nicci82

Hi all, i have been doing lots of research into a possible move to abu dhabi later this year, but im struggling to find much info, or just peoples expiriences of moving with pets. We have two dogs both 9yrs old, leaving them behind is not an option for us as they are part of our familiy, they are both in great health except one suffers hay fever and the other has food allergies!
Has anyone moved with animals, what are your expiriences, any places/compounds that are particulary good accepting of dogs, have good size gardens etc, or anywhere with dog friendly beaches, or even places to avoid. Any info would be welcomed.

nicci82

Nothing? No pet owners out there, any advice would be great!

busybee2

the locals dont really like dogs.... u need to go with a villa and it will really depend on how much you have to spend.

busybee2

places to go are kite beach, opp twisty building and helipark in town.

bodieanddoyle

seriously, with the age of your dogs, you'd be kinder to rehome them... Arab vet = bloody useless, very dangerous.

busybee2

plus the costs of importing them back to uk have just gone up a lot apparently.

nicci82

Thanks guys, hadnt thought about the cost of bringing them the other way, thought it would be the same, will def look into that further. Re-homing is not an option, they are part of the family! Have any of you got pets out there?

nicci82

Bodie, good point about their age, at the momoent they are healthy, but as they get older vet care could become an issue. Lots to think about!

bodieanddoyle

I brought my two cats with me from the uk to KSA last July. Shipped them back to uk at Xmas. I cannot described how horrendous this place is for animals in general. Access to vital medicines and supplies such as anaesthetic/flea treatment/cat/dog food etc is very hit and miss. Finding a western qualified vet that actually knows what they're doing is nigh on impossible. Do not trust any Arab vet. Ever. They probably have some Mickey Mouse degree from the University of Cairo, don't believe in neutering and think that sedation is as good as anaesthetic. They also make conditions up if they don't know what's wrong. And would generally prefer an animal to suffer and die in pain 'naturally' than PTS humanely. It may be different in AD, but somehow, I don't think so.

hong_konger

When we were in Abu Dhabi several years ago our next door neighbour brought their dog over from the UK. I think the local agent they used was the American veterinary society or something like that. Transportation was no problem but was apparently very expensive.

I don't want to put you off but to be honest Abu Dhabi is not really best place in the world to have a dog and they often expressed regret at doing so. Not many people have them and the locals are petrified of them. We used to take the dog for a walk sometimes and the reactions can be amazing. If you had a tiger on the lease instead of a dog then their reaction would have been no different.

It's hit and miss on whether the landlord will allow dogs. There are some villa compounds which have extensive gardens that do not allow them ! and there are apartment blocks that do !

We knew other long term residents who originally had dogs and they told us it was not very easy particularly in the summer when its really hot. Some actually repatriated the dogs back to UK where they lived with friends / relatives.

So in summary its do-able but not ideal.

nicci82

Bodie and hong konger, thanks, i had heard the locals werent too keen, but didnt think it was quite that bad. Our dogs are both fairly big, yellow lab and sha pei, so they probably wouldnt go down too well!
I would be heart broken if we got over there and then had to send them back.

Thanks everyone, thats really opened my eyes, so glad we found out this info and didnt just come over with them.

OleJanx

I had a dog that went to Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Oman and Qatar. It helps if you get information on the available vets ( in Oman and Qatar the Royal vets would see 'civilians'), and yes the locals are shit scared of dogs which can be a pain, but the bad news people are posting seems, from my experience, to be a bit overwraught. Common sense and getting to know people who will 'house sit' both where you live and your dogs helps, too.) The dog I had was an Alsatian, and at times I minded another one, too. Walking two Alsatians just before dusk made the locals unlikely to mess around....) Another thing - my dog lived for seven years in the Gulf without problems.

bodieanddoyle

Mine is not overwrought at all. Like I said, maybe in AD it's different, but in KSA the vets are useless. The supplies are not there (I had to make my own Elizabeth collar for a cat because not one single vet or pet shop in jeddah had one). Maybe because of the rescue work I do I see that shit side more than some have. But it is shit.

OleJanx

Well, to be fair, I would never have taken my dog to Saudi, but I wouldn't have taken myself there, either.

bodieanddoyle

lol