All fur you: See how far pet parents go for their doggos
You’ve seen couples raise pets, not kids. These pet parents have moved jobs and cities and don’t regret a thing
Journalist Amy Virshup probably knew, when she coined the term DINK (Double Income No Kids) to describe a consumer demographic in 1987, that the acronym would stick. What she never saw coming was that in 2025, we’d be extending it to include a different kind of family member.
DINKs, by definition, refer to couples of working and child-raising age, who spend more money on themselves than couples who have kids. On Insta, they’re the ones pre-summering in Athens, redoing their interiors again, and sleeping well. The new subgroup, DINKWAD, simply stands for Double Income No Kids... With a Dog. In contrast to DINKs though, pet parents have it harder. They’re so serious about their dogs, it affects their holidays, their interiors and their sleep.
How extreme are we talking? Some DINKWADs have switched jobs for WFH positions so the fur-baby doesn’t get lonely. Others have cut ties with relatives who don’t bond with the animals. A few have even moved cities to build a better life for their pets. Take a look.
Getting territorial
Shivani Kale, 43, and Sidharth Kale, 45, adopted Walnut, a Beagle, at four months. The pup was adorable, but he had a bone deformity and had also been bitten by a dog. So, after a series of vet visits, they took their anxious, scared pet on holiday to Goa. Walnut fell in love with the beach. “It was the very first time he gave us a tail wag,” says Shivani Kale.
It was enough for the couple to give up their entertainment-industry jobs in Mumbai and move to Goa. “We left just when my work was beginning to pick up,” Kale admits. “We completely changed our lives for our dog.”
The move gave Walnut his best life: Morning walks on the beach, a veranda to chase squirrels and lots of herbs to sniff. The Kales adopted another rescue Beagle, Donut. But the move was tough. The Kales’ new dog-food and -wellness venture, Nutkit, was hard to run in Goa, where skilled labour is scarce.
After two years, the family moved to Nagpur to expand their business. But the dogs hated it there. It was too noisy. The parks and people were not dog-friendly. Nagpur hardly had any vets.
So, nine months in, the DINKWADs moved back to Goa. The dogs are happy. But Kales are overworked. They start their day at 4.30 am, and most days survive on five hours of sleep, managing their business and raising Walnut and Donut. “Some days are overwhelming,” Shivani Kale says. “But the dogs are happy. I would not have it any other way.”
Futures trading
PR professional Kruti Doshi, 29, and her sports-coach husband Hardik Pasad, 33, didn’t set out to get a dog. “We wanted to see how we did as parents and whether we are ready for a bigger and a more expensive responsibility,” says Doshi. The Mumbai couple adopted Katoori, a two-month-old Golden Retriever about four months ago.
It’s upended their lives in ways they didn’t imagine even a human child would. Doshi had a lucrative weekend gig, choreographing family dances for weddings. But with a dog in the picture, there was no way to stay away from home, or stay out late. So, despite a significant dent in the couple’s income, she gave it up, “to spend time with Katoori, train her and raise her,” Doshi says. “It pinches, but Katoori is what we care for more.”
The couple split dog-care duties just like they would have for a human child. Doshi grew up with dogs, Pasad is new to the idea. Still, neither was prepared to be this invested in an animal. The couple has also started setting aside money every month towards Katoori’s expenses, “so she has the best life possible,” says Doshi. They factor in vet visits, treats, and holidays with their pet when they plan their calendar. They’ve also identified a next-of-kin who will assume caretaking responsibilities for Katoori, should anything happen to them. And yes, they’re investing money towards that fund too. It’s like they already have the kid they wanted.
Locked in
Fashion entrepreneur Tanvi Dumbre was 25 when she spotted an Indie, barely a few months old, sporting deep bruises in the parking lot of her home in Thane four years ago. “He just clung to me,” she recalls. “I had to take him home.” She adopted him and named him Bandu. Three-and-a-half years later, she took him with her to her marital home when she married businessman Dhruv Rastogi, 28. Neither realised what they were in for.
Bandu grew up to be an anxious, energetic, protective, smart, alpha dog. He didn’t just carry the trauma from his attack, he was also allergic to several foods. The early years were tough. The dog would throw up often, snarl, scratch and bite. The couple would often wait unmoving, for hours, until Bandu fell asleep, just to clean up after him. They spent nights on the couch, neither regretting their decision to bring him home.
Dumbre, in particular, found it hard to leave the house, knowing that the dog trusted no one but his rescuer. “I didn’t go out for almost two years,” she says. “I had forgotten what it was like to meet friends and chill.”
The couple has worked out a special diet for Bandu, and spent months training him to calm down. He still needs three 90-minute walks a day, so the spouses have just decided to work from home. “I don’t go to my factory. I hardly travel, which we as a young, married couple would want to do,” she says.
Their plan to move to Mumbai is on hold until the dog is up to it. Meanwhile, Dumbre has lost friends and business networking opportunities. Some days, she’s exhausted and covered in scratches. “My father asked me once if it would be better to give up Bandu,” she recalls. “I can’t. Without Dhruv and me, he’d never survive.”
From HT Brunch, April 26, 2025
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