Petspace on TV!!

“Television:  chewing gum for the eyes."  ~ Frank Lloyd Wright
Over the last few months we had crew from two TV shows shoot Petspace and the dogs residing / playing here. It was also my first media experience. I had been interviewed by journalists from the print media earlier but this was a whole new experience. I am really grateful and could see the amount of hard work that goes into the creation of a video episode / TV show.

TV9 (Kannada): Ladies Club!

The first shoot was by TV9 in Kannada for their “Ladies Club” episode that showcases innovative business ideas. When I got the call from them about the coverage I was very excited and wondered how the day would go and how the dogs would behave with a bunch of camera crew focusing on them all day.

The day when the TV9 crew landed at Petspace was quite a hot summer day. In the sweltering heat while we managed to coax few of the doggies to come up and face the camera, I also found a few really ‘cool dudes’ who found the experience very engrossing and appealing! They put up quite a show strutting around the camera and exuding a sense of general merriment and fun.

I also gave my own ‘sound’ bytes on pet care (pun intended :) ) later following that up with an ‘interview; at the TV9 studio with Radhika, the anchor of the show. It was a FUN experience and I do hope that some of my comments and suggestions could be valuable to customers and dog lovers. You could catch the show @ Petspace Featured on TV9Part-I&Part-II

NDTV Good Times: Heavy Petting

I was introduced to this show by a customer. I watched the show and I loved the way it’s done. All credits to Seema Rahmani (the anchor) for hosting such a terrific show, among the first to showcase pets and pet related stories in India. I’d already pressed the ‘Like’ button in my mind for this show at first glance. So when I got the call from Arun of NDTV-GT for a shoot with Seema I was looking forward to this shoot.

With the experience of one shoot (TV9) behind I felt pretty confident that our koochies could only look good on cam! This experience was quite different in that the crew just waited patiently for capturing each dog in his elements. Patience (and perspiration) swelled from the crew as they just waited to ‘pick those moments’. Again I realized that somehow few dogs just LOVE the camera! Do they actually watch TV when they are home??!! I wonder! :) This is set to be aired sometime in August.

(I must add that those who know me would be surprised with my husky voice as I suffered with a sore throat on that day :( )

Close on the heels of these two shoots I was also glad to be chosen and interviewed for a book that will be published in association with IIMB. The book is on women entrepreneur’s journey starting up a business. In all, this summer has been quite an experience with new experiences from an altogether unexpected corner: the fourth estate!I came across this quote recently and it brought a smile to me face.

“Time has convinced me of one thing.  Television is for appearing on, not looking at.”  ~Noel Coward, attributed :)

‘Soulmates’ @ Petspace :)

“Our Soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person.”  Richard Bach

Of course you read it right! I am indeed talking about ‘Soulmates’ :)  It is no surprise that I write on this topic given that day in and day out I am at a place that abounds with one quality: LOVE!

On the 15th of April’2011, Don, a pug(!) came to stay at Petspace during the holiday season for a long vacation and there started a beautiful story of friendship that I now share with you. Don loves to play with other dogs and makes me wonder where in his cute little frame does he have the source of this much energy to play ALL THE TIME! I guess among God’s inimitable imagination and creation lies this little secret power house or store house of energy that He gifts children and dogs alike! But not all can keep going as much and as far as Don could! You must see him to believe him.

Nemo’s temperament is quite the opposite of Don’s, (at least initially it was!). He seemed a bit more sobre and ‘gentleman-like’. In his previous visits he seemed to be the ‘calm’, ‘quite’ types! And yet…yet, they proved a simple physics rule to be true, the law of magnetism: Opposites attract!

Nemo, the Cocker-Spaniel loves balls while Don plays with other dogs. And when these two cute brats get together, they seem to forget everyone else around them in the world. Like a true color Bollywood masala movie of the 80s and 90s, initially Don troubled Nemo and then Nemo returned the favor. But after that initial phase they struck such a close friendship that they were pretty much inseparable. In fact, Don gets so engrossed in playing with Nemo that he caused me worry about his forgetting to eat! Nemo boarded at Petspace thrice during the period when Don was here. Each time when Nemo would leave for home, Don would actually sit sadly at the gate watching him go. I felt his cheerful attitude was at its peak when he received Nemo the next time he came to Petspace.

Watching these gestures of pure love among these friends makes me wonder how often we humans actually give of ourselves so completely and selflessly to just be in the moment and share the joy of a moment created with our love for one another.

