Thursday, 21 June 2012

Coming a Full Circle

It has been four years since Heads up For Tails (HUFT) was born and even if we could have imagined the twists, turns, shapes and forms that it went through, in the course of these past years we doubt if we could have still kept up!

The founder of HUFT, Rashi has always been surrounded by dogs and cannot remember a time when she did not absolutely love their presence. Even as a child, she spent a lot of times with her furry pets and though she always wanted to (and still does) establish a shelter for abandoned dogs, a business that caters to dogs and their owners was not something she ever planned to do.

After finishing school, Rashi went on to get a degree in business management at the London School of Economics and thereon worked in the corporate sector for a while. But that did not make quite fit her creative temperament. Also, although she had spent time with dogs all her life, it was only after her marriage that Rashi understood the responsibilities of taking care of one’s own dog. Sara, the adorable Labrador taught Rashi what a big responsibility it is to look after a dog. And with this experience, came the realization that the state of pet stores in India is awful.

Dogs are family; dogs are best friends. They are children and companions and so many other things and you do not just want a standard bed or a standard bowl for them, do you? You want them to have beds that they can snuggle in and you want them in the right colour and made of the right material. You want collars that are comfortable and beautiful and you want a thousand other things that are worthy of your little (or huge) ball of fur.

Thus, in the summer of 2008, Heads Up For Tails was born as a small, online business that catered to dogs with a limited range of products. The products were exciting and well-received by the customers but the online store presented limited opportunities for growth since e-commerce was not as popular back then as it is now. So HUFT got itself a cozy kiosk at Select City Walk Mall in Saket, New Delhi and here, we began to grow. In an almost vertical learning-incline (believe me, we cannot call it a curve when the learning is THAT steep!), HUFT understood merchandising, product development, marketing and a thousand other things that go into making a business work for its customers.
Over the years, HUFT has continued to stride ahead in developing products that have been loved and appreciated. For that too, HUFT is thankful to its customers who have come to our store and then come back again, repeatedly so that the business is now secondary to the relationships that we have built with people and their adorable pets. Now, after four years of 16 hours-a-day shifts, chasing seemingly impossible deadlines and to-do lists that never seem to end, Rashi’s ideas are beginning to come together in a beautiful circle. Difficult though the work has been, it has also been rewarding and enriching and at HUFT, we do sincerely wish there were more hours to the day so that we could get more done!

HUFT is a small yet strong business that has its roots firmly planted in its excellent knowledge about and passion for products that cater to dogs. In this near future, HUFT is returning to its original business plan of an online store where you, the customer can browse through an incredible variety of products for your beloved pet.
We warmly welcome you to our online portal and promise that our products combined with your love, will keep your pooch’s tail always wagging! 

Friday, 1 June 2012

Sasha's story by Rashi Sanon Narang

A few months ago, my car almost hit a tiny puppy who zipped across the road. Luckily, she escaped unhurt. To be double sure, I picked her up, and took her to a vet to be examined. After getting a green signal that all was well, I just didn't have the heart to leave her back on the road.
She was dirty, smelly and infested with fleas. I took her home, cleaned her up, and after a meal of warm milk- she settled on to my lap and slept!
We named her Sasha.

Sasha was absolutely adorable and everyone who saw her fell in love with her! She had these sparkling eyes like buttons, and was a feisty and playful little thing with a mind of her own.
Unfortunately, I couldn't keep her and we had to find a home for her.

After several calls and messages to friends and family, Tandrali Kuli from Friendicoes found a foster home until we were able to find a permanent home for Sasha.
We sent Sasha to Neetu Aggarwal in Gurgaon.

Within a few weeks, Neetu fell totally in love with Sasha and decided to keep her :)

We just heard from Neetu recently. Sasha is all grown up- pretty, strong, cuddly and the best pet ever!
Here are some of her recent photos:


Cuddle time with her family!
Sleep time!
Pretty pretty Sasha!

I'd like to thank Neetu for opening her heart and home for an Indian Dog. They do make fabulous pets, and I hope that she will inspire you to maybe adopt one too! Also, a big thank you to Tandrali for working tirelessly to find homes for homeless pets. I'd also like to thank my friend- Tanya Lugani, and my cousin- Anita Chopra, both for keeping Sasha at their homes while we found a home for her!


Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Why it's Great to be a dog!

1. If it itches, you can reach it! And no one will be offended if you scratch in public.
2. No one notices if you have hair growing in weird places as you grow older!
3. Personal hygiene is a blast: you are not expected to take a bath everyday, or even comb your own hair!
4. No one gets upset if you fall asleep while they're talking!
5. You can sleep late everyday.
6. You never get into trouble for putting your head on a stranger's lap!
7. You don't have to worry about good table manners!
8. If you gain weight, it's someone else's fault.
9. A garbage can is a fast food stop!
10. Having a wet nose is considered a sign of good health!
11. Who needs a big home entertainment system? A bone or old shoe can entertain for hours!
12. It doesn't take much to make you happy! You're excited to see the same people. They just have to leave the room for 5 minutes and come back!
13. You can spend hours smelling stuff
14. No one ever expects you to pay for lunch or dinner!
15. You get your parents to shop at Heads Up For Tails and then enjoy all of HUFT's awesome creations!

