Strays may lead a dog's life in Cairo, but others live in the lap of luxury, Dena Rashed checks a deluxe pet hotel Three-month-old Lucy is not paying attention to the cartoon series that is played on the small TV. She only enjoys playing with Duke, the bull dog. Lucy and Duke are the only two residents of the air- conditioned room that hosts mini-beds and is decorated with pictures of dogs of different breeds and sizes. While Lucy is a baladi (hybrid) dog -- one of many available in the streets of Cairo -- she still manages to bond with her pedigree friend, yet she outsmarts him in many ways. Both their owners are away, yet they don't seem to mind, being in the care of one of Cairo's most chic residences for dogs. These vacation spots, that have been sprouting up in the city are designed to accommodate dogs whose owners have gone away, usually for a weekend or sometimes for a longer vacation. Knowing that every pet will miss its owner, Ashraf Selim, the facility's manager, describes their tactics to overcome such "dog days". "The psychological condition of the pet is very important to us," said Selim. "We try to provide them with a place similar to home, and also it is important that the handlers we train like dogs." When Lucy started getting too excited, Selim showed her her owner's Timberland slipper to play with. Waiting to grab it Lucy finally sits still, lifts her ears up and obeys Selim's orders. Beyond the playroom stretches a ten-acre landscaped property that allows pet-owners to choose an in-door location or a room with a view. Selim explained that for dogs that are used to staying in a garden, they have a special kennel with a view of the garden, while others stay in the main room which has many small kennels. The indoor facilities have an air-condition and an air purifier. Painted in a crimson colour, the kennels are full of dogs of different breeds, all wagging their tails and willing to play. Although there aren't many pet hotels in the city, the ones that exist are proving to be lucrative businesses, but mainly for those who have a passion for pets in the first place. "This place started as a hobby for me and I have always been into training and exporting dogs. I established an association for hosting dogs, so it was not a difficult process," said the owner of the facility, who preferred to withhold his name. The owner was sceptical of the reasons for the interview. Although pet hotels are not a new idea -- the first was developed in the Al-Shaab public hospital for pets years ago -- the more luxurious ones, like this deluxe hotel, are scrutinised by the media. In developing countries, many seem to think pets are getting better services than humans. "I am aware of the criticism that people direct to our facility and similar ones, but I am not bothered because these comments come from people who don't understand or appreciate the value of dogs," said the owner. Although with the current campaign against killing stray dogs, he believes there is generally a good attitude towards pets in Egypt, "people do care in many ways about pets, but there needs to be more awareness. In a developing country, all issues need to be tackled at the same time." The owner, who was accompanied everywhere by his daughter's tiny Yorkshire called Biscuit, was rather upset by a different matter. "Some people get pets but they underestimate the effort and time needed to care for them, especially children who play with them but are not responsible enough to feed or clean them. I hope that before people buy pets, they know what they are getting themselves into," he opined. The rates for accommodating or training the dogs are what get the most attention. They were not available for Al-Ahram Weekly, however pet hotels in general range from LE30 to LE80 per day, while professional training for 21 days could cost LE3,000 to LE4,000. Nevertheless, it is definitely not an easy job, to train and handle dogs of all breeds. "We have basic and advanced obedience classes and protection ones, all according to European standards. Training police dogs is also part of the services we provide," said Selim. While different dogs paraded and showed off their discipline in the garden, the most interesting of all was Biscuit, who after hearing "Behave" from her owner was "all ears". At the facility, there is a strict selection criteria for residents. "We don't allow aggressive dogs, or unclean ones, because we fear for the handlers and for the other pets around." Selim also pointed out that all dogs should be vaccinated first and checked over during their welcome walk, once they enter the facility. The handlers, in similar uniforms, take the dogs for one of their four daily walks from time to time, and return them back to their kennels, where they are fed and groomed. The owner is very proud of his staff. "I am originally from Upper Egypt, and when I started my project, I brought along people from my town. They had to have an interest in pets in the first place, but they knew nothing else about training or handling dogs," he said. "They have taken courses from European instructors and every year the best handler is awarded free English or French lessons. My real investment is in my people." To give back to society, the owner has also developed centres to provide jobs for the unemployed all around the country. While there are other new facilities opening, competition for the owner does not mean less business. "The more competition, the better since the idea that makes such a business succeed is the quality provided, and there is always room for improvement," he said. "Owners have a good look around before leaving their pets, they see how their dogs behave around the handlers, and they sometimes pop in to check on their dogs. They are usually sceptical too before they check in their dogs. They treat their pets like their children, if you have children, wouldn't you search for the right school for them?"
