We keep cats, dogs and birds out of deep love for animals. These pets roam the whole house, many even share the bedroom, and they become part of the family. But these beloved animals become a problem when we have to leave home. When we must stay away for work or for a long time, looking after them becomes difficult, as it is hard for pets to get through the day without human help. To end this problem, a residential hotel for pets, Farighar, has opened in the capital.

Anyone can leave their pet cat or dog at the country's first specialised hotel of this kind. The founders have arranged accommodation for cats and dogs in a good environment at Farighar, along with music and entertainment for the pets. It costs Tk 500 to Tk 1,500 a day.

With prices soaring and ordinary people struggling, and long queues behind TCB trucks, many may ask whether a residential hotel for cats and dogs is a luxury right now. But Farighar's founder insists the pet hotel is not a luxury but a necessity.

Nuzhat Nabila, Khalid Farhan and Rakibul Haque Emil, founder of PAW Foundation (People for Animal Welfare), have opened the hotel on the Zoo Road in Mirpur, Dhaka. Anyone going to the office, to hospital or away for a long time can leave their pet at Farighar. Air-conditioning is being installed to beat the heat.

There are refreshments for people who come to leave their pets, including a coffee corner serving vegetarian food and coffee. Pet guardians can also pass the time reading books from the shelf, and pet toys and other supplies can be bought at Farighar.

Architect Rakibul Haque Emil, the owner of Farighar, told Jagonews: "Each of us is involved with animal welfare in one way or another. The idea of Farighar came with animal welfare in mind. Like people, pets need a number of services. For those who like to eat out or watch films, the city has plenty of places and facilities, but there is hardly any arrangement for keeping pets. That is where the idea came from. Through Farighar, animal lovers will get several benefits as well as the animals. When they go out, they can leave their pets here and be free of worry."

Saying more initiatives like Farighar are needed, he said: "Society is gradually changing. We are gradually moving towards civilisation. How civilised we are also depends on how much space there is for animals in society. This is a necessary service, because nobody will spend money leaving their pet here just for fun. There are thousands of animal lovers in the city who have to stay away from home for business or illness. So there is a need for such initiatives for pets. It will increase people's compassion for animals and the number of people keeping pets."

On future plans, he said Farighar has three rooms for dogs, and they want to increase that number, because a cat can be left at home alone with food but a dog cannot stay home alone at all. "We try to establish animal welfare through various social activities, and we want to do more of that. Part of Farighar's income will also be spent on animal welfare."

Farighar in Mirpur has three rooms for dogs and 14 for cats. Each dog room is nine feet long and five feet wide, and cats have separate 16-square-foot cabins. Besides bedding and pillows, the rooms have special toilet arrangements, and a cattery and cushions have also been provided along with special pampering.

Two staff feed the animals on time and look after them. The founders keep watch at all times through CCTV, and owners who leave their pets can also check on them by video call whenever they like. When an animal leaves, its room is cleaned thoroughly. To avoid disease and fights, animals are not brought into contact with one another.

Rakibul Haque Emil said it costs Tk 500 a day to keep a cat and Tk 1,500 for a dog, but the average daily cost falls for longer stays. A cat kept for five days costs Tk 470 a day, for 10 days Tk 450 a day and for 20 days Tk 400 a day. The rate for dogs falls in the same way. However, owners must bring enough food for the whole stay; Farighar does not provide food for the animals.

"We have faced various problems working with animals. We have to face some social problems. People mock us. Many think that feeding a person two meals is human welfare or social welfare. Where people themselves cannot eat, many do not look kindly on a hotel for cats and dogs. But many do not want to understand that this is needed too. Those who leave their animals here do so because they have no other option. It is not a luxury."

In Farighar's cat cabins, cats named Luna, Odis and Mochi lay stretched out. Each cabin has a paper hung up with the cat's name, how long it will stay and what it eats. To leave an animal here, guardians must submit a photocopy or the number of their national identity card and the cat's or dog's vaccination records, and tell staff about any other problems the animal has and how it behaves.

Rakibul Haque Emil said the hotel started operating on 13 February and has had a good response so far. PAW Foundation's Life Care Clinic is also downstairs, so any animal that suddenly falls ill can be treated immediately.

The entrepreneur believes attention must be paid to changing people's attitudes to stop the killing of animals. "Animal cruelty and human violence are linked to each other. Our PAW Foundation is working on this. There is now a new law to stop cruelty to animals. Data on these issues must be used to solve these problems. If people can be steadied socially and we can work on moral progress, I think the abuse of animals will stop."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.