ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, New Jersey: Hot on the tail of dog-only beer brands, lucky canines will be licking their lips at the idea of gobbling up the latest swathes of pet-only fast food products - including doggy ice cream.
From Memphis to Mumbai, canine-specific fast food is a fast-growing market.
Planned to hit supermarket freezers this fall, the Pedigree Ice Cream Sandwich Treats for dogs should be be a hit on the pooch party circuit, according to pet industry magazine Pet Product News International (PPNI).
Boasting a 99 per cent lactose free dairy mixture between two wafers, manufacturer Unilever said the doggy ice creams proved popular during tests because they are a relatively mess-free frozen treat with easy portion control. Unilever said the treats have a creamy texture like regular ice cream,
contain added protein but no added sugar.
Perhaps these canine ice creams will also prove popular in Mumbai, India, where pampered pooches can now enjoy their very own gourmet cuisine delivery service.
More than 500-high-society hounds have been signed up to the Home Care Dog Food service, which caters to exclusive pooches living in India's booming entertainment and financial capital, according to PPNI.
The service even takes the dog owner's food preferences into account; According to business owner Wasiff Khan, if for example an owner wouldn't eat meat on a particular due to a Hindu religious holiday, the meals provided for their dog would also avoid meat for that day.
"They tell us about their dog's likes, dislikes and allergies, and we come up with a meal plan for the month," Khan told the Associated Press.
The canine food home delivery service costs between 66 cents and $2.50 per day.
India seems to be the home of dog fast food. In Kerala, Dog Biriyani or ready-to-eat-meals are becoming increasingly popular among pet owners, according to website IBNlive.
Business owner Venugopal, who also refers to himself as the ''kennel chef'' and delivers dogs their favourite food says he supplies about 100 ‘dog biryani’ meals each day with business growing rapidly.
I have a boxer (Jorja) and she loves wolfing down regular ice cream already! Not advisable though - she gets one heck of a sugar rush right after!
Yeah great. First we cram unhealthy fast food into our own faces, then we force feed it to our kids until they can barely get off the couch to change the TV channel. Now our pets are going to suffer from the same junk food tsunami. Shouldn't this be illegal?
Hmmm, I might consider giving my dogs an icecream if there was diet version available. And if not, well it's just another excuse to get them out for some exercise.
I think giving your pet a nice sweet treat is fine as long as you don't overdo it - moderation in everything. I'm not so sure about giving dogs beer, however.
99% lactose free, you say? maybe i should try one. does it come in rocky road? haha
reminded me of an old pekingese we had when i was much younger. she loved ice cream and fried chicken.
Oh this is so cool! my poodle gobbles down ice on hot days, especially summer! Too bad this ice cream will only come out this fall. guess my little pooch would have to eat ice again! can't wait til fall! my dog would absolutely love this. i wonder if there are different flavors?
Nice idea. pets deserve treats somehow. will there be one for cats? Fonzie will love it, for sure!
what a nice idea! im sure my shih-tzu would love it! she hasnt eaten anything i havent given her yet. i spoil her too much. im so excited. i hope it comes out soon.
what will they think of next? i cant wait to let my dog try this stuff!
Kennel biriyani is a great idea, all wishes, I'm sure this will be a great success.
i wonder what this stuff tastes like? hmmmm. now there's beer and ice cream for dogs! what a perfect combination!
we are really a dog crazy world! people love their dogs so much that they're even inventing things like this made especially for our 4 legged friends. keep them coming!
Daniel Finney: dude, beer and ice cream is NOT the perfect combination. it means diarrhea! LOL!