Dogs, Cats, and Dubai: The Ins and Outs of Pet Transportation and Life in the Emirates
Dubai is now home to over 1.5 million pet owners and more than 2 million pets, and these numbers are on the rise. Expats often bring their beloved pets to the city, and entrepreneurs are opening pet-friendly venues. Our article delves into key topics such as local attitudes toward pets, their transportation, and more. This piece is brought to you by the Inside team, who run a Telegram channel dedicated to life in Dubai, covering real estate, taxes, and the city's must-visit spots.
Attitudes Towards Pets in Dubai
Let's begin with dogs. Dubai, an Islamic city, traditionally views dogs as impure. They are typically used for guarding or hunting, but whether they should be kept as household pets is a matter of debate. Nonetheless, this doesn't translate to poor treatment of these animals. While devout believers are common, as long as dog owners adhere to certain unwritten rules (which we detail in our article) and use designated walking areas, they won't face negative judgments.
Even Dubai's Crown Prince owns a dog, as seen in an Instagram video where his pet is happily playing and licking his child. This subtly reflects a positive attitude towards dogs among the local populace.
Cats, on the other hand, have always been more relatable to Arabs. In Islam, a fondness for cats is considered a sign of faith, and they are the only animals allowed in mosques.
What Pet Owners in Dubai Need to Know
Here are key points for pet owners:
Pet Infrastructure in Dubai
Pets-Friendly Locations and Districts
We've identified pet-friendly districts with buildings where living with pets is welcomed.
The Springs: A community in the Emirates Living area, featuring lakes and a small dog park. Only villas are available, no apartments.
The Greens: One of the most pet-friendly communities. 59.4% of the housing is suitable for pets.
Palm Jumeirah: A man-made island shaped like a palm. The trunk area is popular among dog owners, with two green routes and two dog parks in Al Ittihad Park (pets allowed). A cafe here also welcomes pets.
Dubai Hills: A green district, highly favored by our team. Fewer dogs, but has two green routes, a dog park, and a larger park.
Azizi Riviera: A community in Meydan, MBR City, offering apartments where dogs are welcome. Small dog parks are within the residential complexes.
Dubai Investment Park: Features two nearby dog parks, My Second Home and Paws Pet Planet.
Jumeirah Lake Towers, DAMAC Hills, Jumeirah Village Circle, JBR: Other districts with at least one dog-walking area. Other areas are less suitable for pets.
Pet-Friendly Beaches in Dubai
We've compiled a list of dog-friendly beaches. Remember to clean up after your pets; biodegradable bags are sold in Spinneys supermarkets for this purpose.
Dubai Islands: Open 24/7, dogs can swim here. Trash collection stations and fresh water dispensers for pets are available. Nearby snack bars offer dog ice cream and other treats.
The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah: Open 10:00 to 12:00, no swimming allowed. Pets must be leashed. Many entertainment venues here welcome pets.
Palm West Beach: Accessible weekdays from 8:00 to 12:00 and weekends from 8:00 to 3:00. No swimming, dogs must be leashed. The nearby Palm Bay snack bar serves dog ice cream and chips. Bringing a dog on Sundays or Mondays offers a 20% discount at the cafe.
Black Palace Beach / Al Sufouh Beach: Open 24/7, typically quiet with few people. No special amenities for pets, and no clear guidelines for pet swimming.
Jebel Ali Dog Beach: Open 24 hours. No official permission for dogs, but locals bring their pets anyway. Dogs are sometimes off-leash, though this is prohibited and can result in a fine.
Where to Leave Your Pet in Dubai When Traveling
Sometimes you need to travel without your pet, like when going on vacation. For such occasions, Dubai has pet hotels, one of which is the Cloud 9 Pet Hotel. This complex includes a veterinary hospital, three pet parks (one indoor), and a playroom for cats. Grooming services are also available.
In Dubai, there are facilities where pets can swim in a pool under a trainer's supervision.
Dubai's Dog Water Park
Dubai has opened a water park for pets, where they can swim in two pools with fountains. One is for small dogs, and the other for larger and more active ones. The cost for two hours of fun for your dog is relatively modest - 75 dirhams (about $20).
The establishment, named Petsville, has an Instagram account filled with fun photos that make you want to visit, if only to pet the animals.
Pet-Friendly Restaurants and Cafes in Dubai
There are many restaurants where you can dine with your pets. Here are a couple:
Reform Social and Grill: This place's Instagram account is filled with amusing photos of visitors with their pets.
Coffee Paw Cafe: Known for its fresh, aromatic cinnamon and caramel buns. Pets are welcome here, and there are treats for dogs.