And yeah, I used the word ‘Soulmates’ coz like all true love stories the friendship is forged between all sizes and shapes :)
Take a look at these friendly pairs for instance:
Chocolate (a big Golden Retriever) & Anya (a small pug)
Bela ( a mastiff) & Ach (a lab)
Spark (a lab) & Buddy (a Shih tzu)
They have nothing in common excepting pure love and a happy-go-lucky attitude :)

Well, as for me, I am really happy to see these blossoms of friendship that seem to create a welcoming and homely ambience for the next pooch walking in…!! :)

Bunny @ Petspace :)

"If carrots got you drunk,rabbits would be messed up!!"
~ Mitch Hedburg

When I first came across the above sentence it didn’t mean much to me. Now, it DOES!! :)

Imagine this! I get this call from a prospective customer, only, this time it aint a dog but a Rabbit called Bunny! Yeah! You heard me right! A RABBIT!! Although I was initially a bit apprehensive of how the dogs would react to a rabbit, we decided to bring him to Petspace and see for ourselves.

If Bunny was even moved in the least by the presence or excited barking of other dogs, he didn’t show it. In fact, every single dog that was and has been visiting Petspace since Bunny’s arrival seems fascinated. Almost mesmerized.

It’s a common sight to find dogs squatting right in front of Bunny’s kennel and just gazing at him. Some wag their tails and call out. Others try to smell him through the door. But in all, I have not seen any dog being hostile towards him. Nonetheless, I don’t take chances and have not allowed Bunny and any dog out together free. Just suffice to watch their unique expressions of love play out across the kennel’s secure door!!

Oh well! Now coming back to the line above by Mitch Hedburg.  Bunny is a 3 month old Rabbit. He LOVES carrots and leafy vegetables. We grow some vegetables in our garden area at Petspace and each day, Bunny just treats himself with the carrots and leafy greens. It’s easy to please a rabbit or so I have learnt: just give him a few carrots!

And no post on Bunny would be complete if I didn’t mention his eyes! Those big beautiful eyes, red/pink in color seem to completely fill your mind and thoughts once you’ve see them! Maybe that’s what holds and mesmerizes the dogs too! :)

If you can and wanna visit place in the near future, you would see for yourself what I am talking about. Although, I had not ever thought about a rabbit guest at Petspace, I’m really glad we took him in and Bunny adds yet another beautiful page in my memories to cherish!

Even as I wondered about Bunny and how every dog seems taken by him, I came across a quote by Stephen Wright that may be the answer to what keeps them interested in him:

“The other day when I was walking through the woods, I saw a rabbit standing in front of a candle making shadows of people on a tree.” :) :)

Cute li’l Brats @ Petspace!

Someone asked me  if all or ‘most’ dogs were well behaved. Whoa! Whoa! Nothing could be farther from the truth! For all ye unsuspecting potential pet owners out there, trust me when I say this: a mischief monger dog can have you pleading for mercy from God Almighty in no time!
Lemme give you some examples here. I had this cute black Labrador at Petspace who had a liking, nay, a fetish, for tearing up everything! Every night (during the cold winter days) we would spread a mattress to keep the stay warmer for these folks. The morning after this dude walked in, I was staring aghast at the mattress shredded to pieces and the look….the Look of accomplishment on his face just had me laughing my head off. Here was the guy standing at my feet looking for appreciation for a job well done! <huh!>

What can I say about the gang-of-three pugs who would chase and torment every other dog (especially the big ones) just for fun! They would sneak up and surprise them or simply bark into their face and run. I guess either the bigger dogs were truly startled or just chose to put up with the exuberant midgets. Nevertheless, I would have to keep an eye and ensure that all is fun and play.

And yeah, this post would be incomplete if I didn’t mention about the one with razors for teeth, who just chomped away at the fencing and even the kennel door!! His jaws were a veritable scissoring machine and like the genie had to be kept ‘busy‘ all day!!

That said, I must add in the same breath that what would life be but for those practical jokes and wisecracks in action! :)  Every time I see these folks think up a new way to have fun I also realize that they’ve helped me discover a new facet in myself. And yeah…it is these little rascals that add such a joy to an otherwise mundane existence (as most dog owners say), that makes every day in life something to look forward to! Coz you never know what the next brat has in mind for ya… Well lemme stop here and go find out :)

Pampered By the Pets!!

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too. ~Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912
We all know how nice it is to be pampered. Which is why we shower so much attention and love on our little doggies. Now imagine how it would feel to be pampered by these cute ones themselves?!!

Well, that is practically my everyday experience, caring and tending to the dogs that are boarded at Petspace. Each morning as I walk into Petspace, it’s a moment of exhilaration to have so much love being showered on me by these kids as they vie with each other for my attention and time.

And if you think that over a period of time you could get used to it, well you should meet with Tashi!! The energy and enthusiasm with which she would greet me would on each day brighten my day and send my spirits soaring so high!!

