Northside Courier
1 August 2007

Dog Man Minds His Own Business

Alex Bedwani's parents probably regret not buying their son his own puppy when he was nine years old, because, in the decade since, he has brought scores of other people's dogs to their Castlecrag home. Mr Bedwani, who is now 19 and describes himself as a "dog person", was so determined to have a canine friend that he started a dog-minding business in his early teen years. By the age of 14, his love of dogs had turned into a lucrative neighbourhood business, and he was forced to recruit four friends to meet demand. This has now led to the launch a nationwide business in the form of internet directory www.findadogminder.com.au, of which Mr Bedwani is managing director. In between minding dogs at his parents' home and studying for his arts degree at Macquarie University, he is building the database and meeting the demand of people who prefer not to put their pets in kennels. He said the idea first came to him when he was talking to his mum last year and, determined to make it work, he hired website specialists to develop the site for six months. The system works by allowing browsers to find dog-minders in their street or suburb, at a subscription cost of between $50 to $110. Minders can register free and the cost is negotiated between the two parties Mr Bedwani still doesn't have his own dog, but said he is too devoted to his long-time charges to commit to one canine. "I'm really focused on what I am doing now, it is my passion," he said. "I wouldn't do anything else."

Kim Smee

http://www.villagevoice.com.au

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