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Pets can be imported into the United Arab Emirates via any of the four international airports of Dubai (DXB and DWC (with special permission)), Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Sharjah (SHJ), as well as by road, and we service all of these.

To import a dog into the UAE, or indeed a cat, a bird, or uhhh... any pet really, there is basically only one requirement ~ an import permit. This said, acquiring this import permit has a number of its own requirements too! (Isn't that always the way! )

So, for a detailed explanation of all that you could possibly want to know about importing any type of pet into the UAE ("Pet passport"?? "Dog passport"?? "Cat passport"?? Do you need those??! Oh, and do you have a pet rock?! ), as well as a full listing of all our services and fees, just set yourself down and study, study, study our document Relocating Pets into the UAE (which will no doubt both inform you and bore you to death!). And while you're at it, take a look at the other supporting forms and documents too!

In addition to all this (yes, there's more!), we are a boarding and daycare facility and a veterinary service, so you might want to snoop around our site to get a full picture of all the things we can do for you.

After you've read, we know you might want to talk. That's fine too ~ give us a call.

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Find animal shippers worldwide here and here.

Can DKC manage both the import and export sides of my pet's or other animal's relocation?
Answer

Definitely yes! For sure! Yup!

Well... maybe. Read on.

There are two parts to any

<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 I meet DKC at the airport when you import my pet?
Answer

How do we say this nicely?

