Dog's Day Out

Some people dream and some live their dreams. This is the story of how Preeti Sood made her dream come true.

- Rimme Dirchi

The PoochMate journey began one wintery day in 2014, when 37-year-old Preeti Sood decided to take the big leap of faith and give up her banking career. “I wanted to follow my passion of doing something good for dogs,” she laughs when asked. A pet lover all her life, the idea of PoochMate came to her after few personal bad experiences and accounts of mishap from friends at regular pet spas and veterinary clinics who were not equipped to handle non-medical needs of dogs.

The idea seemed so bizarre that her parents were concerned. “I had to convince them that if it did not work, I would go back to banking,” she says. The long years of working with the bank allowed Sood to take a sabbatical for a few months; which was her way of having a cushion if things didn’t work. To make sure she got things right, Sood went to London to pursue a short-term dog grooming course. She knew she was on the right track once she was back.

She set up shop in Sainik farms, a part of Delhi, where several homes have dogs for pets. Some have more than one to boot; and PoochMate finds itself safely lodged amid the humdrum of a human marketplace. Sood acknowledges the lack of proper business understanding when she started off, but the location helped. “It was initially very confusing as I did not have much figured out. But, the location helped a lot in my business,” she recalls.

Today, PoochMate Spa works on an appointment basis, though walk-ins do happen, but in three years, the amazing work offered at PoochMate has made it a well known address for dog lovers to take their pets for a well deserved grooming session. Serious pet lovers swear by the experience their pets have received and express happiness about this unique facility.

Teething trouble