Each and every Dog (including strays) in Pune, India has all the reason to rejoice. For one they can enjoy all the comforts of a chauffeur driven car and be conveniently ferried to and fro between different destinations. The master minds behind this novel and noble idea are Priya Kailad and her spouse Aditya Makharia. Petxi a taxi service for dogs has transpired into a tangible precedent and aims to extend to other big cities as well.

Priya Kailad is an animal welfare advocator and doesn’t let any opportunity go by to serve animals in distress.  The episode of nursing twelve puppies disposed of in the couple’s office’s parking lot six months ago and later transporting them from one place to another in an attempt to find them a loving forever home led the couple to conceive the whole idea revolving around taxis for dogs. According to Aditya the whole process of relocating the puppies was quite a cumbersome and expensive affair. Aditya has been involved in a taxi business for donkey’s years, though only catering to humans until the realization that modes of transport need to be made available solely for dogs too.

In a discussion with Huffington Post India, Aditya informed that two cars from their fleet of cabs were converted to dog-friendly taxis. One deployed especially to serve strays and the other car can be hired by pet custodians. Together Petxi provides joy rides, the usual cab rides, vet visits, airport transfers and rescue services for dogs. You can use WhatsApp or Facebook messenger to book a Petxi.
There’s more to this than meets the eye! These cabs come fitted with a GPS system enabling pet guardians to track the exact location of the car thereby updating them with their pets’ whereabouts. Along with this concerned parents (that aren’t travelling with the canines) can keep a tab on the speed at which the car’s being driven using their smart-phones.
In a conversation with Huffington Post, Priya highlighted that pets are very emotional and how their overall comfort was the top priority of Petxi, giving them a stress-free experience. She further added that their cab drivers were instructed to constantly talk to the dogs to soothe them along with making them feel they are in safe hands.  Instead of the obvious back seats, you will find comfy cushions to conveniently seat four-legged clients. Also each of the cars comes with a first-aid kit to seamlessly tackle an emergency situation.
Priya and Aditya admit that they want to add a new dimension to Animal Welfare with their taxi services and have partnered with various animal welfare organizations in Pune, often informing these groups of canine casualties. According to Aditya their company offers subsidized taxi services for transporting animals for sterilizations. Rescue services function on a no-profit-no-loss method. However house pets can avail this comfortable carriage at special rates and packages depending upon the total number of hours and distance involved in making the journey. Their humans can surely accompany them at no additional tariff.

News: www.onegreenplanet.org
Images: ScoopWhoop