Sunday, 29 April 2012

Sara says Hello!

For all of our new friends and customers, who haven't been introduced to Sara ( the inspiration behind Heads Up For Tails), below is an introduction to the world's most special dog!

Please do click on Sara's photo below to know more about her!

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Hello!

Hey Guys, Haven't written here for a long time! There has been so much going on- new projects, new products.. lots to learn and do! But we do promise to write in much more regularly starting NOW. Do keep visiting back. Wags and Woofs XXX

Monday, 27 June 2011

'My experience of fostering' by Rashi Sanon Narang


I was newly married and had just moved to New York in 2006 where my husband, Samarth was settled. New York was bustling with things to do and was an exciting melting pot of cultures, people, languages and food from around the world! However, no work visa and Samarth’s long work hours meant that I was by myself all day! I missed pets, having grown up with them and begged Samarth to get me a dog. While not much of a 'dog person', Samarth was open to the idea but pointed out that with our extensive travelling, it would be very difficult and expensive to find places to leave the pet. We also had no help at home- which meant that I would be bound in terms of being at home every few hours to walk and feed the dog. So, sadly I dropped the idea.

New York is a very pet friendly city- and there are hundreds and thousands of dogs there! I often came across postings on websites for fostering and adopting pets. This entire concept was quite alien to me- I had always been taught that if you want a dog- you must always get one as a puppy as older dogs can never take well to new people. However, I decided to help out a lady named Linda, who ran her own little Animal shelter from her house in Manhattan and worked with the kill shelters. In many shelters in the USA- pets they are given about 2 weeks time to be adopted or fostered, and if not- are euthanized. Linda tried desperately to find foster homes for these heart broken abandoned dogs- so that they had a better chances of survival.

I did some research and realized that Fostering provides a ‘stepping stone’ for animals in search of permanent homes, saves lives, alleviates the strain on animal shelters, and helps set the stage for successful adoptions. Besides, I could have a pet for a short duration.
I spoke with Samarth and we decided to give it a try. That evening I went to the shelter to get my first foster dog home. The authorities handed me a tiny 5 year old Miniature Pinscher named 'Chiko'. His family had abandoned the little guy as his bark was too loud. Yes that’s right- heartless, cruel people. He was very frightened and was shivering when I picked him up into my arms. I think he had been abused too- because he was petrified of big men around, and would crouch and shiver everytime he saw one.

We took Chiko home- he was scared all night, and I tried to keep him warm and get used to his new surroundings. I took him for a walk the next morning- and oh yes- the tiny little dog had a big, loud bark! He barked everytime he saw another dog, and everyone would turn to see ! However, New Yorkers are very nice, friendly people and lots of people would stop me on the way and advise on how to get him 'socialised', and reduce his anxiety, and soon everyone knew Chiko!

Chiko was absolutely adorable- he was playful, friendly and very loving. He was a bit scared of Samarth initially- like he was of most men, but the two of them bonded very quickly. It was great to see them together, and to see Samarth's transformation into a complete dog Lover!
He would love to cuddle next to us, go for long walks to Central Park, take nice long afternoon naps, play ball in our tiny living room and was a great companion.
With Linda’s help- we set up viewings for families to come and see him for possible adoption. But he’d always sense something and go hide under the table and refuse to come out!

One evening- I was really upset about something. I sat hugging my knees- and put my head down and cried. At the first sound- Chiko came running in, gently put his two paws on me- and gave me the sweetest dog hug ever. That moment was so special- when I looked up right into his eyes- they were big, full of concern and love! Chiko and I spent great number of hours together and built a deep friendship! After 4 weeks- a lovely lady and her little son adopted Chiko and now he lives happily ever after with him! I was so sad to let him go- but Samarth and I were scheduled to travel the next week, and I was happy that he had found a forever home with a lovely family.

Chiko taught me a some very important lessons: Never be afraid to love and trust again, Be willing to forgive and never loose hope in miracles of the world!

The entire fostering experience was enriching and very heart warming, and I hope that my experience will inspire some families to open up their hearts and homes to homeless, abandoned pets. Ofcourse, fostering comes with its challenges too- it takes patience, time and commitment to heal a pet’s broken heart- to regain trust, and to bring back their doggie spirit.

And yes- I did foster again. Will share that with you next time!

Monday, 20 June 2011

Rainwear by HUFT!

                                                                                   
It's raining cats and dogs, and the monsoons are an
absolute nightmare to walk the dogs.
Heads Up for Tails presents pet owners with doggie raincoats that are very easy to put on! Take an umbrella for yourself and let your pet be nicely protected with our range of fun and stylish rainwear the next time you need to walk them in the rain!



Choose between top cover and full cover rainwear, along with matching shoes!