Wet nose, wagging tales, furry babies, paw buddies — this is Pooja Advani’s haven. In a country, where the pet industry is finally blooming, few understand the crux of what pet care is all about. For many, it is just an opportunity to enter into this business, but for canine behaviourist, hydrotherapist, groomer, Bach therapist, animal communicator and conservationist Pooja Advani, this is her passion and what she loves. Some people are meant to be engineers, some doctors, Advani was meant to be a pet expert who could do anything and everything concerning a pet’s health and well-being. Since childhood, she shared a bond with animals and eventually as the universe would have it she landed up opening Doggiie Dog World — a luxurious pet wellness centre in Andheri, Mumbai, at a time when people couldn’t even understand this concept. Kid you not but when she began putting the bricks for this space she got to hear this statement “kutton ke liye?” time and again. However, here she is — running and thriving in the pet space for over a decade. To know more about her, pets and this industry, the Free Press Journal got into an interesting conversation with Advani herself. Excerpt from the interview:
How did your journey begin and what prompted you to choose this field?
I started the journey for Doggiie Dog World (DDW) 12 years ago. I’ve always been into rescue as a child. When I was growing up, there was nothing like a pet career. When I was waiting to go out for my MBA, I did a lot in between — from jewellery designing, gemology and advertising. I went to the States, came back, and worked with a company but never got job satisfaction. This was early 2000. I also started my jewellery company and shut it down. It was then that my mother suggested I go for a pet grooming programme. The next morning, I was off to Singapore and a six-week stay turned into a three-and-a-half-year programme. I did one course after the other, and also trained as a hydrotherapist, a behaviourist and creative grooming.
What is creative grooming?
They make different designs on pets and put pet-friendly colours on them. But I have mixed feelings about it and I’ve never propagated it. My belief system went against colouring pets’ hair.
How did you set up a successful business during a time when people weren’t even aware of pet grooming?
I was clear that I do not want to get into school setup because you don’t learn the art of business there. Hence, I chose a training centre, which was a business centre. By the time I came out, I knew exactly how business functions because I was handling the entire centre, I did it from ground zero. I know my trade and I didn’t open my centre as a business model. The pet industry is today is very lucrative, many say let’s open a pet centre, but if their workers aren’t working the whole centre collapses. But with me, it doesn’t happen because I know my work. The pet industry is right now today, $70 to $80 billion industry. But the biggest problem with people opening a business centre is that they aren’t aware of the nuances of the industry. For me, DDW has been a very emotional journey.
Is DDW also into adoption, rescuing and selling of pets?
I don’t do any form of buying and selling. I do not recommend breeders, I do not propagate breeding or back-end breeding. I encourage people to adopt rather than buy pets. There is nothing in this world that is called ethical breeding. Breeding is breeding.
How does animal therapy work? Do they convey their emotions during the therapy?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. You can understand animal communication. I can pick up only what the animal shows me. If they don’t want to talk, they don’t want to talk, simple!
Bach therapy is used on humans, how does it work on animals?
Animals have emotions, too and Bach therapy works on emotions. Hence, the remedies that are used for humans are also used for animals. The only difference is that pets take a long time to open up and sometimes they go into a hiddenness. When you get the right mix, it works the same way as it works on humans.
What are swimming and hydrotherapy when it comes to pet training?
Swimming and hydrotherapy are fantastic exercises for pets, whether they have any form of physical ailments or not. It works on the entire muscle group — from the neck to the tail. My centre has a heated swimming pool which gives massage and relaxation to the muscles, compared to an outdoor pool, which is non-heated.
Other than DDW, what’s more on your entrepreneur portfolio?
There’s a lot more to me than a dog centre. I paint to maintain my sanity. It is my safe haven. Talking about DDW, we are into expansion. I also have another brand called Earthhium, which deals in handmade bath and body products.
