If your not-so-attractive Labrador has been long eyeing the next-door mixed breed bitch, it's time you find your pet a date. But with dog dating being an alien concept in India, pet owners have a tough time finding a mate for their four-legged companions. Not any longer, it seems –
, an Indian dog-dating site has made its entry into the market."The idea is to facilitate pet dating by creating an online social network of pet lovers and owners," says Rohan Nishar, the brainchild behind this portal. A free-for-all website, though yet not launched, has already registered over 35 users. "We are looking at pet product advertising to generate revenues," he adds.
Besides matchmaking and networking, the site offers nutritional and health advice for pets.
The surprise element is, not all users are looking for mating partners. There are some like Jesun Rodrigues who is looking for playground companions for his one-and-a-half year old neopolitan Mastiff , Bruno. "Bruno feels very lonely and has no one to play with in our colony," says Jesun. This is where the search option comes in. It helps the user scan various pet listings according to his or her pet's requirements.
One can choose from various listed criteria like dog's breed, bloodline, age, gender and location.
Apart from pasting pictures of furry pets, some dog owners have also explicitly written about their pet's sexual orientation. For instance, Alden Dsouza has "Simba is very horny" pasted on its profile. While Subeer Verma, hunting for mating partners for his Doberman and Daschund, asserts, "This site is an ideal platform for pet owners."
Also, there are many who feel that www.dogsmate.com is one way to eliminate the practice of unscrupulous breeders. "Here you get to chat and message with the dog owner on a one-to-one basis. It's very transparent," says Simran, who wants mates for her three dogs.
Though calling it a great initiative, veterinary surgeon Rajesh Kapuria, however, sounds a word of caution: "Dog owners should be wary of in breeding and must check the pedigree before taking the plunge."
Otherwise, the pooches are wagging and woofing like never before.
