These petcare startups will help you show some love for your furry friends this Valentine's Day

French poet, journalist, and novelist  Anatole France famously said: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”

Pet parents will agree whole-heartedly. 

According to Petex, India is the fastest growing petcare market in the world with urbanisation, rise in nuclear families, and changing perceptions towards pets and pet ownership driving growth. 

India’s petcare market, which was valued at $265 million in 2017, is expected to grow at 13.9 percent annually to become a $430 million market by 2020. Pet foods brand Pedigree pegs the Indian pet food market at Rs 1,200 crore. 

Numerous petcare startups have cropped up in recent years, including Wiggles, Heads Up for Tails, PetKonnect, Petcart, and Woofwoofnow. All of them have one aim: bettering the quality of your pet’s life. 

This Valentine’s Day, we suggest you do something special for the pet who loves you so unquestioningly and unreservedly. These petcare startups will show you the way: 

Wagr

Meet India’s first smart location and fitness tracker for your dog. Founded by Siddharth Darbha, Advaith Mohan, and Ajith Kochery, Wagr’s technology lets you know as soon as your dog gets lost and allows you to find him or her immediately. The founders say it beats microchips and RFID tags hands down, and will ensure that your pet never gets lost. The tracker is priced at Rs 6,999, and you also need to buy a monthly subscription plan of Rs 99 for using the SIM card that powers the tracker. 

Dogsee Chew

Bengaluru-based Dogsee Chew is India’s leading dog food brand and offers grain-free dog treats. The company, founded by Bhupendra Khanal, sources the Dogsee Chew products from Himalayan peaks. These treats are made out of hardened yak milk cheese handcrafted by residents of around 150 villages in Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling. The Dogsee Crunch treats “come from farms and orchards”. All treats are free of grain and gluten, and harmful ingredients such as additives, preservatives, and chemicals. Prices start at Rs 199 and the products can be bought online. 

Heads up for tails

Founded by Rashi Narang in 2008, Heads Up For Tails is synonymous with pet couture in India. The startup is growing at a record of 30 percent year on year, and clocks in an average of 1,000 monthly customers. What does it do? It offers upscale, aesthetically designed products, including beds, apparel, collars, accessories, toys, grooming products, and treats. It is focusing on pet gifting for Valentine's Day, and the offerings include bow ties, bandanas, collars, and heart-shaped knot ropes. 

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Glenands

This third-generation family business started life as an exclusive dog biscuit manufacturing unit in the year 1937. Now, apart from dog biscuits, the Bengaluru-based company offers a range of products in their pet stores, including leashes, beds, brushes, accessories, treats, and more. The pet-focused brand also runs an exclusive pet grooming centre at the Indiranagar store. Apart from dogs, products are available for cats, hamsters, birds, fish, and turtles.

DoggieTheApp

This platform connects various service providers with pet parents. Founded by Amit Verma, it also has another product, VETolution, a vet clinic management platform. “It is just like Practo Ray, but for vets,” Amit says. After the app is downloaded, the pet parent’s profile is created in the backend to reduce the on-boarding time. This helps parents to book appointments at clinics, view prescription, buy pet food, and avail of other services. 

Collarfolk

This Delhi-based startup was founded in 2016 by Rukmini Vaish, a pet parent familiar with the challenges of taking pets on holidays and vacations. CollarFolk, started with an investment of Rs 10 lakh, facilitates holiday planning and bookings for people keen to travel with their pets. Apart from rounding up pet-friendly resorts, hotels, and destinations, it also offers pet-friendly taxi services. 

PetCart

Founded by Shekar Gaonkar and Nilendu Maiti in 2016, this startup has divided pet needs into three categories: essentials, health and wellness, and hospitality. In the “essentials” department, it offers services relating to a pet’s daily requirements (food and others) through the ecommerce portal. Under health and wellness, it connects pet parents with veterinarians. For hospitality, it provides services like boarding and lodging, grooming, recreation for pets, celebrations of various occasions, and more. 

Pupkart

Gurugram-based Pupkart aims to be a one-stop destination for all pet parents. Started in August 2013 by Rahul Agarwal and Lokesh Kataria, the online platform is a multibrand retailer of pet food and accessories across categories. So whether you have a dog or a cat, a bird, or a fish, you're sure to find what you - and your pet need - here.

Doggie Dabbas

Looking for doggie treats or meow chow? Doggie Dabbas can help. Founded by Rashee Kuchroo, the startup has one mission:  to provide healthy, customised meals for “man's best friend”. The one-stop shop for pet meals combines the benefits of home-cooked, vacuum-packed food with the convenience of store-bought packaged dog food. It also offers freeze-dried food and customised diet plans that are drawn up based on the age, activity, and lifestyle of your pet. 

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)