Pet boarding facilities inundated with requests from Covid-affected families

"There are instances where the owners have died of Covid and their dogs are left with us," said Kuldeep Chauhan, owner of a pet care facility in Delhi.

With the national capital grappling with an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases amid the fourth wave, many individuals and families are turning to boarding facilities for their pets. Owners of pet boarding facilities across the city said there has been a significant increase in the number of requests for taking in pets.

Owners of pet boarding facilities across the city said there has been a significant increase in the number of requests for taking in pets. (Reuters)

Kuldeep Chauhan, owner of Pet Lovers Hut - Dog Boarding Centre, said his facility is receiving requests from people who are down with Covid-19 or are unable to meet the pet’s requirement due to restrictions. “During this time of the year, people leave behind their pets while going for vacations. This time, people are not going anywhere but our facility is full due to requests from Covid-affected individuals and families. There are instances where the owners have died of Covid and their dogs are left with us,” said Chauhan. He said that the number of requests pouring in due to the pandemic is higher this time. “Last year, we did not get this many dogs. This time, there is a stark difference.”

Arun Shivakumar, who runs Asha Arun’s pet home boarding, said the facility has been receiving more and more requests from Covid-affected families since last month. “We receive at least ten calls a day from people battling Covid-19. Last year, we did not have any requests from covid patients in April-May,” said Shivakumar.

He said he also received requests from people who want to give up their dogs for adoption as they can’t take care of them due to Covid-19. “My wife and I have conducted counselling sessions with such pet parents to make them understand that Covid is temporary,” said Shivakumar.

Nandita Sikka, CEO, Heal Your Paws, a facility located at Sainik Farms, also echoed similar sentiments. “I have been getting a lot of requests from people who are unable to step out of their houses and take their dogs for walks due to concerns arising out of Covid-19. We are taking care of dogs whose owners are Covid positive or are busy in covid-related duties,” said Sikka.

In view of the prevailing situation, board facility owners have also adopted additional precautionary measures. Sikka said the staff at the facility have been tested for Covid and are taking extra sanitization measures. Other facilities have introduced mandatory sanitisation of pets.

“We have introduced some changes in the processes that we undertake while admitting a new member to the boarding facility. We have created a designated spot at the entrance of the facility where owners are asked to tie the dog. Following that, our caretaker gives the dog a bath, only after which he can enter the kennel. We are not holding any interaction with the pet parents in the current situation,” said Chauhan.

He said while most people are upfront and inform the facility if Covid is the reason behind the boarding request, some people do conceal information. “At least three families did not inform us that they had Covid. To avoid such incidents, we introduced the additional layer of sanitization process at the entrance,” said Chauhan.