By Prudence Minayo
Anita Waithera is a young woman who found her passion in taking care of dogs and breeding them for sale. She got into the dog business because it makes her happy, they are a man’s best friend and are loyal. She also wanted to make households happy by providing them with dogs.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Keen interest in dogs
She developed an interest in dog breeding in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Her initial love was media but the pandemic forced her to re-think. She reached out to some dog lovers on social media and realized those who kept dogs were contended people.
After researching on dog breeding, she settled on Rottweilers and German Shepherds. She works with trainers, then takes care of them until they are about three months old before selling to prospective clients. She hints that after three months, she is sure the client is ready to take care of the dogs.
According to her, trainers earn a lot of money and could make at least Sh80,000 from one dog undergoing a 7 weeks program.
Prices and challenges
In a May 2021 interview with TV47, the then 23-year-old said she sells a three-month-old Rottweiler at Sh50,000. Basic training for her dogs takes up to seven weeks. After selling the dog, she could do potty training in the client’s home if they are interested.
A typical day for her involves waking up, and letting the dogs out for some sun as she cleans their houses. Afterwards, they have to be fed.
Challenges
Some of the challenges she has faced are:
The dog breeding industry is male dominated. This makes some people doubt her credentials since they believe that she isn’t fit for the job, especially with the big dogs. It was hard at first for her to balance the cost of feeds. Before she started figuring it out, she would spend a lot on dog feeds.
It is also at times difficult for her to handle the dogs, especially after they grow. The dogs are bigger in size making it difficult for her to deal with their size at times. There is also another challenge when the dogs are sick and they get moody. She said it is very important to have a veterinary doctor who is available at any time of the day.
