It's a dog business!

Until a few years back even if you were interested in keeping a pet it was next to impossible to find the breed that you were looking for. And even if you did manage to buy a pet for yourself the other major problem was in getting the necessary pet food and accessories. However, in the recent past one can locate a pet shop selling various items or a kennel selling different breeds of dogs and at times other animals too on literally every street in Kathmandu.

In fact, the pet industry has become one of the most profitable businesses in Nepal. As the appeal for keeping pets has increased in Kathmandu valley, the industry has a fairly good turnout despite the pandemic. So what is it about the recession-proof industry?

According to Suresh Shah, Proprietor of Mt Everest Kennel Club, “The pet industry is doing pretty well all over the world in spite of the economic downturn due to the pandemic. During the lockdown, the demand for dogs increased since everyone had to stay home.”

“Those people who wanted dogs but couldn’t have one due to their busy schedules finally had the opportunity to get one. They started getting more interested in dogs and how to take care of them,” Shah says. He adds that as millennials and Generation Z have come into adulthood, they have embraced the pet-owning lifestyle to a far greater extent compared to the older generation.

Meanwhile, Rohan Lama, Proprietor of Ajima Pet House, says, “The most popular breeds in Kathmandu are Japanese Spitz, German Shepherd, Labrador, Boxer, and Pug. While the price of the dogs depends on the quality of the breed, the cheapest can be found from anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000. And some exclusive breeds such as Husky can range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 which varies on the color of their coats and eyes.”

With the rise in pet ownership, demand for products such as dog food, dog treat, pet accessories, grooming products, and veterinary care has also increased. “Dog food is one of the most sold products along with accessories like collars, leashes, and kennels. Local people, as well as foreigners, come to buy dog food for either their own pet or to feed stray dogs,” Lama informs, adding, “People mostly buy the brand that they are familiar with like Gemon, Simba and Focus.”

As people love to see their furry friends dressed up in cute clothes and accessories, a lot of local businesses dedicated to pet accessories and products have also started gaining popularity. KHICHA, an online clothing brand for pets, which only started right after the first lockdown has almost 2,000 customers to date. “We used to make all our products locally but later due to the high number of orders, we started taking help from our local vendors for stitching and other processes,” mentioned Pranai Manandhar, owner of the brand.

Lately, they have also been selling customised name tags for pets. The price range for their products is from Rs 400 to Rs 1,400. “The business did really well during the winter since more people tend to buy warm clothing for their pets in the cold season. We had actually started this business of clothing as a smaller part of our venture,” said Manandhar.

Although the pet industry seems like a pretty stable industry, it still has not reached its peak in Nepal. When we talk about pets, we usually just think about dogs or cats. Shah adds, “The pet industry in Nepal only includes dogs and cats because the government has not included other animals to be considered as domestic pets. We can see that in other parts of the world people keep a variety of animals as pets, however, in Nepal, it is illegal to sell other animals such as birds for the purpose of keeping pets.”

Shah further mentions that these days importing dogs too has become a big hassle with all the requirements imposed by the concerned authorities. “I feel Nepal is one of the most suitable countries for any kind of breeding. In India, dogs such as pugs, bulldogs, and various other breeds do not have a suitable environment which makes the breeding process difficult,” he shares.

For instance, the English bulldog, which is one of the most expensive dogs whose price range starts from around Rs 120,000, can easily be bred in Nepal than in India, Shah informs. “If the government understood more about this industry in terms of business, we could make a lot of profit if we started exporting animals to our neighboring countries only. So, I see Nepal as a very profitable country in terms of breeding which can further boost the pet industry,” he states.