Ruff riders

Latin Trade, June, 2005 by Wayne Bernhardson

Facing ruin following Argentina's economic collapse in 2002, many a proud business person buckled down and concentrated on getting by in bad times--even walking dogs for a fee. But Buenos Aires real estate broker Claudio Vinas has one-upped them all: He'll take your pooch on vacation.

People want to take their dogs to the beach, but they don't have room for German Shepherds or Rottweilers in heavily packed cars, says Vinas, 46. From December to March, Vinas and his two partners charge US$50 one-way to the coast. Their territory covers coastal Argentina along scenic Route 11. "That's where the people with money go," says Vinas.

For the trips, Vinas designed a cucha movil, a roofed, open-sided trailer with a grillwork so the dogs can see out but not escape. The natural gas-powered van and trailer can hold 27 four-legged passengers. Traveling on weekends, gross summer earnings range from $24,000 to $30,000--a substantial figure in post-devaluation Argentina, even for a three-person business.

According to Carlos Gentili, chief of the city's department of urban hygiene, there are 500 registered paseadores de perros--and several hundred unregistered ones. Leading up to 20 dogs at a time, most paseadores earn $35 monthly per dog working a five- or six-day schedule. Because Vinas' vehicles allow greater flexibility, he and his partners also carry loads of otherwise shut-in dogs to sprawling parks in the ritzy Palermo neighborhood. Those daily excursions pay the bills, but the summer road trips put Vinas and crew ahead of the pack.