One of the things that is very evident in Dubai when you compare it to other rich and famous metropolis in the world is the lack of animals on the streets. When I say animals – I mean dogs and cats as most common pets. For years there are very strict environmental laws and hygiene issues in UAE that are very restrictive when it comes to owning animals. You will never see a dog of the leash just running around. If you happen to run into one it will surely be restrained. Cats are nowhere to be seen on the streets, but people often have them in their houses as pets; much more often than dogs. That is because even though there are some designated dog-walking areas they are often very far and if you don’t have a place where you can regularly walk a dog – there is not much reason to have one.
You will never see a dog in a coffee shop or inside a moll. Some hotels became pet-friendly, bur restaurants are still off the limits for someone who took a dog for a walk and decided to have a nice meal.
You can not own any dog you want. There are some breads that are forbidden, like Pit Bulls and Staffords, but these breads are also forbidden in most of the European countries.
Western world has a little bit different relationship with pets and Europeans often ant to bring their pets when they decide to go to Dubai. There are some rules: pet has to be regularly vaccinated, it has to have a chip that fits international standards and the owner must have international health certificate. The good thing is that if you travel with your pet it is not going to be held in quarantine for six months, which is the case in most of the countries. If your pet is less than four months old, they might keep it for a while, but only until they run some checks.
Also, there are many residential areas that don’t allow you to move in with a pet. So if you own one, you should look for a place in Green Community or Arabian Ranches; not only that they are pet friendly, they also have veterinarian clinics and various pet shops where you can find anything that your beloved pet may need.
If you travel to Dubai, or you live there with your pet, you should be aware of the fact that during Ramadan (dates vary from year to year) you probably shouldn’t ship your pets and you shouldn’t even try to get them into a restaurant because during the feast there are some special rules that are to be respected.