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Tag: Pet Tales

  • Pet Tales with MediaCom senior business director Ketan R Karnik

    Pet Tales with MediaCom senior business director Ketan R Karnik

    Pets are a gateway to escape from everyday's stressful life. There is nothing more satisfying and relaxing than coming home to your 'buddy' and spending some quality time with our little furry friends. Executives that have a stressful and strenuous job love to spend some quality time with their pets as and when they can.

    From Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom who has a golden retriever that has more than 11,700 followers on Instagram to Twitter CEO Dick Costolo who keeps bees in his backyard and posts videos of them to his Vine account, it seems that industry executives are not afraid to show off their adorable pet friends.

    In our constant endeavor to bring the most diverse content to our readers, brings to you some stories of our media execs' and their beloved pets.

    Pet Tales, our latest special, captures certain aspects of noted media professionals that are rarely touched upon.

    We highlight how some of India's most successful marketing and media executives unwind and relax with their pets after emptying their creative reservoirs at work.

    Here’s MediaCom senior business director Ketan R Karnik talking about Leo.

    Pet: Dog

    Breed: Great Dane

    Age: 8

    Name: Leo

    What’s your favourite pet movie?

    K9 and War Horse

    What does a typical day with your pet look like?

    My day starts with a morning walk with him, then I feed him and leave for office. When I return he is the first one who welcomes me. After cuddling him for a while only then he allows me to remove my shoes. From then onward till we go to bed he follows me like a shadow. Saturday and Sunday are our days. He is involved in all the activities we do on holiday as a family. Now he is 8+ years old and a senior citizen but still a cute kid for me.         

    What prompted you to have a pet and do you feel having a pet changes your perspective?

    I have always loved animals. Right from my childhood, I wanted to have multiple pets as they are the ones who love you without any expectation. I got Leo eight years ago when a colleague of mine who stays in Kolkata told me one day that he has a puppy and would like to bring him to Mumbai. So, he sent me a photo and I thought he was cute. I brought him to Mumbai through flight and my entire family was unaware about it and so it was a surprise for everyone.

    After a few days, my wife couldn’t handle him as running behind him and taking care was a tiring job. She even suggested dropping him somewhere else, to that I  asked her to have some patience. And after a few months, the patience paid off as he became a family member. In fact, my wife is the one who looks after him very passionately like a kid. And after that we never leashed him in the house, he roams everywhere in the house. He’s very friendly. He being a large breed, we initially thought he won’t be comfortable and will need more space than what houses in Mumbai provide, but he got used to it.

    Even today when I come back home after a tiring day, just seeing him jump makes me feel energetic and charged up. Frankly, you have to take a lot of care of a Great Dane than any local breed because of his sheer size.

    Do you think public places within India are pet-friendly? If not, what can be done to improve this?

    I think we need more pet gardens to open up where pet parents can take their pets for a stroll because in societies or streets you don’t have any place. Even your kids don’t have space to play forget about pets. Also there needs to be more awareness among people about pets. Some societies don’t allow pets at all or treat them in a very different way as they are scared of them.  

    Climatic conditions in India are also not very favourable for breeds like St. Bernard and others. People adopt them as a puppy as they look very cute but they don’t know what they will become once they grow up and so there’s a need to spread awareness of these things. Many dogs even die because of this. So yes, generating awareness is very important.

    What’s been your favourite campaign/ad that involving animals?

    The international Chevrolet Chevvy commercial ad is my favourite.

    Has adoption of strays really increased today because of media and increased awareness?

    I have seen people adopting these stray animals where they have no relation with the animal but seeing them injured or in pain it makes people feel something. In our society and nearby societies there are a few guys who actually take care of stray dogs. One of the guys I know has adopted some 6-7 stray dogs.

    But then again there are people who feed glucose biscuits to these stray dogs every morning which is actually harmful for these animals. So yes, there is a lack of awareness on what to feed these animals. People who feed dogs non-vegetarian foods, they cook it and then they feed them. Even at my home, my mom used to give Leo bones to chew but I reminded her that there is a difference between meat being cooked and serving it raw as the hardness of the bone matters. It can actually harm their windpipe or intestine and your dog can actually die.

  • Pet Tales with Motivator’s Mausumi Kar

    Pet Tales with Motivator’s Mausumi Kar

    Animal Planet is celebrating the bond that humans share with animals through this heartwarming series called ‘Animal Planet Pet Tales’ on the special relationship that India’s top media executives share with their pets. 

    What’s your favourite pet movie?

    It is difficult to pick one but if I had to, then I would go with Beethoven – the story of the Newtons and their giant St. Bernard Beethoven. I have spent sixteen years spread between two of these gentle giants. Hugging a St. Bernard is soul satisfying; living with one is a lesson in family bonding.

    What does a typical day with your pet look like?

