Restaurateur Rahul Bajaj says hugging his dogs after a long and tiring day at work and playing with them not only makes him feel loved, but also makes the puppers immensely happy
TEXT: TEAM BUDDY LIFE
He not only shares his name with one of India’s best-known businessmen, but the young and dynamic Rahul Bajaj is also an entrepreneur. As the Director and conceptualiser of two Mumbai food outlets, Out of the Blue and Deli By The Blue, Bajaj says it was a conscious decision to turn the outlets that promote a healthy lifestyle into pet-friendly restaurants. In a heart-to-heart with Buddy Life, Bajaj says, “As my family and I both are such huge animal lovers, we decided to allocate the outdoor area for pets wherein you can have a meal with your furry friends sitting right beside you,” he explains. Following are excerpts from the interview:
Who was your first furry buddy?
The first dog I got was a mixture of a Great Dane and a black Labrador whom we named Black Phantom. He was super loving and friendly. I also had a Dalmatian named Xerox.
You have three puppers in your life. What are their names and how old are they ?
Doink is a 14-year-old white Pug, Pixie is a brown and white coloured, two-year-old English Cocker Spaniel, and a female black Pug named Jet. We got Jet neutered and adopted after we rescued her.
How did you meet them?
We picked Doink in Pune when he was a two-month-old puppy. I met Pixie at a family function whom we later got home and Jet was rescued.
Were you raised in a family of animal lovers?
Yes! In fact, my whole family is very fond of animals. When I was a kid, we had an African grey parrot who we named Kusuku. He was a lovely soul who used to talk, converse nicely and sing as well! We had several animals like a monkey, two turtles named Pebbles and Bam Bam, and a few dogs too. Basically, my family and I both are animal lovers and we’ve had them in our lives since many years now.
In an industry that doesn’t encourage canine companions on the work premises, do you take them to work with you? Either way how do you handle them if they are at your workplace or if they are left at home?
As my family and I both are such huge animal lovers, we announced Out of The Blue and Deli by The Blue as pet friendly restaurants. The outdoor area is allocated for pets wherein you can have a meal with your furry friends sitting right beside you! We have also organised several pet events and pet parties in the past, like Halloween Dog Party, Dog Valentine’s Day, etc. The restaurants’ staff members and everyone absolutely love my pets and I often get them to the restaurant where they can roam and play around freely. The pets are also quite friendly and love to meet new people.
What is it that makes them special? How much time do you spend with them?
Pets are so loving and adorable and become an integral part of your family. The bonding you share with them, their unconditional love and the ability to make us laugh and cheer up our mood in any situation is what makes them so special. Hugging them after a long tiring day and playing with them not only makes us feel loved, but also makes them immensely happy. Afterwork and on weekends, you will usually find me playing with my pets.
What have you learned most about life from having them?
Pets are such creatures that they teach you to be selfless, giving, caring and loving unconditionally. I am so glad to have them in my life and try to imbibe the qualities of being patient and even more caring every day.
Do you groom/ bathe your fur babies?
Yes, it is an absolute delight while I bathe them. It is like a fun play time for all of them!
What kind of food do they prefer? Do you take them out for walks?
I haven’t taken them out for walks for a few months due to Coronavirus which is why I engage them in several fun activities at home, like playing fetch, etc. But earlier when I took them out, they would love playing with other dogs, meet new people. In terms of food, they really like their dog food.
Any special experiences with the four-legged pals you would like to share with the readers?
There are a few instances that I would like to share with you. There have been times where they have been scared by looking at their own reflection in the mirror. They would just start jumping and running around aimlessly. Also, whenever I would call out someone’s name who’s present in the house, they would run behind them and drag them to me by pulling onto them. It is so funny to watch them do such things.
