boarding & daycare

gotta book early!

Got Questions?

more info...

animal care by animal people the kennels, the catteries & the kennatteries the lounge the aviary smanimals... our other creatures love... and other stuff too weight loss or gain while boarding prices & admission requirements gotta book early!

Remember... if you snooze, you lose.

For about 5 months of the year, especially during the below-listed periods, we are sooooo fully booked that we just cannot serve everyone who wants to board their pets with us.

Summer, from 15 June to 15 September
Christmas & New Year, from 15 December to 15 January

We really hate not being able to take all of you in. Really. So here we try to help:

Book early!
Book as early as you can! Recent years suggest that for the most flexible summer boarding reservations you really need to try to start booking with us as early as 9-10 months in advance, believe it or not, and certainly no later than 6 months in advance. For Christmas/New Year, start before the preceding summer. We do realise that booking this early for most people is practically impossible, but demand is very high, so please do your best to settle your travel plans as early as you can. Frustratingly, if you try booking closer to these periods than we're recommending, getting the dates you strictly want or need becomes increasingly hit and miss.
Book anytime!
Yes, of course you can book anytime. Of course you can. If you can be more flexible with your own travel dates, then book with us when you're ready and we will do everything we can to fit you in by giving you all the date options available.

You can book any time ~ just contact us.

Waiting list:
If the dates you want are unavailable, we'll offer to put you on our waiting list. Now, this list is always very long, so in fairness we really can't promise you'll get a spot, but it is also very dynamic because of rescheduled bookings and cancellations. So, let us know if you'd like to be included; not everyone, but many, do ultimately get a place.
Those Pesky Competitors:
The sad and frustrating truth is that, in the end, we simply cannot serve everyone during our busiest periods ~ we do wish we could. So, if all else fails and you need to look for alternatives, get in touch and we'll try to help.

Will you board my bird • rabbit • ferret • guinea pig • hamster • mouse • lizard • snake... any animal at all?

Answer

You bet! Just about any animal at all.

And we have quite a lot of knowledge about these an

<h3>Will you board my bird • rabbit • ferret • guinea pig • hamster • mouse • lizard • snake... any animal at all?</h3> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_30.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>You bet! Just about any animal at all.</p> <p>And we have quite a lot of knowledge about these animals too, so it's not just a matter of sticking them somewhere in our facility and hoping for the best. We've spent a lot of time and energy over the years making sure that we have handlers who have real knowledge and experience in dealing with all manner of domestic pet and exotics, including and especially appropriate feeding and enclosures/spaces for them. And if there's anything we don't know, we have excellent contacts in the realm of wildlife husbandry and care who we can talk to.</p> <p>Take a look here: <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/pet-boarding-other-animals" target="_blank">Other Creatures Too</a></p></div>

Boarding Reservations: How far in advance do I have to book?

Answer

Now that's an important question!

During more than half the year, you can book anytime, ev

<h3>Boarding Reservations: How far in advance do I have to book?</h3><p>Now <em>that's</em> an important question!</p> <p>During more than half the year, you can book anytime, even last minute, and we'll be able to take your pet in. No problem.</p> <p>During about 5 months of the year, things are a bit more complicated than that. Take a look at <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/gotta-book-early" target="_blank">Gotta Book Early!</a></p>

Do you collect/deliver outside Dubai?

Yep. Outside Dubai...

...and outside the UAE if need be. Contact us for pricing.

Can I have pictures of my pet while I'm away? Do you have a webcam?

Answer

<h3>Can I have pictures of my pet while I'm away? Do you have a webcam?</h3> <p>Pictures? Yesssiiirrree! And not just that! We also do videos! (Don't get <em>too</em> excited, now.) We call it <span class="span_link cursorpointer" data-href="/pet-pics-and-videos">Pics & Videos of the DKC Litter</span>. Take a look! If you let us know you'd like a dedicated set of pics or a video of your pet while you're away, we'll make an album for you and post on the page. But we don't stop there: we also post our "DKC Weekly Photo Shoot" on our <span class="span_link cursorpointer" data-href="http://facebook.com/dkc.animal.people">Facebook</span> page, which includes just a couple of pics of all the animals currently staying with us ~ including yours, of course.</p> <p>As for the webcam thing... sorry, no, we don't have webcams.</p> <p>(Did we just spoil it for you?)</p>

What are your opening hours?

Take a look...

...at our Two-Legged Timings for Boarding, Daycare, Relocations and our Veterinary Clinic.

What are your vehicles like? How will my pet travel?

Answer

<h3>What are your vehicles like? How will my pet travel?</h3> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_52.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>We use converted passenger vans (such as the Toyota Hiace) which have been heavily modified for our pet collection and delivery service. Take a look at <a href="/what-we-do/collection-delivery" target="_blank">Collection & Delivery</a>.</p> <p>Now, as we've said, these are people-passenger vans, <em><strong>not</strong></em> cargo vans; this is an important distinction because passenger vans have windows all round the vehicle so that plenty of light gets in, and also high-quality air-conditioning throughout. Furthermore, we've added fans to create even better air circulation.</p> <p>All the seats have been removed, of course, and replaced by metal flooring with embedded hooks, so when we put your pet and her/his travel box into the van, we can use strong ties to secure the boxes in-place.</p> <p>And finally, there's no partition between our handlers who are driving the vans and your pets in the back, which means we always know what's going on and your pets aren't isolated at all during the trip.</p> <p>And just so you know, we transport any animal in these vehicles, not just your dogs and cats.</p> <p>Oh, and one more thing: We do <em>not</em> have "drivers". The same Animal Handlers who take care of your pets when in our care are the ones who will come to your home for Collection & Delivery.</p></div>

What are your vehicles like? How will my pet travel?

