A Day Care For Bored Dogs

Where do you take your bored dog? As pet ownership grows, the care and feeding has been elevated, catering for owners who want their dogs to go for play dates where they enjoy a game of fetch or to spas where no cost is spared to clean their ears, brush their teeth and clip their nails. Four years ago, Karanja Ngugi, 26, opened Pet Village, a dog day care centre on Ngecha Road in Nairobi’s Lower Kabete. At this day care, there are dogs that have come for play dates, others for grooming and some may be sleeping over at a fee.

As we approach the gate with my two colleagues, we can see over a dozen cute little dogs playing in an enclosed space. Well, until they all outrun Mr Ngugi and come jumping on us at which point I freeze, close my eyes and beg the dog carers to take them away.

We have a good laugh after Mr Ngugi and his team assure me that they are pets and harmless.

“They want you to say ‘Hi’ to them,” he says to reassure me.

“Dogs are not just loyal but very emotional. The first thing you should do when you meet a (pet) dog is say ‘Hello’ by offering him your hand,” explains the trained pet groomer.

This gesture, he adds, makes the dog comfortable as it sniffs or licks your hand.

“But you should not proceed to pat him on his back as he might perceive this as aggression. Rather, pat his chest or chin and when he is comfortable, you can proceed to pat him on his back,” says the groomer.

Mr Ngugi, who has a Master’s degree in Business Administration, has always loved canines. His love affair with dogs began when he was a small boy.

“My parents got me my first dog, Kamau, a Pomeranian (a small dog with long silky hair, pointed muzzle and pricked ears, a native or inhabitant of Pomerania) when I was around 10 after a lot of persuasion,” he says.

They were living in Zimbabwe at the time and that was when he fell in love with Pomeranians, the only breed available where they stayed. Later, he volunteered in different rescue centres locally and his last employment was at a pet grooming centre in Nairobi’s Kitisuru, where he worked as a groomer before opening his own place in 2017.

Mr Ngugi co-founded Pet Village with Eli Young and currently, he has two groomers and two kennel assistants.

Pet Village, which offers boarding and day care facilities has found a growing niche market as Kenyans own dogs for companionship. On average, they house about 20 dogs a day. “Some clients do not want their dogs getting bored at home so they opt to bring them here where they can play and have fun with other dogs,” he says.

The centre also caters for owners who have dogs but no backyards where they can play freely.

“Dogs are very energetic and are always yearning to release pent up energy. If you leave him at home, you might find he has ripped off your cushions,” Mr Ngugi says.

Sometimes they get owners who bring their dogs for grooming though most prefer their pets groomed in their houses.

So what does grooming entail?

“Grooming depends on the individual needs of the dog but can include wash and hair cut, trims, nail clipping, teeth cleaning, ear waxing or removal of tear stains, especially on white dogs,” explains Mr Ngugi.

Besides offering these services, Pet Village also breeds pure Pomeranians with a puppy going for Sh100,000.

“Currently, all the puppies we have are booked. Most clients prefer to book them while they are still young,” he says. When pet owners travel, they also entrust their dogs to day care centres. For those who want to know what and how their ‘fur babies’ are doing, they are given a daily account of their dog’s day via e-mail and video clips.

Mr Ngugi explains that they have a WhatsApp group where he engages the clients on how their dogs are fairing, especially the ones on short stay.

The short-stay option provides a temporary home for dogs whose owners have travelled.

“In some instances, a client who is renovating their house prefers his dog to be away in case of any accidents or perhaps they are away for the weekend and wants him to socialise with other dogs while he’s away,” he says.

But are there any requirements a client should meet before their dogs are admitted into the facility?

“It is important for the dogs to be vaccinated, dewormed, undergo flea and tick treatment and have a license,” explains Mr Ngugi.

In addition, Pet Village offers training services to their clients’ dogs. The canines are trained on basic obedience and how to listen to and understand simple commands, like ‘fetch’, ‘sit’ or ‘come’.

Mr Ngugi explains that when the dogs are trained, it helps the business to be organised and orderly. I notice he refers to each dog by name; Sketch, Skye, German and Nairobi.

They also have a ‘Karura Day’, when the dogs are taken to a natural habitat where they can play and just enjoy being dogs.

“The dogs enjoy playing in the open space, rivers and taking walks,” he says.

As we carry on with the interview, I notice one mischievous dog mounting another and I ask Mr Ngugi if there is a chance that the dogs in his care could breed.

“Most pet dogs are sterile and pet owners are advised to have them sterilised. This also helps to contain their sexual energy otherwise you might get sued by your neighbour if your dog jumps over the fence to go and mate with their dog,” he explains on a lighter note.

However, like in any other venture, Mr Ngugi experiences challenges. He says his greatest challenge is creating awareness on how dogs should be treated as most people think that their duty is to offer security.

“Owners need to understand that a dog needs love and to be taken good care of. Dogs too need TLC — (tender loving care),” he notes.

Every dog reacts differently. They have different personality traits, behaviours and while some are really smart, some are slow and they have to be let to live at that pace, he says.

As more dogs find a home and comfort at Pet Village, Mr Ngugi says the space is not adequate. He plans to build a bigger pet resort with space for more kennels by April. The facility also has a regular vet who comes of take care of the dogs.

Years ago, the notion of day care centres for dogs or even dog grooming to enhance the physical appearances of pets for shows, competitions, advertisements or just having them home squeaky clean, was foreign. But now there are about five dog spas in Kenya, Very Impawtant Pets in Nairobi’s Kitisuru being one of them. Kenyans are slowly embracing them.

“Twenty per cent of our clients are Kenyans. They mostly bring their dogs for day care services or grooming,” says Mr Ngugi, adding that more people are warming up to the idea as they realise they might not be able to provide fun activities for them, especially if they are working all day or live in apartments.

To help socialise and exercise their pets, some people drop them off at the centre while others pay extra for pick up. The day care charges depend on whether transportation is included. Some clients prefer to drop their pets off and pick them up in the evening while some want them picked and dropped. The rates range from Sh600 to Sh1,000 per day per dog.

“Most of the pets want to go home by 4pm and they become restless, whine and follow you around. We have to keep reassuring them that ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ are coming by hugging, kissing and petting them. It is fun when you get to do what you love and at times I enjoy their company so much I find it hard to go home,” Mr Ngugi says.