No, sorry. When you give us responsibility to clear your pet t

<h5>Can I meet DKC at the airport when you import my pet?</h5><p>How do we say this nicely?</p> <p>No, sorry. When you give us responsibility to clear your pet through Customs upon arrival in the UAE, we ask that you do not meet us at the airport for the clearance process. The clearance process is time-consuming and at times tedious, so we know from experience that having eager and sometimes anxious customers with us can actually make the process more stressful for everyone involved, including us, you and airport staff. We know this is not exactly the response you're looking for but we ask that you trust us to get through the whole process as quickly as possible and we do promise to get your pet to you without delay. There is also the matter of our access rights to secure areas of the airport, which you would not have.</p> <p>There are also customers who ask us to handle their pet's clearance but to then hand over their pet to them while still at the airport. This too we avoid because: first, it's simply not possible or safe to remove your pet from her travel box at the airport so that you can greet each other properly and as you would want to, which we've learned can itself be distressing for both you and your pet; second, and again, it places unnecessary stress on the clearance process and on those involved because they know that you all are eagerly awaiting that precious hand-over of your ever-so-precious pet - in the end, from the time of your pet's arrival through to the completion of the clearance process usually takes between 3.5 and 5.5 hours, and the best way to get through that time is to just relax, let us do our work for you, and wait for us to contact you when we're done.</p> <p>And remember, most arrivals are in the middle of the night, so wouldn't you rather be at home, relaxing or sleeping (if you can!), until we're done?</p> <p>We have a number of options you can choose from regarding how and when you will be reunited with your pet once we've finished clearing her for you, including:</p> <ul> <li>Meeting us at our facility after the clearance. In this case, we call you when we are finished and we meet you at our facility (even in the middle of the night), which is just 10 minutes away from the airport.</li> <li>Delivering your pet to your home immediately after clearance. When we're about to leave the airport, we'll call you to let you know we're on our way to you.</li> <li>Collecting your pet yourself from our facility the next morning, once we've opened to our customers for the usual workday. Take a look at our <a href="/about-dkc/two-legged-timings" target="_blank">Two-Legged Timings</a>.</li> </ul> <div> </div> <div>Just talk to us to work out the details.</div>
Is the canine cough vaccination absolutely necessary for my dog to board/daycare?
Answer
<h5>Is the canine cough vaccination absolutely necessary for my dog to board/daycare?</h5> <p>The canine cough vaccine is an additional vaccination generally needed only for dogs who stay in a kennels, daycare or any other community of dogs for any period of time. It is often referred to as "kennel cough" because people understandably associate the "cough", and therefore the vaccine, with kennels, but in fact it's an illness, similar to a human cold or flu, which can be caught and spread around in any community of dogs, much like a human cold caught by kids at school or adults in an office environment.</p> <p><span xss=removed data-mce-mark="1">This is because canine cough is airborne and highly contagious, which is why it can spread through kennels quickly, when dogs are in close proximity to each other and are barking and playing and running around. It is also transmitted by bacteria on toys, food bowls or other shared objects. Although highly contagious, it is generally not a very severe upper respiratory infection, causing "only" a dry, irritating and hacking cough. Kennels facilities use the vaccination as a way to limit outbreaks and to prevent the spread of the illness if it happens to be brought into the facility by an affected pet. Most facilities will not accept a dog without this vaccination being up-to-date and it is a good idea to have it administered because it generally either prevents or reduces the severity of the disease if it is indeed contracted.</span></p> <p><span xss=removed data-mce-mark="1">If your dog regularly, or even annually, spends time in a kennels, daycare or dog park (or with any group of dogs in any situation), it's a real good idea to keep this vaccination current, even if not asked for or required by the facility you're using.</span></p>
Food and water for my pet's journey?
Answer
<h5>Food and water for my pet's journey?</h5> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_11.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>First of all, to be clear, and VERY importantly, there must <em>always</em> be water available before, during and after the journey. This said, don't overly concern yourself if your pet is not drinking huge amounts before you take her to the airport just because you've given it to her. Let your pet behave normally, drink as she wants, and relax. The key here is that water <em>must always be <strong>available</strong></em> (which is why all travel boxes have a water bowl in them).</p> <p>As to food, however, while there certainly are exceptions, it's actually best that most animals (including dogs and cats) travel on an empty (or close-to-empty) stomach. We understand that you worry your pet will be hungry, especially if it's a long-haul journey, but we ask that you trust this bit of very important advice:</p> <ul> <li>Do not feed your dog or cat for at the very least 4 hours before you drop them off at the airport for departure, and preferably longer. At DKC, we generally aim for about 8-10 hours.<br><br></li> </ul> <p>Unlike human beings who need (or <em>feel</em> they need) to eat regularly, many types of animal, including dogs and cats and others (though, again, there are exceptions to this), are very capable of and even comfortable with going without food for a good 24 hours. Of course we agree that this is not what you want to do every day but in an air-travel situation, we promise you that all your pets and animals will be just fine. In fact, they will be better than if you do feed them because of the:</p> <ul> <li>Reduced likelihood of nausea/vomiting in case they have any kind of reaction to the movement of their crate or as a result of anxiety (though it should be said that vomiting under any circumstances is quite rare).</li> <li>Dramatically reduced risk of toileting (urine and faeces) in their travel box, which means they stay cleaner and more comfortable overall.<br><br></li> </ul> <p>Sound scary? Try not to worry too much. This approach really does work very well indeed.</p></div>
Food and water for my pet's journey?
First of all, to be clear, and VERY...
Is it safe to bring my pet into the heat of the UAE?
Answer
<h5>Is it safe to bring my pet into the heat of the UAE?</h5> <p>Yes it is safe. In fact, thousands of pets are imported into the UAE each year; the vast majority do perfectly well here, regardless of the breed.</p> <p>What about those which don't do well? Fundamentally, when things go wrong (such as dehydration and/or heatstroke), it is about how these pets are managed rather than their innate inability to cope with the heat or the fact of the heat being prohibitive. Yes, the UAE is VERY hot for at least 4 or 5 months of the year, and yes you must be careful about this during these periods, but isn't it extremely cold in January in Canada? Or hot in Texas in July? Aren't there any number of locations around the world with extreme temperatures at certain times of the year? And aren't there pets in these places too? Of course there are.</p> <p>You should be aware of the dangers of the heat here, but if you're thoughtful about this, you should be neither worried nor overly concerned. Do some research on the internet and talk to your UAE-based vet for guidance about things to watch out for, and at the most basic level be aware of such things as not&nbsp;leaving your dog or cat outside during the hottest periods of the year for too long, and always make sure there is plenty of water readily available, even if you're going for a walk.</p> <p>There is more to learn about this and plenty of information available from any number of sources. But yes, in short, it is safe to bring your pet.</p>
Sedation: Should I or shouldn't I?
Answer
<h5>Sedation: Should I or shouldn't I?</h5> <div class="faq_ans_img"><img loading="lazy" src="https://d12fifzdy7ujh4.cloudfront.net/images/faqs/faq_pet_photo_12.jpg"></div> <div class="faq_ans_text"><p>In almost all cases, absolutely <strong><span class="underline">not</span></strong>.<br><br>We very strongly recommend against tranquilizing or sedating animals for flight, as does just about every professional shipper worldwide ~ in fact, the vast majority of airlines will not even accept an animal if it has been so treated.<br><br>The main problem is that tranquilizers and sedatives affect the respiratory and circulatory systems by slowing them down quite a bit. While this is almost never a problem in normal circumstances, at altitude and in aircraft air-pressure, it can lead to physiological distress.<br><br>We are not saying that it is never done, and of course we are not saying it always leads to problems, but because there is a widely recognised increase in health risk, even if minimal, the usual approach is to avoid it unless absolutely necessary.<br><br>When is it absolutely necessary? Well, basically you need to ask: Will the stress which my pet will feel be so extremely serious that he will probably experience health problems or even physical injury while in transit, such that the risk of medication is actually less than the risk of anxiety?<br><br>Some people are so worried about their pets and other animals that this question becomes difficult for them to answer, but our experience is that in 99.9% of the cases, it is the human being who is suffering the most anxiety, albeit from understandable worry. You'd be amazed to see just how casual so many travelling animals are once they've arrived at the other end of the journey.</p> <p>And if you <em>are</em> seriously considering medication, look to <em>anxiolytics </em> instead of sedatives ~ these act differently on the pet's system and are probably safer, though we are still strongly recommending against the use of any medication at all, if at all possible. This said, there are herbal and homeopathic remedies that some feel are helpful alternatives and are usually readily available at pet shops and other locations in the form of sprays, tablets and even food.<br><br>Give it all some thought, speak to your vet, and please be cautious.</p></div>
Sedation: Should I or shouldn't I?
In almost all cases, absolutely...

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