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By Juliet Ebirim

Founder of Nigerian-based pet community, Petmi, Bolanle Hassan has reacted to the perceived neglect towards pets in Nigeria.

In a statement made available to the press, she shared her passion towards helping to change the narrative;

“I’ve heard a lot of cases where people lose their pets, not due to natural causes but mostly because the owners are ignorant of how to care for them. This made me start a blog “Woofline Pets”, where i write about dogs and how to care for them, and in February this year, we launched the Woofline Pets app and have since garnered over 7000 members, making it the leading app community for pet owners and lovers in Nigeria.”

However, with a rising passion for other pets such as cats, birds, bunnies and more, Woofline Pets have now chosen to widen its range by transitioning to Petmi, in order to bring pet lovers closer.

“Though the responsibility for animal welfare in Nigeria is assigned to the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, I believe this development will greatly give credibility to the pet business in Nigeria, as Petmi is not only a social media platform but also a marketplace for pet lovers.” She added.

She disclosed that pet lovers who sign up to the platform are able to share photos of their pets, chat with other pet lovers, ask pet health questions and have them answered by vet doctors and search for pet services.