    There hasn’t been a typical day with any of my boys in the last so many years. Let me tell you some things that happen every day with my two boxer boys. Life begins at six in the morning when you have to cajole, push and struggle to get them out of bed, not their beds but my bed. They go for their walks and they are pretty well-behaved in that department. I meet them next when I leave home for office and the lost-boys-sad faces they make is heart wrenching. Coming home is a joy! Whether I meet them after a gap of ten minutes or ten hours, they greet me with jumps and licks on my face like we are some long lost friends. In fact, they compete with each other to see who can give me more slurpy licks. I feel like an ice-cream cone each day. Then it is treat-time with mommy. We give them the same treat but Gobbet the slightly bigger of the two hoards both their treats under his belly. Niret then walks up to me to complain with these lovely sounding yelps seeking intervention. A proper admonishment later Gobbet understands the merit of sharing. This happens every day! Then it is time for very intense playtime. It is too insane for me. It’s mostly with their dad or amongst themselves sans or with toys. Evening walks and dinner times are not note-worthy. The day ends with my husband and me struggling to preserve some space for ourselves at the two ends of our king-size bed and retaining at least a pillow each and some portions of our duvets. The rest belongs to Niret and Gobbet to do as they please.

    FULL COVERAGE: ANIMAL PLANET PET TALES

     

    What prompted you to have a pet? Do you feel having a pet changes your perspective?

    I have grown up with pets and animals. At different points of time, we have provided homes to an interesting assortment of animals – dogs, parrots, pigs, chicken and cows! I have heard stories about this German Shepherd Laika that my parents had at the time I was born. Apparently, she stood guard by me whenever any outsider was around. Once as my nanny took me for an outing in my pram, she met a friend. They lost track of time as they chatted and continued to walk beyond the regular route into some unknown not so dog friendly neighbourhood at quite some distance. Laika never left her side. A search party had to be sent out to get all of us back. Fact is, it was the stretch between the time I left home for hostel after Class X for furthering my studies till the time I got married that I have not cohabited with a pet.

    Living with a pet or any animal for that matter changes one’s world view. You become more responsible and adaptable. My husband and I made major decisions around our boys. You would have understood by now that my dogs have been my children. We decided to buy an independent bungalow and not a flat, our first air-conditioner came home with our first St. Bernard, and our choice of vehicle purchase has always revolved around whether the seating arrangement allowed enough flexibility to comfortably fit two large dogs. We used to travel with two St. Bernards at a point in time! I have an elaborate arrangement of full-time housekeeper and driver just so that the needs of my boys are managed adequately. Above all you just start savouring the simple joys of life.

    Do you think public places within India are pet-friendly? If not, what can be done to improve this?

    We have a long way to go before public places in India become pet-friendly. In Europe, pets travel with their family in tubes and trains, are allowed into shopping malls and food joints, there is an abundance of pet-friendly hotels, the only caveat being one of responsible ownership. In India it is often a struggle to even take dogs out for walks. There are some cities in India which are more pet-friendly than others but the scope for improvement is immense even there. For starters, there needs to be responsibility from the owners’ side in public places where pets should always be on leash and need to clean up after their pets. Irresponsible ownership is one of the key reasons that public places are not pet-friendly. As a small first step, open spaces and parks could be made open to pets.

    What’s been your favourite campaign/ad that involving animals?

    Unequivocally, the Hutch campaign with the little boy and the pug. “You and I in this beautiful world”, is the perfect expression of co-existence.

    Has adoption of strays really increased today because of media and increased awareness?

    There is certainly increased awareness in media about strays in general and stray adoption in particular. My husband and I have been associated with Friendicose for a while now, since we adopted a St. Bernard. There is increased incidence of abandoning of pets even pure-breeds adding to the already growing population of strays. I am impressed with what Ratan Tata has done for strays by welcoming them to Bombay House. My former boss Lynn D’Souza works a lot with animals in Goa. Adopting a stray is admirable. If more people of the stature of Ratan Tata and Lynn speak out about their experiences and work with strays, it will go a long way towards increasing awareness of stray adoptions. We need to work more towards creating an environment that respects nature and all her creations. Right to space and life is not the exclusive domain of affluent individuals but all life-forms.

  • Pet Tales with Dentsu Aegis’ Ashish Bhasin

    Pet Tales with Dentsu Aegis’ Ashish Bhasin

    What’s your favourite pet movie?

    101 Dalmatians

    What does a typical day with your pet look like?

    Simba is more of my daughter’s pet as she insisted on getting him. When we decided to bring him home, I wasn’t a big pet person and so wasn’t in the favour of it. But over a period of time, he just grew on us. He is up and around when I’m up early in the morning. When I come back in the evening and take off my shoes, he comes up to me and wants me to pet him. He tends to turn on his back and wants me to rub his belly. Whenever I am free, he wants me to throw him a bone or a ball and he goes running to fetch it. He really enjoys free space and when we go to our villa in Lonavala, he loves to play till he is completely exhausted.

