pet owners. In the cities, people and animals live closer together under one roof. Pets are more often treated as a part of the family and we are seeing a growing awareness of the welfare of animals.

Passion for pets

Argentina is one of the countries with the highest percentage of pet ownership in the world. The profession of dog-walker is common in Buenos Aires and is now booming in Europe as well.

Daisy Yosbelli is a dog walker and owner of Chispitas de Amor in Buenos Aires. She used to be an animal activist and rescuer.

“I love dogs for their ability to return love so faithfully and for the company they provide. They make you smile if you are sad and even when you have had a bad day they are still there.” As a passionate dog-walker, Daisy pays attention to the specific requirements of the dog: “Each dog has different needs: losing weight, entertainment, play, learning to walk, making friends, or obedience. That is why I never walk more than three dogs at a time. Those who suffer from nervousness, anxiety or traumas walk individually.”

Daisy’s most important customers are working people and the elderly. “Dogs need a lot of recreation time, which owners cannot give them when at work. And elderly people often have smaller dogs with a higher energy level than their owners,” she says.

“Do we treat our pets like humans these days? I try to give them the same comfort as I would like to have as a human being. For example, I bought a seatbelt for my dog, because on every car trip we made he always ended up bumping and sliding. We want to make our pets happy and keep them safe, and in doing so we humanize them without realizing it.”

  facebook.com/ChispitasDeAmorCABA

Recreation and exercise

Asian countries are enjoying a growing share in the pet market due to their size and the growth rate of their human population. Alfred Ng is Chief Technology Officer at Suga in Hong Kong. Suga has developed the PETBLE SmartTag, a Bluetooth activity tracker for pets. 

“China and Hong Kong are densely populated. Most people live in small apartments in the city. Therefore, cats and smaller breeds of dog such as poodles, Shiba Inus and Bichon Frises are very popular,” says Alfred.

“Lack of exercise and obesity are relatively common. Pet owners in China and Hong Kong treat their pets as if they were their children. They use our products because they want to know at the earliest moment when their pets get sick so that they can bring them to the vet immediately.”

How does the PETBLE SmartTag work? “The PETBLE SmartTag is a Bluetooth activity tracker that monitors the pet’s daily exercise level by tracking its movements. All you have to do is attach the SmartTag to the pet’s collar and then use our PETBLE app to download the data. Based on the data collected, the app will then provide pet care suggestions such as dietary recommendations and health alerts,” Alfred explains. 

“We believe the advances in sensor technologies will help pet owners to understand most of the physical and mental needs of their pets. For example, we are working on including a heart-rate sensor and a temperature sensor in a future version of the SmartTag.”

  petble.com

Strays

In India, people are also migrating to the cities for employment. Unfortunately, many Indian cities have slums with exposed waste. A large number of dogs live in these slums and consume this. India has the fastest-growing dog population in the world. Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) helps stray dogs and reduces their number by sterilizing them, vaccinating them against rabies, and facilitating the adoption of stray dogs.

Daisy Sidhwa is a trustee and project manager at WSD in Mumbai. “I started 23 years ago. In those days the Mumbai municipal corporation used to kill street dogs. I felt very motivated to do something about this and I feel blessed and privileged to be able to help find homes for these little ones.”

Daisy: “In Mumbai, we live in apartments, so pets live in the house. Dogs that live in farmhouses are very rarely allowed indoors and they are kept as watch dogs. When pedigree dogs are bought by more prosperous people, it is mostly the servants who take them for walks or to the vet.”

“Dogs are the most popular pets in India; birds are the second most popular. At WSD, we also have cats up for adoption. Sadly enough, people in India do not seem to realize yet that cats make wonderful pets, especially for city-dwellers,” says Daisy.

“The people who adopt from us usually do so because they dislike the idea of buying dogs. Some extremely compassionate people have adopted dogs that are visually impaired, old, or have a disfigured face. I feel a deep sense of gratitude to them for giving these wonderful animals a chance to be loved and looked after.” 

  wsdindia.org