Category: News Bark

Going gluten-free or vegan or switching to organic, fresh, clean eating and natural foods, trends that are gaining popularity among Indians, are now on the rise with their pets also.

Going gluten-free or vegan or switching to organic, fresh, clean eating and natural foods, trends that are gaining popularity among Indians, are now on the rise with their pets also. Sugar and milk are not good for dogs, says Darshan Kaur Khalsa, 25, founder of Waggy Zone, a Mumbai-based start-up that launched frozen yogurt-based dessert made with honey for dogs in 2017. The start-up, which has flavours like banana, mango, blueberry and carrot, is finding huge acceptance across metros as consumers are placing orders from Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad willing to pay a steep Rs1,200 delivery charge on an order that could cost just Rs500. Khalsa now aims to expand to these cities. Likewise for Ishmeet Singh, a chef who adopted a stray in 2009 and thereafter ventured into manufacturing his own brand of packaged food— Harley’s Corner. The brand does not use any preservatives and is made with ingredients that have been approved by the food regulator of India as suitable for human consumption.

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It’s time to hit the beach, and as an animal lover, you want your furry best friend to join.

It’s time to hit the beach, and as an animal lover, you want your furry best friend to join. Great! But before you and your canine visit the sand and surf, you need to be prepared.PEOPLE Pet Vet Dr. Evan Antin has the information you need to know before you slap on sunscreen and slip on your flip-flops.Prior to leaving for the beach, make sure you look up your destination’s rules on dogs and, pack a leash for the trip.Sunscreen, lots of water, a source of shade and towels are all beach essentials you should pack for yourself and for your pet, too.Once you’re at the beach, make sure your pooch stays out of the rip tide and doesn’t eat any sand!To get the full rundown of what you need to know before taking your dog to the beach, watch the video above, then get ready for a fun-filled, sun-filled Memorial Day weekend with Fido.

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Dogs – the best friend humans have got – make for the best companions.

Dogs – the best friend humans have got – make for the best companions. Their human friends don’t mind going to lengths to ensure their health and well-being. According to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, dogs born in June through August are at higher risk of heart disease than those born in other months, rising in July to 74 percent higher risk. A correlation to outdoor air pollution may be the culprit. The birth month difference in risk was marginal among breeds that are genetically predisposed to the disease, suggesting that heart disease acquired later in life may be birth season dependent among all dog breeds.Breeds not genetically predisposed to cardiovascular diseases, such as Norfolk terrier, Berger Picard, American Staffordshire terrier, English toy spaniel, Bouvier des Flandres, Border terrier, and Havanese were found to be at highest risk. Overall, dogs have a 0.3 to 2 percent risk of developing heart disease depending on breed. The research team found that risk climbs to the greatest level in dogs born in July, that have a 74 percent greater risk of heart disease than would typically be expected.

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The pet animals show was the highlight of the final day of the annual summer festival at Yercaud on Wednesday.

The pet animals show was the highlight of the final day of the annual summer festival at Yercaud on Wednesday. More than 50 dogs belonging to 35 different varieties participated in the dog show. The presence of superior varities such as German Shepherd, Cradon, Dalmetian, Pomeranian, Siberian Husky, Bully Kutta, Biennial, Kombai dogs were the cynosure of all eyes.The event was inaugurated by Ravichandran, regional joint director of animal husbandry. A team of veterinary experts screened the dogs. Later the dogs conducted a march past. A group of judges selected the prize winning dog in each category. The dog owned by Selvam of Yercaud was adjudged the best one in the German Shepherd variety and the dog of Suresh also of Yercaud won the first prize among the Dalmatian variety. Special prize was awarded to the sniffer dog of the Salem Central Prison.The City Police sniffer dogs participated in a talent show which attracted a large number of tourists who thronged the hill station on the final day.

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Ishmeet Chandiok is not only one of the first to launch a wet dog food line called Harley’s Corner, but also an expert on food that appeals to dogs.

Ishmeet Chandiok is not only one of the first to launch a wet dog food line called Harley’s Corner, but also an expert on food that appeals to dogs. Ishmeet gets candid on how to ensure our pooches get a gourmet food experience. The genial giant, wears a tee that says pets are people too, which is further proof that he loves to be called the dog chef. “It is my social media identity. A project that started in Mumbai, Harley’s Corner is soon opening doors in Bengaluru following Ishmeet’s recent shift to the Garden City. Although he has been “a Mumbai boy all my life,” Ishmeet says the move to Bengaluru was a long time coming. “I love dogs, food and bikes. That is why the first dog I adopted is called Harley, after the bike. “I have been around pets for a long time. Dad was a Sikh and mum, a Parsi, so I have had the best of both worlds, as far as food and wit is concerned,” he laughs and adds: “They both had pets, so I grew up with a soft corner for dogs.”

It was during his tenure with Kingfisher that he met Harley and his life changed for the better. “We adopted him from a construction site. He was part of a litter of six pups and the naughtiest of the lot. Whenever we visited the site, he was the first to come greet and play. We didn’t choose him, Harley chose us.” Harley is the CTO (Chief Tasting Officer) of the company. “If he eats it, it goes into production. I put a small menu together. At one point, I was known as ‘Bombay’s Doggie Dabbawalla’. I used the dabbawallas to deliver food daily. Once I hit a larger number, I knew I couldn’t do this from home. That’s when I looked at packaged food. Now my products have a shelf life of one year with no preservatives or additives and can be shipped.

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In a unique initiative, West Bengal’s Minister-in-Charge of Higher Education and School Education Department Partha Chatterjee is building a hospital for dogs in memory of his wife.

The construction work for this hospital is already underway and the minister has reportedly begun the preparations for opening the hospital in Kolkata. The hospital will be named Babli Chatterjee Memorial Pet Hospital, in the name of his wife, who breathed her last in July 2017. Talking about this initiative, Chatterjee said that his wife was a dog lover and he thought of building the hospital to keep her memories alive. “My wife was a true dog lover. She used to really care about them. She would take ailing dogs to doctors, and ensure medication for them. This gave me a thought to build a hospital for dogs to keep alive the memories of my wife,” he added. “There are six dogs in our family now that include two St. Bernards, Golden Retriever and Pug. As long she was fit, she used to take care of them that including feeding them, giving them medicines and taking them to vets. Even when she went to sleep at night, her pets were her companions.” The minister said that at times when he returned home late from meetings, he was forced to sleep on the floor as his pet dogs would have already slept on his bed. He added that there is a lack of veterinary hospitals in Kolkata and his wife used to talk about this a lot of time. “There is lack of veterinary hospitals in Kolkata. My wife often used to talk about this to me. Members of trust are constantly in touch with me and several veterinary doctors. I have asked them to ensure the best of facilities for dogs. I have also asked them to speed things up,” Chatterjee said. “The trust has a plot of 17 acres near Baghajatin railway station in south Kolkata, where the hospital will be set up,” he said, refusing to reveal the cost of the project.

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