By Our Staff Writer | Opening Doorz Editorial | April 03, 2025
Pet care is evolving in India, and JUSTDOGS has emerged as a trailblazer, redefining how pet parents access products, services, and expert advice. From a modest beginning to becoming a leading omnichannel retail brand, JUSTDOGS has set new standards in the industry. At the heart of this success story is a visionary entrepreneur who transitioned from a thriving corporate career to building a brand that caters to the growing needs of pet owners across the country.
With a professional background spanning over 17 years, Ashish Anthony, the founder, played a crucial role in launching and expanding businesses for multinational corporations such as Unilever, Shell, ICICI, and Barclays. His distribution, retail banking, and strategic expansion expertise equipped him with the insights and skills needed to embark on an entrepreneurial journey. However, his passion for pets, coupled with the realisation of the vulnerabilities associated with corporate employment, led him and his wife, Poorvi, to establish JUSTDOGS.
From Corporate to Canine: The Birth of JUSTDOGS
What started as a comprehensive pet care business, encompassing breeding, training, grooming, and more, soon evolved into a structured and scalable retail model. Recognising the challenges of standardising breeding and training services in India, the duo strategically pivoted towards retail, ensuring quality and convenience for pet parents nationwide.
Today, JUSTDOGS operates over 40 specialty stores in 20 cities, offering premium pet products, spa services, nutritional advisory, and a dedicated brand for cats under JUSTCATS.
With ambitious plans to expand to 100 outlets in the next few years, JUSTDOGS is poised to shape the future of the Indian pet care industry.
In a chat with Opening Doorz, Ashish Anthony shares insights into the company’s journey, the evolution of the Indian pet market, and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Excerpts
What inspired you to start a pet care business?
After 17 years in the corporate sector, and experiencing first-hand the vulnerabilities of employment due to global market fluctuations, I recognized the importance of building a business resilient to economic downturns. My passion for pets and observing the huge gap in quality pet care products and services in India further inspired me. Additionally, I bootstrapped JUSTDOGS for 11 years without external funding, driven purely by passion and commitment to the pet care industry.
Why did you specifically choose dogs as your business focus?
As a pet parent and trained canine professional (PDCH), dogs have always played an integral role in my life. Travelling internationally, I noticed a significant disparity in the quality and availability of pet products compared to India. Recognizing India’s highly unorganised pet-care sector as a tremendous opportunity, my wife, Poorvi—trained in grooming from Vanity Fur, Canada, and PIGA Malaysia—and I decided to create JUSTDOGS, India’s first branded, comprehensive pet care business.
Initially, we explored all segments, including breeding, training, grooming, boarding, mobile grooming vans, pet birthdays, and transportation, making JUSTDOGS a pioneer in providing comprehensive pet care solutions.
Why did you decide to move away from breeding and selling?
Breeding and training require highly specialised skills that are challenging to standardise and scale. Despite my specialised training in dog behaviour from Securatech Germany and the Police Dog Centre Holland, the absence of structured training schools in India posed significant operational challenges. Moreover, the social stigma associated with jobs involving animals severely limited the availability of skilled workers. Consequently, we strategically exited these segments to maintain service quality and focus on scalable business avenues.
What is the current focus of your business?
Currently, JUSTDOGS is an Omnichannel retail brand with over 40 specialty outlets across India offering pet products, spa services, and nutritional advisory. We have successfully launched our private label brands—Magnafeast (ultra-premium dog food), Well Fed (super-premium dog food), Scrummy (premium dog food), Gobble (Economy dog food), Snackers (treats), and Ezra (accessories). We’ve also introduced JUSTCATS, a parallel brand catering to cat parents. Our emphasis is now on expanding our retail presence and building a robust B2B channel for our brands.
Can you share more details about your store locations and the services you offer?
JUSTDOGS currently operates 40 specialty stores and spas in 20 cities nationwide, including major cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Mumbai, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Cochin, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Nagpur. We offer a wide selection of premium products, grooming services, and expert nutritional advice, focusing strongly on consumer trust and convenience.
What are your plans for expansion?
With 40-plus operational outlets, including company-owned and franchised, we aim to reach 100 outlets within the next 2-3 years, expanding our presence particularly into North and East India. This expansion will consist of 60 company-owned and 40 franchise-operated outlets, reinforcing our Omnichannel strategy and strengthening customer convenience and brand visibility.
How does pet ownership in India compare to other countries?
India, the fifth-largest and fastest-growing pet market globally, currently has a significantly lower pet penetration at around 7 percent, with about 36 million pets (32 million dogs and 5.4 million cats). This is considerably lower compared to pet penetration in countries like New Zealand (65 percent dogs), Malaysia (45 percent dogs), and Singapore (66 percent cats). The calorie conversion (sale of packaged Dog food) rate for pets in India (5 percent dogs, 11 percent cats) also indicates a tremendous potential for growth. As awareness and adoption of pets increase rapidly, especially post-pandemic, the Indian market presents immense growth opportunities.
How has the Indian pet market evolved in terms of breed preferences and pet care?
The Indian pet market has evolved significantly. Initially dominated by indigenous breeds (Indies), rising affluence and awareness have driven demand for popular breeds like Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Shih-Tzus, and exotic breeds like Siberian Huskies. Currently, small breeds comprise 50 percent of the dog population, aligning with urban living trends. Pet parents now prioritise nutrition, grooming, training, and healthcare, driven by increased education and awareness. JUSTDOGS strongly promotes responsible pet ownership and equitable care for all breeds, including Indies.
Is pet ownership in India still linked to social status, or has it changed?
While historically pets may have been viewed as status symbols or security measures, today’s Indian pet owners primarily value companionship and emotional bonds. Social media trends, increased urbanisation, and demographic changes—such as young couples, singles, empty nesters, and retirees seeking companionship—have redefined pet ownership towards emotional fulfillment and family dynamics. The pandemic further accelerated this shift, with pet ownership significantly rising for companionship rather than status, evidenced by increased care standards and emotional investments in pets.
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