She would jump, she would wriggle and wag her tail…she would verily use every gesture (thinkable and otherwise) to express her excitement and love for you. Well, just the thought of her gushing at me with joy makes me smile! :)

I’m sure every dog owner looks forward to returning home for this one reason. I remember when I would return home and Buster (my pug) would go so berserk with happiness that he would run around in circles not knowing what to do to express his joy. I guess the easiest way to become a celebrity is to get oneself a dog! The amount of attention received will surely lift your spirits on any day.

To quote from the famous movie, “Marley & Me”:

A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes… A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his.

Dancing in the Rain at Petspace!

As he walked in reluctantly through the door I could see that he was very attached to his family. He was a Golden Retriever about 5 years called Rusty. He didn’t seem to resonate with the secure feeling that his family felt about leaving him at Petspace while they went on a trip for a few days. Understandably so…… he hardly knew Petspace or me until that moment. They had to literally cajole Rusty to enter his kennel and the family left with the note to be called at any time if so required. I gave them my assurances knowing what it feels like, given I have two pets of my own.


Most dogs adjust to the new surroundings quite easily and once they are able to sense the love in the air they tend to be more comfortable and relaxed. Not so with Rusty. The next morning, he practically spent all time sitting near the exit  in eager anticipation of seeing the family drive in again to pick him up. No amount of cajoling and enticing could wean him away from his yearning for them.


As if in reciprocation the skies started showering a torrential downpour of rain. All other dogs quickly scampered to the warmth and dryness of their kennels except him. He would not budge an inch and if anything, the rain only seemed to dampen his spirits further.


I could sense the pangs of separation in his heart and I knew that if anything could bring him back to his cheerful self it would have to be love…oodles of it! I immediately brought an umbrella and sat next to him holding us both under its one shade. It seemed like we just sat there for eternity huddled together at the gate.  Feelings and emotions far greater than words were conveyed in those moments escaping not just the rain but the false world of ‘newness’ and not knowing each other.


I was brought out of my reverie with the warm lick on my face and the movement by my side. I realized that he had finally connected with me. While I could not replace his family he did acknowledge the love he would receive at this new place from this new lady. He was ready to go into his kennel and partake his meal :) .


That day taught me in quite a most dramatic fashion how no amount of intellectual studies can teach this one basic value in establishing one’s rapport with a dog: Love and trust. When one truly reaches out to them, being so good in sensing the environment as they are, it is but a question of time and patience before they open up to give and receive the goodness and joy that fills our hearts.

Petspace: The Beginning!

As I walked through the gate into ‘Petspace’ on the day of its opening, I could see in my mind’s eye the work, time & effort that had gone into making this day a reality. I wondered at this magical process where a single thought, when backed with action, gets transformed into a tangible reality!
It was during my course on ‘Women Entrepreneurship’  at IIM-B that I first started looking around me for a ‘cause’ that could also serve as a business opportunity for me. It is then that it occurred to me to take my ‘pet’ hobby to a professional level.


I have two pets: a cat(Misty) & a dog(Buster). As it happens with most of us pet owners, our pets hold the focus of our energies and conversation topics far more than we probably realize! :) I found a lot of people facing issues with understanding and / or getting through to their pets. Somehow I seemed to be able to connect with them with a natural ease. Another common problem seemed to stem from the fact that the pet owner’s life (especially travel) gets affected with constant worry about the pet’s safety and care. So I would volunteer to ‘take care’ or ‘sit’ these pets while they were away. Now I looked to further explore my natural ability to connect with these darlings.


It started as a simple thought ‘to be able to help understand the dog psychology and bridge that gap between what we think our pet is telling us versus what he / she really wants to convey’. I figured the best way to do it would also entail spending more time with many of them. Churning all these thoughts together resulted in bringing up a Dog Day Care and Boarding called PETSPACE, close to the WIPRO Corporate office on Sarjapur Road, Bangalore!


I did a course with the Pet Sitter’s International (USA) to further hone my natural ease and bring in a professional approach to handling dogs. Meanwhile, I worked with the actual bringing up of the place including locating the site, construction, hiring employees and everything that Petspace offers its customers. Today Petspace revels with over 9000 square feet of play area to go with immense love that I and the staff working here shower on the koochi koochi pooches! :)


More than 9 years of experience in the corporate world along with the exposure to a humane approach to animals I developed during my residence at US have helped me immensely in coming up with my own mix of ‘services’ offered by Petspace (including counseling and Pet Parties) with a professional and yet personal touch to it. Petspace is a standing testimony to the translation of good intent to action and I endeavor to help as many pet owners as possible to connect with their pet and find what all of mankind is always looking for – unconditional love :)


More details, pictures and videos on Petspace can be viewed online by visiting  www.petspace.in or by visiting the place for a tour of our facility. [For appointments call 9900020DOG]