For the love of the four-legged

Cats and dogs will be dressed up to walk the ramp at pet expo, reports Nivriti Butalia.

Blowdrying a dog’s hair is very routine,” says Sanjeev Kumar of Scooby Scrub, a pet-grooming parlour that goes the whole hog in spoiling your four-legged friend. On offer are massages, hair colouring (herbal, safe), D-matting (removing knots), and aromatherapy baths.

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Sanjeev and his wife Preeti gave up their jobs (he was a banker, she was a teacher) to do what they love — pamper animals. At the 4th India International Pet Trade Fair, their stall is a crowd magnet. People want their pets to look good before they enter a contest.

And since this is the first year the fair has organised a fashion show for cats and dogs, appointments have been made so that the animals turn out in their well-groomed Sunday best.

To ensure minimal fraternising with the enemy, the dog fashion show is from 10-11 am and 3-4 pm is when the cats take over. Sanjeev himself will handle Princess, his Lhasa Apso who with a red satin ribbon secured on her head looks every bit the beauty queen.

Roopsi and Paras, another couple, has registered for the fashion show — apart from the dog obedience round and the all breed championship. The two loves of their life, Naughty and Zorawar, will walk the ramp on Sunday. Zorawar is a nine-month old German Shepherd with a double coat.

His owners still haven’t decided on his dress-code. But Naughty, the three-year old black Labrador will wear a ganji, glitzy chains bearing the dollar sign, and be made to look like a “hip hop gangster”.

Your pooch doesn’t have to be pedigreed. The only criterion for the fashion show is for the dog or cat to have an updated vaccine card. And if you’ve been careless about shots, Dr M. Sharma’s of Max Vets has a veterinary kiosk at the fair, and today and tomorrow, he will provide free vaccination for your pets against rabies.