    What prompted you to have a pet? Do you feel having a pet changes your perspective?

    I wasn’t prompted but literally forced because of the commitment that I made to my daughter! She is an animal lover and very fond of them. I wasn’t very keen on having a pet but she insisted and forced us all but in hindsight, it turned out to be a brilliant decision and now everybody is very happy and attached to him.

    I do think that having a pet changes your perspective about a lot of things as they become a part of the family. Once you have a pet at home, it’s like having a child that never grows old. In many ways, you have to follow similar principles of parenting where you have to be strict and disciplinary when needed and indulgent and playful as well. It’s pretty much like parenting in that case.

    Do you think public places within India are pet friendly? If not, what can be done to improve this?

    I don’t think a lot of places are that pet friendly in India, and the ones that are, tend to be fairly expensive and upmarket. The old Moshe’s restaurant/cafe had a pet corner where you could have a doggie treat. There is a need for more education and awareness about pets. Most people in Mumbai live in housing societies and they have contradictory points of view where some residents don’t want pets. Besides the public places being friendly, there needs to be more friendliness in the minds of people and a little more acceptance. There also has to be responsibility taken by pet owners to make sure that pets aren’t causing any damage or dirtying public places.

    What’s been your favourite campaign/ad that involving animals?

    All Vodafone ads that involved those little pugs have been my most favourite.

    Has adoption of strays really increased today because of media and increased awareness?

    I think it has marginally increased but it has a long way to go. I am sure a lot more can be done to make sure it increases even further.

  • Pet Tales with Mindshare’s Ruchi Mathur

    Pet Tales with Mindshare’s Ruchi Mathur

    What’s your favorite pet movie?

    I don't really have a favourite pet story as I avoid watching movies involving pets as they are very emotional and they break my heart.

    What does a typical day with your pet look like?

    Having a pet is a non-stop adventure and its like having a baby in the house. The only difference is that the baby grows up after few years but your four legged baby will never grow up and that’s the beauty of it. They are full of energy and right from the moment I get up in the morning, Lego comes up to me to lick and cuddle me. That's the only time when he is lazy and laid back and allows me to cuddle him. The rest of the day, he is hyper active and runs around the house. I love my morning walks with him and its just wonderful to see the way they explore the world. The one rule that I violate completely is feeding them under the table. Every morning when I have my breakfast, he looks at me with him little puppy eyes and I land up feeding him which I hide from my family. At the end of the day, no matter how hard my day has been, it all goes away as soon as I come home to my daughter and Lego.

    What  prompted you to have a pet? Do you feel having a pet changes your perspective?

    I don't think it changes your perspective, but it changes your life! Right from the moment when Lego came to our house 18 months ago to date, life has not been the same. It has been absolutely amazing and I think every person should grow up with an animal around them as it makes them more humble and a better person. When I go to the Vet and see other people with their pets there, its so amazing to see CEOs, Mid level executive or a junior level executive, they are committed to their pets and at that moment, the board meetings, clients, pictures, all takes a back seat. I genuinely feel that those who have pets are better people. Nobody is bound to take time off from their precious Sunday but there are people who park outside the Vet clinic for hours and wait patiently only because they want to make sure that their four legged buddies are doing well.

    Do you think public places within India are pet friendly? If not, what can be done to improve this?

    I am afraid it is not as the tolerance of society towards pet is very low. A little tolerance and understanding with an open mind is needed and to make that happen, the owner is equally on the pet parents. I do not allow Lego to roam around the building without a leash, if he reliefs himself in the building then it is my responsibly to clean that and If I enter the lift and I see someone is uncomfortable with a dog in the lift, I volunteer and take the next lift.

    Where I live, there is extreme resistance to me walking Lego in the building. The society says there are elderly walking and children playing but it is my responsibility and I have successfully managed to prove my point after many many many conflicts with the society. The issues were raised in the board meeting and the society even put up a notice in the building in our name saying that it will not be allowed to walk pets in the building. But I absolutely refused to comply to that and stood my ground. It was a long battle and our laws clearly state that a legal action can be taken against people who harness pets and pet parents. I wish a lot could be done to allow dogs to come to parks and other public places.

    What’s been your favourite campaign/ad that involving animals?

    I will be a little bias here but the VIVO V9 ad where Aamir Khan clicks picture of his dog and cat is one of my most favorite. That is simply because the dog in the ad is Beagle breed and reminds me of Lego.

    Has adoption of strays really increased today because of media and increased awareness?

    I think there is an increased awareness but when I talk to like-minded people and my friends, I still think breed is always a preference. People still don't want to adopt mixed breeds or stay dogs. Yes, there is a lot of awareness about taking care of the environment in which strays are but a lot of room for more.