A 45 cottah pet facility has opened in New Town combining a pet clinic, dog creche and burial ground.

The Pet Dog Creche And Clinic has opened doors in Action Area 3. When approaching from Rabindra Tirtha, cross the Unitech building and take the first right to reach the plot. Ample road signs have been put up to guide visitors.

Once there, the gates open to a cosy park for pets, 11 rooms for the creche and an office building where the vet sits. Beyond that is an enclosed space for the cemetery.

“As the township grows, demand for certain services is growing alongside. Many elderly residents get lonely as their children move out of the city and pets are a great way to stay engaged with,” said Debashis Sen, chairman of New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) that has built the facility.

NKDA has had this project on the anvil for a while and had floated tenders twice but no party came forward. “Everyone considered this to be a risky proposition so we decided to go ahead ourselves. We are not thinking of profit but are sure we’ll be successful,” added Sen.

NKDA had thought about building a pet crematorium but learnt from experts that the electric furnace has to be switched on four to five hours before it can be used. “The process is quick at human crematoriums as bodies come in round the clock and so the furnace is always burning. But it will not be feasible for a single pet,” explained Sen.

About half of the entire plot has been earmarked for the burial ground and 500 pets can be buried there. They shall also maintain a digital archive of sorts whereby a montage of the pet’s photographs could be played on a screen on his birthdays, in case the family wants to pay a visit then.

The creche, meant only for dogs, has rooms of 8ft x 5ft dimensions. One side of these rooms has grilles and overlooks a small park where the dogs would be taken to play. The rooms have an exhaust fan for ventilation, a tap and drainage system and staff would clean up whenever the dogs relieve themselves.

“I used to live in the US and my Shih Tzu Coco would stay at creches there. This New Town facility is as good, if not better, than the arrangement in the US,” said Prasenjit Ghosh, a resident of DLH Heights. Coco seemed to like the facility too.

Sujata Paul lives in Shapoorji Pallonji complex but is a native of Tripura. “It becomes so difficult when I go back home for 10-12 days as I don’t know where to keep my Labrador Ziya,” she said. “I usually keep her at a creche near the airport but this facility is much closer and would be more convenient.”

Dignity after life

The clinic will be run by Dr Nurul Islam, a retired government vet, who would has been running a chamber in Baguiati. “I used to get three to four pets from New Town a day; mostly dogs but also cats and rabbits,” said the vet. “As for the creche, the most important aspect is hygiene. Without that, dogs can get ticks or develop skin infections.” The vet will be available from 11am to 2pm Monday to Saturday and his fee will be Rs 150.

The burial charges are Rs 2,500 and creche charges are Rs 750 a day for big dog breeds like Labradors and Rs 500 for smaller breeds like Pugs. A Rs 10,000 security deposit will need to be made for medical contingencies or in case the owner has to extend his stay out of town by a few days.

“The killing of stray dogs at Nilratan Sircar hospital has got us thinking too,” said Sen. “We have a cattle pound in Action Area 1 and are considering opening a dog pound there to vaccinate and sterilise stray dogs. An NGO has been doing this so far but we want to take it over using the services of government vets. A tender will be floated for it soon.”

The park at facility. Saradindu Chaudhury

The entrance to the new facility in New Town. Saradindu Chaudhury

A German Shepherd Dog at the creche. Saradindu Chaudhury

The inauguration was followed by an obedience show by Rancho, a Labrador, conducted by his owner Sandip Bhattacharya. Rancho waited for Bhattacharya’s command before running to his toys and even fetched his wallet when Bhattacharya dropped it during a walk.

Also present at the opening was Shib Shankar Chatterjee, secretary of Calcutta Canine Club, vice president of Calcutta Kennel Club and executive committee member of Kennel Club of India. “This is the first instance of a centre with all-round facilities for dogs in the city. “The cemetery was especially needed as a family wants to lay its beloved pet to rest with dignity. Also, the creche is a great start but I hope they expand it to house 40 to 50 dogs,” he said.

Thakurpukur has a large pet burial space but the distance is arduous to cover from New Town. The vet college in Belgachia is an option closer by as is a plot behind Sector V, run by the NGO Scud Society of Social Communication. “This is a 20 cottah space that opened a year back. About 30 pets have already been buried there,” says Arijit Mukherjee, one of the founders. “However the space is part of the Mollar Bheri dumping ground. Talks are on with Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to extend or shift it elsewhere.”

ABCs of the 3 Cs

Where: New Town Action Area 3 near Unitech

Dog creche

Rs 750 per day for large dog breeds like Labradors

Rs 500 per day for smaller breeds like Pugs

Rs 10,000 security deposit for medical contingencies or in case the pet’s stay has to be extended

Pet cemetery

Rs 2,500 per pet. If owners wish, montage of the pet’s pictures may be screened at the office on his birthdays

Clinic

Monday to Saturday 11am to 2pm; fees Rs 150