Ever since the pandemic changed the state of normalcy in everyday activities, one of the adverse impacts it has had is on pet dogs. Pet abandonment cases have increased and reports suggest that people are unsure about taking their pets to pet-friendly restaurants they once frequented. Bengaluru is home to several pet-friendly restaurants; however, there is one restaurant dedicated solely for animals. Spread across 7,200 sq ft in Whitefield with outdoor seating, swimming pool and trampoline for dogs is TherPUP.
The pandemic and its fallout has reduced footfall drastically, says Ankur Jain, the 29-year-old owner of TherPUP. A techie who has worked with Flipkart and Quikr, Ankur says his life was monotonous. He then decided to start the cafe as he has been a dog lover since childhood. “We used to have so many people coming here. Before the pandemic, around 4,000 people used to visit us every month but now we have only 300 people coming in,” Ankur adds.
Unlike most restaurants in Bengaluru that offered delivery and takeout services, TherPUP’s business model was based on customers bringing their pets in and also people simply coming here to enjoy the company of the 12 dogs who live at the dog cafe. The joy of a visit to TherPUP included dogs and puppies running around the lawn, playing on the trampoline or swimming in the pool dedicated for dogs alone. The restaurant, which serves fast food, also has a menu exclusively for dogs.
“We couldn’t depend on takeout and home delivery. From March 24 to May 18, we were shut completely and were operating on reserve funds,” Ankur says. He adds that Zomato, the popular food delivery app, lent a hand, which helped the cafe remain open despite turbulent times.
Ankur applied for the fund that Zomato started to help startup restaurants stay afloat due to the massive losses incurred by the industry due to the pandemic. “Luckily we’ve had an amazing relationship with Zomato since we opened in 2017. We got some funding from there. Our staff, who are trained to handle dogs, offered to work for less pay and our landlord reduced the rent. We’ve been staying afloat with the help of everyone involved at TherPUP,” Ankur adds.
Besides being a place where one can enjoy the company of dogs and their love, Ankur has tied up with Bangalore Opts to Adopt, a dog rescue and adoption NGO. The 12 dogs at TherPUP are all rescues that were adopted and Ankur says that he wants to help as many dogs find good homes. “We help rescued dogs find homes. Bangalore Opts to Adopt finds these abandoned animals and provides medical aid. We help these dogs find homes. We have helped around 20 to 30 dogs find permanent homes,” Ankur says.
Due to the pandemic enforced physical distancing, TherPUP has had to limit entry to only 30 people at a time in order to ensure they adhere to protocol. Temperature checks are conducted upon entry while each seating area has hand sanitisers. This has also resulted in a dip in business.
In order to cope with the change and stay afloat, Ankur has started a dog training programme and a dog day care centre for pet parents who go to office to work.
“Before the pandemic, 70% of the people who came here did not have pets. Now it is the opposite. About 70% of people who visit us now are pet parents, as many restaurants are not allowing pets due to the stigma associated with dogs ever since the pandemic started. But we’re trying to stay afloat. We also advise people who reach out to us about getting a dog, we explain the responsibility that comes with it. We see many people adopting dogs only to abandon them later, and we’re trying to make sure this doesn’t happen. If people find it hard to maintain pets throughout the day, there should be alternatives like day care, where the pets are taken care of,” Ankur adds.
