It is rightly said that a dog is a man’s best friend, but Delhi-based Chow Sureng Rajkonwar—a fashion designer-turned-travel vlogger—has given this phrase a new meaning altogether. He tags his pet Bella—an indie dog that Rajkonwar adopted in December, 2021—along on road trips. While travelling with a pet pooch is common, Rajkonwar’s journey with Bella is unique; the former customised his motorcycle’s pillion seat so that his ‘furever’ companion can be comfortable during their travels together.
Adopting a pet, shares Rajkonwar (40), was always on his mind. However, he was never comfortable confining a pet to the house while he went on his expeditions. “I am a traveller by profession, so having Bella sitting at home and waiting for me was not something I wanted. I did not adopt her to make her wait for me all day long,” he adds.
‘Purr’fect travel buddy
Although an interesting idea, travelling with a pet is equally difficult, and it was no different with Bella. “Bella has been a very active and playful dog, but she was not travel-friendly”, says Rajkonwar. Recounting their first few journeys together, he shares, “When Bella came into our [he and his wife, Angana Dutta] lives, she suffered from motion sickness. It was sad watching her cry even if we went on short bike rides. That is when I decided to help her overcome these issues and took her to Dibrugarh, Assam—his hometown—from Delhi in May this year.” To do the needful, Rajkonwar began riding shorter distances until Bella became comfortable with the idea of travel.
Over time, Bella—she completes a year and a month today—started enjoying these rides as she would get to indulge in treats after every trip. This is when Rajkonwar decided to take a leap of faith by taking her on a road trip—from Dibrugarh, Assam to Dong Valley, Arunachal Pradesh, which is approximately 386km. Talking about it, he says, “Initially, I was a little skeptical, but I trusted Bella and she was excited too.” With this journey being a success, Rajkonwar decided to take Bella to Leh-Ladakh, a long-overdue trip.
A trip to remember
Apart from Bella being a part of the trip, Rajkonwar shares that this ride was also extremely special because they fed around 40 stray dogs on their way to Ladakh. Emphasising on the need to carry essentials while travelling with pets, Rajkonwar shares, “Try to pack light for yourself as you have to take care of the essentials you need to carry for your pet. For Bella, it was her two favourite toys.
Also, make sure that your pet is in a condition to travel and take care of their comfort. It is important to know when to and when not to put your pet on a leash, and what to feed them while travelling. For example, I carry packaged dog food for Bella, but she is also used to eating boiled food.”
Sharing a proud moment from their fun trips, Rajkonwar concludes, “I was very happy when Bella and I reached the Umling La Pass, which is the highest motorable road at the height of 19,024ft. We were the first human-pet duo to reach this mountain pass; and have requested a world record for the same as well.”
How to travel with a furry friend