Puppy dealer rakes in millions

You may have known them as man’s best friend for decades, or just mere guards who bark when they see a stranger. But for Nsubuga Mark, the exotic dog breed is a source of his daily bread.

The enthusiastic thirty-year old man has nothing else that pre-occupies his mind as much as dogs. His love and care for dogs has pushed him into starting up a pets shop to not only sell, but also train, clean and shave dogs. This, he does, in addition to selling dogs’ accessories. He is now a millionaire who keeps over 20 high breed dogs.

His adventure into this business started in the year 2010 while taking a walk with his six dogs of Maltese breed around Kololo Air strip. “One gentleman admired my animals and asked me to enroll for the dog show he was organising at Kampala Rugby Club. After consulting several friends, I decided to give it a try, and I paid up for a stall.”

The Ultimate Dog Show at Kampala Rugby Club opened the way for Mr Nsubuga. He not only show cased dogs, but also left the show a rich man. “My initial investment in this venture was about Shs2million and at the end of the show, I walked away with Shs5.8m in return. I could not believe that there is actually a class of people whose love for dogs is as overwhelming as mine,” he said with a wide smile, addding: “And repeated calls from some of the customers who met me at the show propelled me into putting up a shop that would serve them better, ”Mr Nsubuga told Prosper.

Today, Mr Nsubuga transacts his business in Kampala at Kisementi-Plot 9, Cooper road. Mr Nsubuga in a good month reaps not less than Shs6 million from the sale of puppies, mature dogs , dogs accessories, shaving , training, vaccination and blow drying among other activities.

At the shop, a single puppy goes for Shs850,000, a fully grown pooch costs as much as Shs1.5m; but this depends on the breed. He rears several breeds ranging from the German Shepherds to Bearded Collies, Maltese, Belgian Shepherds, Japanese Tshi Tzus and Australian Sheepdogs. And depending on the breed one prefers, the buyer can pay as low as Shs500,000 to as high as Shs1.5m. But with this money, the dog comes with playing accessories like toys, vaccination and one month training.

“I always take these dogs for vaccination and checkups at Makerere University veterinary school and also take walks with them at Kololo airstrip and Munyonyo. By the time you buy one, it is fully skilled and healthy,” Mr Nsubuga says.

His customers range from foreigners-to celebrities, high end-Ugandans who treasure and know how to take care of dogs and locals who just love dogs as pets. Young children are another big market for him and he makes great profits during holiday time; “December and other short holidays are my peak times, I can make Shs1.6m as profits in a single day, courtesy of children who coerce their parents to buy for them puppies. I can sell over six puppies in a single day during these peak times.”
He says the Ugandan culture of ‘give me one for free’ needs to be done away with for when you invest heavily in a dog, you learn to treasure it and take good care of it.

Mr Nsubuga goes as far as Kenya, South Africa, USA and even Rwanda to purchase the dogs and only those who treasure them will understand what it takes to own an exotic breed of a dog, no wonder the high price tag, it comes with the high quality. And despite the high prices, the market for dogs is on an upward curve movement.

“Dogs are the new cash cows, most people are moving into that culture of having a dog at home, as a must” his friend told him as he encouraged him to carry on with the business. Today, Mr Nsubuga’s business has expanded; he is employing five trained-personnel both at the shop in Kamwokya and at his kennels in Muyenga. He has been able to beat competition from other dog companies like Savannah Dogs in Namugongo and Pets Early at Garden City Kampala, among others. These, usually turn to him to purchase particular breeds for their customers and they work together to support each other’s business. From the sales of mostly puppies and dog accessories, Mr Nsubuga has been able to support his family, purchase land on which he plans to re-allocate the dogs and expand his business to a first class dog selling enterprise.

But even as he wallows in self amusement for the satisfaction derived from keeping dogs, he says feeding, medication and training are some of the most tideous and expensive aspects of keeping a dog. He spends not less than Shs15,000 daily on feeding a single dog, as most of them take milk, meat, chicken and rice . And when they sustain infections particularly parvo virus, rabies, distemper disease as well as Corona virus, the animals will have him pay through the nose for their medication.
“Dog drugs are very expensive, I vaccinate them every after four weeks in the first two years and for each time I vaccinate, I part with at most Shs28,000, a cost that is extremely high but worth it for the good health of the animals,” Mr Nsubuga says.

He is optimistic of a bright future. He hopes to put up a dog hostel on his newly acquired piece of land in Kireka, where he can take care of over 600dogs at a go. “I want to be the sole seller of dogs, so that at least 50 per cent of the dogs on the Ugandan market have passed through my hands.”

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