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...dogs, cats, birds, rabbits... and other creatures, too... since 1983
 

We think we're different. No, not weird or odd or peculiar (well, maybe all that too), but just good-different.

We've been caring for all types of pet, and relocating them and other animals, for more than 30 years. Our owners and current management team have almost 70 years of combined animal care, relocations and veterinary experience. Our staff are never let loose on our customers, their pets or our business partners until months of customer care, animal care and relocations training have been successfully completed. Our vets and nurses remain in regular professional training to continue to develop their qualified expertise, and further training of one kind or another remains constant and ongoing for all our other employees throughout the business and throughout their careers with us. Employment with us is treated as a serious professional career choice, not a pleasant pastime or short-term vocation or stopover job.

We take for granted that love of animals, and the joy of them, is a core function of our work and of the deeper character of the person doing the work, yet we also know that there is a whole lot more to animals and their boarding, daycare, veterinary care and relocations than just loving them. Love without real training, real knowledge, real procedures, real management and serious expectations is, well, just love. And love is a lot, but we think it’s not quite enough.

When we communicate with you, our two-legged customers, we want to speak well and write well so that it's pleasant to deal with us and so that there’s always clear understanding between you and us, to the very best of our ability; not frustration and confusion. And we want our trained animal handlers, relocations managers, vets, nurses and receptionists to understand our entire business, not just their own little corner of it, so that when you are communicating with us, you're dealing with knowledgeable, capable people who have insights into most of what you want to know and need to address.

We can provide you with a wide breadth of the important pet and other animal-related services: Veterinary Care, Global Relocations and Boarding & Daycare. And we are the Animal Handler for Emirates Airline and dnata (and by extension, almost all other airlines) at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central.

We are honest and transparent with our customers, even if that transparency puts our business at risk because of a mistake we've made ~ and yes, we make mistakes. We are not perfect. But we do know some stuff and we try really very hard to be extremely good at it all. We try extremely hard to genuinely know each pet's and pet owner's differences, which is part of what we think makes us different too.

We'd like you to come meet us, talk with us, walk through our Boarding, Daycare and Relocations facility in Umm Ramool and visit our Veterinary Clinic in Motor City (other forms of contact welcome too!). We know you'll be shopping around, and so you should ~ let us be two of your stops.

 
 
Can DKC manage both the import and export sides of my pet's or other animal's relocation?
Answer
<h5>Can DKC manage both the import and export sides of my pet's or other animal's relocation?</h5> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_3.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>Definitely yes! For sure! Yup!</p> <p>Well... maybe. Read on.</p> <p>There are two parts to any relocations process: 1) the export; 2) the import; and they need to be seen as distinct processes because, in fact, they are (although both sides coordinate with each other). We can definitely assist you with the import side if you're coming <em>into</em> the UAE, and we can definitely assist you with the export side if you're <em>leaving</em> the UAE. And that's because we, obviously, are <em>in</em> the UAE.</p> <p>Right, now that's clear.</p> <p>However, there (almost!) always needs to be someone (you, a friend or another relocations agent) handling things on the "other" side of a relocation. If you're importing into the UAE, someone will definitely have to handle things in your country of origin. If you're exporting from the UAE, someone in your destination country will have to handle things upon the arrival of your pet if your pet is being exported as "manifest cargo". (What is "manifest cargo" and "accompanied/excess baggage? Read our <a href="/docs/Pet_Flight_Options.pdf" target="_blank">Pet Flight Options</a>). There must always be a physical presence on both sides for the handing of it all when travelling as manifest cargo and when additional import requirements demand this.</p> <p>And so, you can of course engage us to handle the UAE-based stuff (please do!), but in the other country, you will have to have yourself, a friend or another agent handle that side of things. If you're going to use another agent, that's when we can step in to help with <em>both</em> sides of the shipment - although the other agent will be doing the physical work required at the other end, you may wish to deal with only one company for the management and payment of the whole process. In which case, we can manage that for you. There will of course be an additional management fee, but you might be happier having to deal with only one company.</p> <p>And by the way, if you do want to find another agent on your own, in your non-UAE location, check out <a href="https://www.ipata.org/ipata-pet-shippers-air-and-ground" target="_blank">IPATA.org</a>, where you'll be able to search for pet/animal shippers all over the world.</p> <p>But why did we exclaim "almost!" a couple of paragraphs up? Well, in departing the UAE, there are many countries around the world that permit the entry/arrival of pets travelling with you as "accompanied/excess baggage" rather than as "manifest cargo" for Customs clearance following arrival. This is not to say that additional assistance in the destination country is <em>never</em> required simply because your pet has travelled accompanied/excess baggage, but there are indeed many countries for which the entry requirements do <em>not</em> require this type of additional assistance (e.g. import permit, on-arrival quarantine, etc.). In other words, more research!!</p> <p>Complicated, this import/export thing, eh?  </p></div>
Can DKC manage both the import and export sides of my pet's or other animal's relocation?
Definitely yes! For sure! Yup! Well... maybe. Read on. There are two parts to any...
Food ~ What should my dog and cat be eating?
Answer

The pet food market is VERY large and VERY confusing with ENDLESS different brands and sub-brands