We use converted passenger vans (such as the Toyota...

What's your daycare service like?

Answer

<h3>What's your daycare service like?</h3> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_pet_photo_32.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>Dogs in daycare with us basically follow the same routine throughout the day that all our boarders do, including playtime in our large sandy, tree-filled yards, mixing with other dogs (if you let us), food (of course!) and generally lots and lots of excitement while in their enclosures because of all the other dogs around and the many many many staff we have constantly checking in and constantly around and about. Why don't you come and see for yourself?</p> <p>See our <a href="/about-dkc/two-legged-timings" target="_blank">Two-Legged Timings</a>. We even work out a schedule for those of you who need to drop-off and pick-up schedule outside these hours.</p></div>

What's your daycare service like?

Dogs in daycare with us...

Do you have a vet on-site?

Answer

No, we do not have a vet on-site.

However, that really should not worry you. Our own vets

<h3>Do you have a vet on-site?</h3> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_48.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>No, we do not have a vet <em>on-site</em>.</p> <p>However, that really should not worry you. Our own vets at <a href="/what-we-do/dkc-veterinary-clinic" target="_blank">DKC Veterinary Clinic</a> are available to our boarding staff 24 hours a day, every single day of the year, so if anything is ever wrong we do have the resources that you and your pet need.</p> <p>Furthermore, in almost all cases when a pet is needing veterinary attention, it is not an emergency situation. So we will be able to book appointments with our own clinic or your preferred vet if you wish, and we will also of course always let you know in advance that we are doing that unless for some reason you are unreachable and it cannot wait.</p> <p>Finally, because of <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/love-and-other-stuff-too" target="_blank">the way we work</a> on a daily basis, we almost always discover very early if there are any developing problems, which also does a lot to keep your pet well and, most importantly, to avoid emergency situations almost all the time.</p></div>

Do I need to make an appointment?

Answer

We genuinely love having people just drop by and look around both our locations in Umm Ramool (Bo

<h3>Do I need to make an appointment?</h3><p>We genuinely love having people just drop by and look around both our locations in <a href="/about-dkc/howl-we-get-there#dkcmap" target="_blank">Umm Ramool</a> (Boarding, Daycare, Relocations) and <a href="/about-dkc/howl-we-get-there#dkcvetmap" target="_blank">Motor City</a> (Veterinary Clinic).</p> <p>If you want to relocate your pet into or out of Dubai, or if you need veterinary care, then we do indeed need you to contact us to make an appointment... but we promise we won't make that difficult. <img alt="" src="/graphics/ic_smiley3.png"></p> <p>If, however, you just want to see either of our facilities and look around, to see where your pet will live while you're away and he's boarding or while she's in veterinary care, and to have a chat with our Animal Handlers... then just come on down any time during our <a href="/about-dkc/two-legged-timings" target="_blank">Two-Legged Timings</a>.</p> <p>If you want to actually reserve boarding space for your pet, then yes, you do need to contact us in advance. How far in advance? Well, that depends on the time of year. Take a look at <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/gotta-book-early" target="_blank">Gotta Book Early! </a>If you've already booked your pet in for boarding, then you can also just come in whenever you're ready on the day during our Two-Legged Timings (or of course you can arrange for <a href="/what-we-do/collection-delivery" target="_blank">Collection & Delivery</a>).</p>

Which vaccinations does my pet need?

Answer

<h3>Which vaccinations does my pet need?</h3> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_17.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>If you're relocating your pet into the UAE, the best place to get this information is on our <a href="/what-we-do/global-relocations/pet-imports" target="_blank">Pet Imports</a> page and in our document <em>Relocating Pets into the UAE</em>.</p> <p>If you're planning to board your pet with us, or partake of doggy daycare, then take a look at our <a href="/what-we-do/boarding-daycare/prices-admission-requirements">prices & admission requirements</a>.</p> <p>Research and reading is just so much fun, don't you agree?</p></div>

Which vaccinations does my pet need?

If you're relocating your pet into...

Do I get a discount if I bring my own food?

Answer

<h3>Do I get a discount if I bring my own food?</h3> <p>Sorry about this, but no. Food for your pets is, of course, a cost for us but another very significant cost factor is the actual time, effort and resource to do the feeding itself. With all the pets we have in our care, special feeding, even if it's your own food, requires that much more involvement.</p> <p>We hope you understand.</p>

Do you have discounts for long-term boarding or buddy-boarding?

We sure do.

Take a look at our price list.

If your pet boards with us for 28 or more consecutive days, we give you a 10% discount; if 60 days within a year, you get 7 days free boarding for future use. Also, if your pet buddy-boards with another family's pet, then it's a 20% discount! Yay!!