Say woof to pet-friendly homes

BANGALORE: Geeta Prem felt hemmed in at the earlier apartment complex where she lived. With a strict no-no on walking her dog within the enclave, the homemaker had to take it outside. The guilt of restricting her pug Brownie's freedom rankled her.
Not anymore. It's been tail-wagging days for Brownie and much relief for Geeta after they moved to Adarsh Palm Meadows in Whitefield."Here I can freely let my pug around," she says. There are just a few rules to follow. The dog poo has to be carried home in a cover and disposed of. "It cannot be thrown in places where residents have access," Geeta adds. Besides, pets must be kept on the leash to ensure they don't cause nuisance in public, or else owners have to cough up a fine.
Things are indeed changing for pet owners nowadays. 'If a dog is man's best friend, a villament is a dog's best friend,' reads the homepage of Habitat Ventures, a city-based developer, announcing that they have 'pet-friendly' homes on offer. The developer offers a private garden and pet access to a community garden at their apartments and villaments in Whitefield in the hope of attracting pet owners.
Real estate developers have realized the importance of catering to a niche group that is willing to go to any extent to keep their pets with them. "There are a lot of DINK (double income no kids) couples, for whom pets form part of their support system. This is why developers have started using pets as a marketing tool," says Prashanth Sambargi, a partner at property consultants Mars Realty.
And the amenities they offer are sure to keep both master and pet happy. Purva Skywood in HSR Sector 2, being developed by Puravankara Projects, offers its residents a dedicated pet park with sand banks and a pet play area. Shobha Suburbia in Jakkur offers a private garden that can be used by pets.
"There are some modern home designs (mostly villaments and villas) which are appealing to pet owners and they decide to go ahead with it. Some of our acquaintances in apartments, however, still crib of amenities not being good-enough," says Anand Vishwanath, founder of Anvis Inc, India's first integrated pet management company.