Virtual company will perk up pets
GUILTY workers heading back to the office are signing up their pandemic puppies to pet versions of services like Netflix to keep them company when they leave home.
Streaming service Relaxmydog – nicknamed Petflix – has seen an 18% rise in subscribers over the past six weeks as owners try to help home-alone pooches overcome anxiety, loneliness and boredom.
The service uses the TV screen to take dogs on virtual walks, with the camera often positioned at the exact height of the animal as relaxing music plays.
Relaxmydog founder
Amman Ahmed said:
“Demand is increasing as people go back to the office – especially among owners of pandemic puppies who did not prepare well enough for the reality of pet ownership.”
Gadgets
Spotify and Amazon Prime are also cashing in on the trend by starting to offer playlists and TV shows aimed at pets.
Sales of gadgets including pet cameras and automatic feeders are booming, while dog-walking and kennel firms say they are also seeing an unprecedented demand surge.
The Kennel Club says there was a 168% increase in people searching for puppies for sale on its website from March 2020 to the end of May.
It also revealed a quarter of new owners admitted buying a pup during the pandemic with little research – and most said they considered the pet their “lifeline”.
Debs Webster, owner of Cheshire dog-walking firm Woof Squad, said: “A lot of these dogs are going to have separation anxiety. By the time everyone goes back to work, my client base will probably have doubled.”
Other products flying off shelves include pheromones, fitness trackers and audio devices.