Sell a friend
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Wellington Saungweme with some of the dogs

Lifestyle reporter Mary Doma
It is said that in this country we are now all merchants of one sort or another as buying and selling has become the most favoured mode of earning a crust. From the vegetable vendor playing hide and seek with the municipal police, to the big fish moving commodities worth millions across borders, almost everyone is selling something.What sets people apart is what they are trading in and how they feel about the products that they are pushing. For most, it is just a means to an end and they will sell whatever is moving at that time, so long as they can get a profit.

But for others, the transactions are not just about making a quick buck. It is a calling that they imbue with passion, as they do not just exchange goods for money, but they provide the unique product of a matching service for best friends.

A trip down the annals of history in any culture will show why dogs have been branded the best friends of humans. They are loyal, devoted, offer protection services and in some cases they also still put food on the table as they are used in the hunt.

So the people who sell dogs are very serious about their profession. Wellington Saungweme got into that trade when he realised the high prices that a best friend can command. He has loved dogs from childhood, but the first time he bought a four-legged friend it was a Rottweiler and he found it terribly expensive. He became interested in finding out why.

“I was inspired to work with several dog breeds five years ago when I met up with people as passionate as me,” he said.

It was only then that he came to know that the price of a well-bred dog is not a reflection of breeders’ greed, but a mirror of the huge amount of money that goes into bringing it up. Then he realised that his boyhood affection could become a financially and emotionally rewarding career.

“I started it as a hobby but now, I have managed to build up a successful dog-breeding business – selling both pets and guard dogs,” he says.

With the $700 price tag he charges for a premier puppy like a Chihuahua, you would think that Wellington Saungweme would be short of buyers, but that is not the case at all. The haves do not flinch at paying handsomely for their very own BFF.

Saungweme says he does not only sell dogs, but also considers the homes that they will be going to. So when a client comes looking for a specific breed, he is happy as he knows that his babies will be fully appreciated and treasured as they are worth. He says some of his clients have found breeds that they have been hunting for years.

“I have sold dogs to Leslie Gwindi, Maxwell Kashaya, Uebert Angel, Kelvin Karisamimba, Kenny Ngirazi, Henrietta Ruswaya, Alec Macheso, Philip Chiyangwa and Tawanda Mutyebere among many others whose names I am not at liberty to disclose,” he said.

While the Hollywood A list stars favour snuggly breeds like Chihuahuas and chow chows, our local moneyed people seem to prefer heavier breeds.

“I mainly sell breeds in the prestigious five of the guard dog arena: Rottweiler, German shepherd, Labrador, Doberman and Boerboel breeds from South Africa and Namibia,” he said

The breeds also seem to cost less than the high priced Chihuahua with a Labrador puppy going for about $400 and a German Shepherd – “everyone’s favourite,” according to Saungweme – for around $200.

The South African Boerboel is just coming into its own in the local market, according to Saungweme.

“It’s a good business but it’s yet to be a better business,” Mr Saungweme says.

But he is very happy to have managed to turn his life-long passion for dogs into a venture that generates thousands of dollars, even if he only sells 10 to 15 animals a month.

“I consider myself part of the working class in Harare CBD only set apart by love and care for dogs and according to Chinese traditional lore, dogs symbolise love: so I pass on the joy I experience to others,” he said.

Although he has acquired much practical knowledge, Saungweme does not  yet consider himself the final authority on dogs and still hungers to learn more about the hairy creatures.

So he travels to different countries to attend dog workshops where he not only discovers more about the best friends, but also networks with other breeders and sources puppies. He says the secret of the trade is knowing that there are no shortcuts and each puppy must be treated just as the rule book says, otherwise there will be no buyers.

“You must be able to look after your dog so well if you are to find a market for it. It’s an expensive venture but it’s worthwhile, especially when you love to do what you’re doing.”

Saungweme believes that canines are set to change the face of security in the country as more and more people realise that they are the best gatekeepers:

“You cannot corrupt a dog’s mind which is vice versa to human beings,” he says. And with all the cases of guards betraying their employers, that just may be true. In addition, with dogs being trained in skills like sniffing out cancer cells, bombs and other dangers, demand for the right type of dog, is set to rise.

For now his clientele is limited to Zimbabwe, but his future plans are to conquer the whole of southern Africa by providing the best dogs for pets and for security.
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