Mobile Grooming for Pets in Dubai
While most veterinary clinics offer grooming services, mobile grooming is also available. For instance, Piccolo's boutique provides a service where a fully-equipped vehicle comes to you. In about 20-30 minutes, your pet is groomed and ready to go. Standard cat grooming costs around 165 dirhams (about $45). This service is especially convenient since pets not fitting in a carrier cannot travel by taxi, and it's perfect for those without a car or the time to travel.
Transporting Dogs or Cats to Dubai: What You Need to Know
There are specific procedures and nuances pet owners should be aware of when transporting pets to Dubai. Let's break them down:
Breeds Restricted from Entering Dubai
Certain dog breeds are prohibited in the Emirates:
领英推荐
Each person can transport a maximum of two dogs or cats to the Emirates within one year.
Preparing Your Pet for Transportation
Your pet must have a passport with all vaccinations and stamps.
Vaccinations for dogs:
Vaccinations for cats:
The most critical vaccination is for rabies. Pets must undergo a minimum 21-day quarantine after rabies vaccination. Then, a blood test for rabies titers is required (results take about two weeks or one week for expedited service).
Important points:
Pets must be treated for worms, internal and external parasites at a veterinary clinic within five days before departure. A veterinary certificate (Form № 1) is required afterward.
Pets must be identified with a microchip (implanted before the last rabies vaccination). The chip number in the health certificate must match the implanted one.
Obtaining an Import Permit
Before booking cargo, you need permission from the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
How to apply:
The import duty is 500 dirhams ($136) for dogs and 250 dirhams ($68) for cats.
If filling out the form is challenging, the Ministry provides a video tutorial.
Organizing Pet Transportation
If a pet and its carrier weigh over 8 kg, there are two ways to transport it: either as cargo (in the luggage compartment) or by jet.
Important: You need to book a space for your pet in cargo with your ticket in hand.
Transport companies handle pet shipments. You can manage it yourself for a lower cost, or hire specialists who will take care of everything for a higher fee but with less hassle. For instance, you can find someone to help with transportation in the UAE pet Telegram chat.
Costs of Transporting a Pet to Dubai
Import permit fee for a cat: 250 dirhams; for a dog: 500 dirhams
Inspection fee upon entry: 500 dirhams per cat, 1000 dirhams per dog
Payment can be made with foreign bank cards not under sanctions.
Violating transportation rules incurs a 5000 dirham ($1361) fine per pet. The pet may be denied entry or even confiscated.
Minimum Age for Transporting Pets to the UAE
The minimum age for pets from low-risk countries is 12 weeks, and from high-risk countries, at least 15 weeks.
Countries considered low-risk (allowing import of pets under 15 weeks):
Australia, Austria, Andorra, Barbados, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, French Polynesia, Falkland Islands, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Mauritius, Malta, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Qatar, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Palau, Latvia, Albania, Croatia, Maldives, Spain.
Real-Life Experiences of Pet Transportation to Dubai
Here are stories from people who transported their pets to Dubai.
Nikitos the Cat
The owner was relocating and needed to bring his cat to Dubai. They started with rabies antibody tests, vaccinations, microchipping, and obtaining documents, costing several thousand rubles.
The journey began in Moscow, where tests were conducted and papers prepared for departure. Then, they traveled to Saint Petersburg for the flight.
After all the challenges with documents, the cat was handed over to the airport services for transport to Dubai. Assistance with paperwork and customs cost 8,000 rubles (about $108), and the cat's ticket was 16,000 rubles (about $216).
Two Small Dogs
A woman was transporting her two small dogs to Dubai. Initially, the airline claimed one person could bring two dogs in the cabin, but it turned out to be impossible. After discussions and futile attempts to resolve the issue, she decided to send the dogs as cargo.
She followed the Ministry's instructions for obtaining an import permit. The breed names in the passport and form must match. If the breed isn't listed, she advised contacting the Ministry's chat or emailing [email protected] for assistance.
Arriving early at the airport for the flight to Abu Dhabi, processing took about three hours. The cost for the two dogs was around 600 dirhams, and they accepted cash.
In Conclusion
Dubai is a pet-friendly city with increasing places to visit with dogs or cats. The pet population is growing as more people move to the city with their animals. This means the pet infrastructure will continue to evolve.
Follow our Telegram channel for more about life in Dubai, including insights on taxes and real estate in the UAE.
Kopek egitmeni - Dog trainer Alman Coban kopegi yarisma hakemi German Shepherd Dog Referee Istanbul, Dubai
8 小时前Having German Shepherd dog in your family is always one of the best thing in a person’s life ??
Building DogSwag.club ?? | Connecting Pet Parents to Top Vets ?? | On a misson to help increase Pet's Longevity by 10%
1 年Inside Realty great read! helpful for folks relocating to Dubai. One thing I would have hoped to understand would be the Vet costs out there. Never the less you folks are doing a awesome job. Keep it up!