It’s not often you see pet lovers coming to a café and have fun with their paw pals. So, when members of Barkathon decided to get together and spend some quality time with each other recently at a café in the city, it turned out to be a memorable affair. Not only did the pet parents bond with like-minded people, but their dogs too had a gala time mingling with others of their ilk. Barkathon is a group of animal lovers that take their pets for outings and helps them socialize. Some of the activities include swimming, trek, movie screening or even birthday parties.Manoj Krishnakumar, the brainchild of Barkathon tells us, “It all started one night when I had returned home late from work and saw all my dogs waiting for me. They were so inviting even at the unearthly hour. So, I took them out for a walk and I found that they thoroughly enjoyed the outing. This became a regular drill. I then decided to ask my like-minded friends if they would be interested in an outing with dogs. A small group of four friends went to Anaikatti. It was an exhilarating experience. When the pictures of the outing were shared, many pet lovers wished to join us. That’s when we decided to form a group and call it Barkathon. We didn’t want to collect any registration amount and wanted to run it as a non-commercial affair. But, I as the organizer couldn’t afford the entire cost of these outings. So, we came up with the idea of potluck. Everyone would bring food for themselves and their pets. We made our second visit to Anaikatti, but this time as a larger group. Soon, people in the group started inviting others to their places, especially farmhouses. Now, whenever we feel like taking our dogs out, we ask everyone and immediately leave.”Fitness instructor Nithyanandini Manoharan, who celebrated her dog Ginger’s birthday with the group, few months ago, shares, “When we lived in Bengaluru, we would take her to pet cafes and celebrate her birthday there. But, after moving to Coimbatore, it was tough finding a place to spend time with pets and most of her birthdays were celebrated at home. This year, however, one of the cafes opened up and offered us place to celebrate the occasion. We celebrated her birthday with her pals from Barkathon.”Interestingly, Nithyanandini has been part of the group right from the beginning. “We started as a small group of pet parents. But, today we are a bigger group of like-minded people. When the pets are relaxing, we discuss our dogs, their habits and interesting anecdotes about them. Sometimes, we even get to enjoy an activity together. For instance, if we take them out for a swim, we too get into the water. I live in an apartment and my dog hardly gets out of the house. These outings give her an opportunity to socialize and she feels refreshed and relaxed.”But, when dogs from different houses get together, is it easy to manage them? “Most of the dogs in the group are socialized, so when they see their dog pals, they go running to meet them. Sometimes, when they start growling, we immediately keep them in leash. We do not let any of the dogs fight with each other. We cannot car pool for the same reason and hence, go to outings in our own cars. We ensure our pets have enough space for themselves.”Businesswoman Swetha Raghul, whose cocker spaniel picked a fight with other dogs at one such outing, says, “My dog had not really socialized with other dogs. So, in the beginning I was quite apprehensive about taking him out. At the first outing, he didn’t even drink water, eat food or even play. But, by the fourth outing, I started noticing a sea of change in his behavior. He started mingling with other dogs and seemed more relaxed. Earlier, I was quite scared to even leave him off the leash. When he started fighting with other dogs, I was really scared. But, Manoj, handled the situation pretty well.”In the meantime, Swetha says that since she is looking for a mate for her dog, Barkathon is a perfect place to be. “I want my second pup to be from my dog’s lineage. Thanks to the members of the group, I now know quite a few people from other cities as well who can help me find a mate for him. I also get updated on new products in the market and handling dogs in a more effective manner.” With more and more pet lovers joining the group, Barkathon is emerging as a place-to-be for dog lovers

Stay updated with all the Coimbatore Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.