<h5>Food ~ What should my dog and cat be eating?</h5><p>The pet food market is VERY large and VERY confusing with ENDLESS different brands and sub-brands, all touting various benefits that indubitably beat out the competition. Well, to simplify things, there are a few basic rules of thumb to follow:</p> <p>Kittens and puppies should be fed kitten and puppy food, and it's best that this is a good quality or premium pet food brand (get your vet's advice on that), as the early years are very important, nutritionally speaking, for correct growth and development. Furthermore, dogs of different sizes should get different puppy foods designed for those sizes and breeds, ideally ~ all premium pet food brands do cater for this. Large breed dogs, for example, are often prone to joint development problems and these diets, if fed correctly, will help in preventing these (though no guarantees, of course).</p> <p>Once kittens are a year old they can be fed adult food, and the same applies for most small-breed dogs. Larger breed dogs will switch to adult food any time from 15-18 months of age, so ask your vet for advice if you're unsure when reading the food manufacturer's guidelines.</p> <p>Animals that are 7 years and older should be fed a senior diet and, again, the premium brands cater for this specifically. Old age is also very important nutritionally and the premium foods have been carefully formulated to aid ageing body organs and joints.</p> <p>Now, there are a lot of people out there who feel that the only correct way to go is to feed freshly prepared food for your pet. While we agree with this in the ideal, there are two very important questions to pose on this front:  1) Do you know exactly what the nutritional requirements are of your pet? Are you THAT knowledgeable, and;  2) Do you have the time to make this rather awesome commitment? If "yes" to both, then great! Go for it!</p> <p>Finally, we also have a very strong opinion about... the fact that your cat should always be eating wet food, if at all possible. Controversial? Disagree vehemently? Wanna fight about it? Well, read this first: <a href="/docs/Wet_Food_for_your_Cat_-_The_Better_Choice.pdf" target="_blank">Wet Food for your Cat ~ The Better Choice</a></p>
What does Transit Care have to do with DKC?
Answer
<h5>What does Transit Care have to do with DKC?</h5> <p>Glad you asked!</p> <p>DKC (i.e. Dubai Kennels & Cattery and DKC Veterinary Clinic) is the Animal Handler for Emirates Airline and dnata (and all airlines served by dnata) at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC). This means that we provide all care to all animals (pets, exotics, large and small mammals, fish, reptiles, birds, etc... but not horses at this time) which pass through DXB or DWC at any time of day or night, every day of the year.</p> <p>Now, not all types of animal always require "care" per se, but as and when needed, it is we who provide it. This will include the basics, such as water and food, but also inspection of travel crates and their repair or replacement as required; medical attention if needed; procurement and processing of special transit documents, etc. More than this, we are responsible for the general and overall monitoring and assessment of these animals, making decisions on a case-by-case basis as to their needs and providing those needs.</p> <p>The transit care period for all animals consists of basically three phases: taking animals off arriving aircraft and transporting them by air-conditioned vehicle from the aircraft to the AVI area (i.e. animal care area) of the airport for the duration of their transit stop in Dubai; the hours these animals spend in the AVI area being provided care of any kind, including feeding, watering, travel box repair or replacement, medical attention if needed (which thankfully is usually not needed), and anything else they might require or benefit from; and the transport of these animals from the AVI area to the next aircraft for their onward flight. DKC is not involved in the first and third phases because the airlines and airports have their own specialised crew for this, but we are indeed responsible for the care and attention provided to animals while they are in the AVI area.</p> <p>Airports are immensely complex places from the point of view of procedures and processes and the sheer number of people involved in... everything, including animal care. And DKC play this small but important part in the whole picture in Dubai.</p>
What do you mean by "Airport Oversight"?
Answer

First of all, we do not mean that we are in some way in charge of the airport! Goodness! No, tha

<h5>What do you mean by "Airport Oversight"?</h5><p>First of all, we do <em>not</em> mean that we are in some way in charge of the airport! Goodness! No, that's not at all what we mean. Sounds great, but no. <img alt="" src="/graphics/ic_smiley3.png"></p> <p>This is what we mean: In addition to providing "Transit Care" for animals in transit through Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) for Emirates SkyCargo, we are also responsible for the overall well-being and safety of <em>any</em> animal (except horses!) at DXB and DWC during the period of time when all these animals are actually in our care and control in the AVI area (i.e. the animal care area) of the airport, even if those animals are not transiting but instead are importing or exporting. In other words, although we have our own import and export shipments of animals, there are obviously many other imports and exports of animals into/out of DXB which are <em>not</em> DKC's own customers/shipments ~ instead they are shipments being handled by pet owners themselves or other shipping agents. Once these animals come into the airport, either after arrival in the country or while awaiting departure to... someplace somewhere, most of them are cleared or depart without requiring any care or attention of any kind because everything is in order with them and no special circumstances arise. However, while they are in the AVI area we provide the necessary oversight to ensure that they are indeed ok, and when there is a need for any additional attention, we are the ones who handle all that. In other words, our general "oversight" means that whether or not we are specifically needed by Emirates or dnata for a specific situation, we simply keep an eye on all animals in the AVI area of the airports to ensure things are alright; if any action is required, be it simple things such as a few minutes attention for a pet or something more serious requiring veterinary care, we take it.</p> <p>In truth, the vast majority of shipments require no additional attention by us because these animals are being properly handled by the shippers, pet owners and airlines. For what it's worth, nevertheless, we are around anyway. <img alt="" src="/graphics/ic_smiley3.png"></p>

Animal Care. Animal Relocations. By Animal People.

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