When Srivatsava "Sri" Gorthy quit his job, his wife suggested they get puppies to keep him busy. These puppies became the inspiration for a new business called Petpal (formerly Unikorn Pet Services), an online pet products and services company in Bengaluru, India.

Launched in 2016, Petpal has 50,000 clients who rely on it for everything from food and accessories to services such as grooming and pet transportation. Petpal's customers can shop via the company's website, mobile app and WhatsApp.

"With WhatsApp, we were doing business from day one"

WhatsApp was crucial for Petpal from the very start. Sri says, "It took two months or so before our Petpal application was up and running smoothly. With WhatsApp, we were doing business from day one."

Recently Petpal started using the WhatsApp Business app. The away message feature speeds up Petpal's customer interactions, while the quick replies feature allows the business to answer frequently asked questions instantly.

As Shreedevi Navaneeth, a pet homestay owner and Petpal customer says, "Ordering on WhatsApp is convenient. I can type up a shopping list and send. Petpal updates me on my order's status using WhatsApp, and delivers on time. This frees me up so I can focus on my pet guests."

Kamal Banger, another pet owner, says, "After I've sent Petpal an order on WhatsApp, I may change my mind or need something else, so I will just send them a new message. When I see the blue ticks I know the message has been delivered and read. There's no fuss."

These days, Sri is staying busy and fulfilling his dream of building a one-stop-shop for pet owners in the process.