Three snouts poke through the ever-so-slight opening of the huge entrance gate of Dog House. The peaceful afternoon air is ripped anew by barks of dogs, excited to welcome a stranger. Keerthi Priyadharshini opens the door just enough to let me in and nearly five dogs at once nip at my heels and jump on me.
They are part of a 16-member family — 17, if you include their human, Keerthi, founder of Dog House, the city's latest ‘homestay for dogs’. Here, your dog can find accommodation whenever you need to leave the city, be it for a day, week, or month.
Located in Red Hills, the homestay is essentially six grounds — of 15,000 square feet together — with one house. Currently, it can house up to 15 dogs at a time. The dogs that stay here can play outside on the plot or lounge inside the air-conditioned house on the various cots and beds laid out.
“There is no system of kennels at Dog House. We have a cage-free, leash-free policy,” says Keerthi. On the grounds are two enclosures, 12 by 20 feet; and seven, 12 by 24 feet ones.
“The runs are big enough for even a large dog such as a Great Dane to comfortably pace about,” she says. “ The large enclosures are for big dogs, that may not be very friendly. Each dog has its own personality. Whatever its temperament, no dog should be caged,” she says.
The enclosures have curtains, ceiling fans, and a plumbing system in place, to bathe the dogs. In the centre of the grounds is a square pit covered with wooden boards: “That’s the swimming pool, it’ll be ready this week.”
The grounds have a raw look about them. The plot is not cemented, and there are plenty of pebbles lying around. Bowbali, a Dachshund mix, and the “family rowdy”, picks one up and tosses it in the air.
“I got this soil and gravel laid out on the grounds, because this is the kind of earthen environment dogs like to be in,” Keerthi says.
Five dogs follow her wherever she goes — one of them is Casper, a Rajapalayam mix, the first dog she ever adopted.
Growing up with canines
“We are a family of dog lovers,” says Keerthi, who grew up with eight dogs — their photos are now up on the walls of the Dog House. “My mother, who stays in Perambur, has 14 of her own, and I have 16 here.” The dogs, are mostly indies, or mixed breeds — all adopted or rescued. In a separate enclosure, she has two special needs dogs, who have difficulty walking. Baahubali was also rescued, as was Chip, a blind Labrador, and two pups, who are now up for adoption.
“I adopted Casper when I was 26,” she says. Eventually, the number grew to 10, and the owner of her rented house in Thoraipakkam, had to ask her to move out. She hoped to buy her own house, which she could turn into a dogstay. “It was what I dreamt about every night before going to sleep,” she says.
After two years of scouting, she finally bought this piece of land. One portion of Dog House has been cordoned off; for her bedroom, bath, and the kitchen, where she makes food for the dogs.
Healthy homes
Over the years, Keerthi, who works in IT, has made a name for herself in the animal welfare community by running adoption drives, assisting with rescues and vaccinating and sterilisation stray dogs. “I have been conducting adoption drives, under the name, Adopt Me Chennai, and now we’ll continue with that under Dog House,” she says.
Dog House offers sterilisation stays as well, given that Keerthi is in frequent touch with the vets of the city. People can leave their dogs here for a week, and take them back after they are sterilised.
If business goes well, Keerthi plans to build another floor, just for small dogs. “The eventual dream is to open a dog shelter of my own,” she smiles.
Dog House is at 438/2, Sarath Kandigai, Pammadukulam, Red Hills. Pick-up and drop for dogs available. Call 9500058836. Introductory prices start at ₹300 per day.
