JOIN USMaking plans to head out of the city has become a hobby for many Bengalureans. And if you have pets, taking them along has also become crucial.
While the process is a bit tedious, there are some who go that extra mile for a fun-filled weekend with their pet. After all, it is said, the journey of life is sweeter when travelled with a dog!
Smitha Suri, an animal lover, recently went to Chikkamagaluru with her dogs Doodle and Mili.
Sharing her experience, she says, “We stayed at a pet-friendly house. It gave the pooches the freedom to run around and they know that they are on vacation too. We also went on treks with them — they had a lot of sniffing and climbing to do.”
Though everything seems a breeze once you get to the place, the journey till there is quite a task.
Smitha says, “Occasionally, we stop on the way to grab a quick bite. Not every restaurant allows dogs, so we take our plates back to the car and eat with the pooches.”
Some pet parents also have to make extra preparations for the trip. Chaithali Pisupati went on her first trip with her dogs Boomster and Pheobe recently.
She says, “We didn’t want to travel too far as Pheobe is a dog with special needs. The resort allowed the dogs to stay in the room, so we carried extra sheets for them. Since my dogs are used to having home food, we also carried food with us. But they were so excited to be there that food wasn’t really their priority. We had three bags for the dogs and just one for the humans.”
She recalls when she travelled with her Pomeranian Betsy a while ago on a train.
“We booked first class tickets and stopped at every station to refresh her. We made sure we took all the precautions so that the others would not have any complaints,” she adds.
Pet parents make sure not to feed their pets too much while on the go. Denie Cherian, an interior designer, enjoys taking their pet Sasha to Thiruvananthapuram often.
He says, “We make sure that she is not overfed. The backseat of the car is hers. She loves sticking her head out of the window to feel the wind.”
And what about when someone has complained about his pooch? “We haven’t received any as such because we always keep an eye on her. If they do get scared, we move away and try not to make others uncomfortable. Sasha doesn’t like being alone, so she’ll keep scratching the door till we let her in. Once we do, she’ll come and sleep under the bed. We are then left to enjoy her snoring for the rest of the night,” he laughs.
For Sowmya Ram, a content writer, travelling with her Basset Hound Shifu to Mysuru is a weekly affair.
“We go every weekend to visit my parents. We also go to Chennai often. Since Shifu is well-trained, it is not too much of a hassle for us to take him places.” She explains that when
Shifu was a puppy, he would try to jump into the driver’s seat.
“We put a barricade and trained him in such a way that he knows not to jump. He now sits quietly or sleeps throughout the trip. Apart from the breaks we take, we make sure to keep his toys and food handy.”
With all the planning, one thing is for sure — as long as pet-friendly accommodation is available — whether it is a short trip to a resort or to a hill station, pet parents are happy to take their furry buddies along.