Singapore's posh pets stay in air-conditioned suites and dine on gourmet butcher cuts
SINGAPORE -- It's no secret that people will often go the extra mile for their beloved furkids, and to cater to the growing market, several fancy options have popped up in the city that offer to take pet luxury to the next level.
Take the The Wagington Hotel, for one. The country's first luxury "pet hotel and resort" is located in the exclusive Dempsey area, in a black-and-white colonial-era bungalow.
You May Also Like
The first thing you notice when you step through the doors is that the air is scented.
The hotel’s founder, Estelle Tayler, first came up with the idea when she was looking for a pet hotel to house her English bulldog, Bobo.
(Bobo also happens to be a skateboarder.)
“We wanted to find a place to put Bobo, but there weren’t many clean and hygienic environments to put your dog,” she tells Mashable.
The Wagington goes far and beyond cleanliness and hygiene. Tayler claims she trained in dog psychology with Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan himself, and doesn’t skimp on the comfort: audio systems pipe in easy-listening classics and the entire building is air-conditioned.
For S$195 ($141) a night, your pooch can stay in the hotel’s most luxurious Royal Suite, which features a queen-sized bed, chandelier and even a flat-screen TV.
“Usually customers who pay for that room want to pamper their pets for a few days,” says Tayler.
At birthday parties, humans enjoy canapes while doggie guests chow down on risotto.
For more moderate owners, there are the superior and junior suites, suitable for large and small dogs respectively. Cats get to enjoy the newly launched Purrfection Suites, where cabins go for S$36 ($26) a night, up to the Royal Feline Suite at S$89 ($65) a night.
On top of the plush accommodation, the hotel also boasts a bone-shaped pool, where dogs are able to take a swim (for a price, unless you’re staying in the Royal Suite), and indulge in a shower and blow-dry after.
Pet parents can even book out the pool for a birthday party, where the humans get to enjoy canapes while doggie guests chow down on risotto.
Business is flourishing at the facility. Peak season can see it hosting some 40 canine and feline guests, says Tayler.
Only the finest nosh
Across town, another posh pet service is in operation. Anthony Chai, a former crude oil trader, owns a butcher for pets called Fidelis Meats.
It all started when his Scottish terrier Pawee began to get ill from being fed dry food, he explains. He decided to make the switch to feeding her raw food for her health.
“The results were pretty amazing,” he says.
His mind was made up. “I love pets and I think it's more rewarding to do this for dogs than humans.”
He sources meat, such as chicken, from local suppliers, then processes them in-house. All the meats are human and restaurant-grade, but he doesn’t recommend that the owners take a bite themselves; the meat would lack the seasoning that we’re used to, plus bones have been ground into the meat patties for dogs too.
Customers usually put in their orders online, choosing products that range from grass-fed and free-range beef tenderloin -- at S$42 ($30) per kilogram to local quail, at S$30 ($22) for 900 grams.
The butchery is able to create bespoke menus for particular diets.
The butchery is also able to create bespoke menus for cater for pets with particular dietary requirements.
It’s easy to assume that all of Chai’s clients are rich, extravagant pet parents, but he is quick to assure that it’s not the case.
“It’s often by necessity, rather than desire,” he says. According to him, the majority of his customers have dogs with health issues, such as allergies to certain foods, or an inability to properly digest the processed foods that one finds in pet shops.
“A lot of them have tried everything before coming to us.”
Like The Wagington, business is brisk at Fidelis Meats, says Chai.
He hasn’t bothered with marketing or advertising, preferring to rely on word-of-mouth instead. He says this is enough to keep the company busy; he’s already putting in long hours to meet the demand.
“What is most satisfying is seeing the transformation in the animal. Like when you see an obese dog, after the diet you can see its waist, (and) it feels good,” he says.
If there was any doubt that there is a growing segment of owners willing to part with good money for such lush products and services, it seems The Wagington and Fidelis are just the tip of the iceberg.
“If you love your pet and you can spend money on yourself, you can spend it on your pet," says Tayler.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
