India, April 15 -- Dogs have long been called man's best friend. For Karan Gupta, his best friend, his dog didn't just offer comfort; he became a guardian and a source of motivation that led him not only to build a pet food company (Goofy Tails) but also to start India's first free consulting website for pet owners (petclubindia.com).

In 2008, Karan Gupta found himself bedridden and facing a long, agonising recovery from the first of many major hip joint replacement surgeries necessitated by a congenital bone condition. Through the hardships, he never imagined that the most defining relationship of his life would begin in pain.

Years before Goofy Tails existed, before business plans or nutritional dog foods, there was just a quiet room,...