Ferrying your furry friends around town becomes more convenient as pet friendly Kolkata couple – Manisha and Nitesh – launches taxi service exclusively for dogs, says Jimmy Arora
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Manisha Chowdhury is born to serve the canines. Her strong determination to serve the sick animals is evident from the fact that even during advanced stages of pregnancy, she went out of her house to rescue ailing dogs! Even the doctor’s warning and her husband’s strict rule not to step out of the house in that state could stop her. The gusty woman says that she feels sick whenever she spots an unwell dog in the streets and can’t eat for days if the animal dies. Nothing makes her happier than the dogs gambolling and giving her a hug. Manisha, a government school teacher in Kolkata has now come up with a unique concept of pet taxis to shift pets from one place to another in the city. “Both the private cab operators and the yellow taxis hate letting pets in their vehicles,” she says, adding, “They either refuse to carry them or fleece the animal companions demanding extra money for carrying the pets.”
The couple started the Pet Cab GO service in April with four private cars. “We put our own cars to use for the service. The main purpose is to offer timely treatment to the animals and also to help their owners in shifting them from one place to another without any hassles,” says Nitesh, an entrepreneur. He says that the rate is Rs 25 per km, while Re 1 is charged every minute as waiting time. “The first five minutes are free and then the charges apply. We also levy Rs150 as garage expenses. Our service is quite different from private cab operators and the rates are higher because our cars travel long distances and often return vacant. It is not like private cabs and taxis where they manage to get passenger after dropping one,” says Nitesh.
Manisha chips in adding that often they lower the prices if the customer can’t afford it. “We have our own FaceBook page through which bookings are made. We are not rigid with the rates and often scale them down to ensure that no pet suffers because of delay or lack of treatment. They should not also face inhumane treatment from other cab drivers. We ask customers to make the bookings at least 24 hours in advance. We get calls even 3-4 days in advance,” she says.
She hires only those drivers who love animals, “It is not like any other driving job, but the person who is at the wheel must have sympathy and love for the pets as often they jump inside the car and smell when suffering from severe disease. The basic priority is that the driver should be an animal lover.”
The duo claims they are not there to make a profit, “We get other cab arranged for the pet owners if our cars are not available. We often end up paying the transport expenses for those who are too poor to pay to the cab operators. We are also planning to extend our services for those who want to take their pets on long tours,” says Nitesh.
The passion has already cost them their rented flat in the city. “We had to vacate our last flat as the house owner didn’t like the feeding and treatment of canines. We refused to part with the animals and decided to search for a new flat. Luckily, the new owner doesn’t have any issue,” Manisha smiles.
But her love for animals is not just confined to canines; she loves rabbits too. “My sister was gifted a rabbit by her friend in 2012. She bought it into the house. We sisters began to take care of him. We named him Pucku. His name was printed on my wedding card,” she chuckles. Manisha wants to do more for the animals, “My dream is to open a shelter house for the stray and pet animals that are sick and dumped by their owners and have no place to go. I hope to achieve my dream someday,” she says.
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