We've had a dog for a little over a year now. It has been a lot of effort but definitely worth all the hassle. They take up much of our time but we are not complaining, because at the end of the day, they are the ones who lick your nose when you lie in bed and sit on your lap while you're reading a book.
I might not be a dog expert but here are some of the things that I've encountered or experienced about being a pet parent in Qatar:
As I've said before here, we got Marco from a vet and Dexi, we adopted from my aunt. So we don't really have experience in bringing-in a dog from overseas.
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| You can never take the perfect family photo with two dogs. |
As I've said before here, we got Marco from a vet and Dexi, we adopted from my aunt. So we don't really have experience in bringing-in a dog from overseas.
- The different types of cab drivers
- We usually get turned down when the drivers spot the dogs. The biggest number to turn us down in one day was 5 drivers (imagine a hot day in August and you have to take the dog to the vet).
- Once we do get a cab, some drivers beg us to please hold them tightly. I get that some people are really afraid of small, fluffy creatures, but there was one cabbie who told us to put our precious MarcoBear in the trunk. Can you even believe that guy?
- Well, in all fairness to cab drivers, fifty percent of the time, we get really friendly ones who even want to take photos with Marco and Dexi.
- Walking the dogs
- Unlike in any other country, dogs are not allowed in parks here in Qatar. You can only take them to the Corniche, but only the small breeds and they must be on the leash at all times. which is actually acceptable because this is for the safety of everybody. There are times when I want to take them to MIA Park or Aspire Park, but who am I to be so choosy, right?
- I get to walk them around our block to a little patch of grass (Marco's favorite, by the way, he could stay there all day) two blocks away from the house. Still fine, as long as we are allowed to stay there for as long as we want.
- You meet different kinds of people
- Like cabbies, not everybody we pass-by wants to snuggle or pet them. This is normal, but the thing with Dexi is that when she senses somebody is afraid of her, she gets really aggressive and barks at that person non-stop.
- Most of the time, we get to talk with absolute strangers - people who we wouldn't even imagine be talking to us if we didn't have a pooch in tow.
- Vets and grooming cost a fortune
- As much as possible, we don't want to bring Marco and Dexi to the groomers - we do take them for grooming at least twice a year. We try to bathe them and blow-dry their fur ourselves. It could be messy but as refreshing afterwards as if you took a bath yourself.
- Dog shampoo - the good kind - is a little expensive here, we tend to buy it from the Philippines.
- Vets are costly here in Doha but we're glad we found a Filipino vet who almost always gives us free stuff. He would throw-in free nail trimming/ear cleaning for both Marco and Dexi. Consultation cost QR50 (compared to QR150 for other vets).
If you have plans to adopt a dog/cat, there are many shelters in Qatar that need your help. Check out these amazing organizations that re-home rescued animals:
- 2nd Chance Rescue - a nonprofit, no kill Rescue Shelter which takes in injured, abused and abandoned animals; nurses them back to health, and works effortlessly to find them their forever loving home.
- QAWS - Qatar Animal Welfare Society - Run by volunteers, QAWS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of animals in Qatar.
- Wednesday, April 22, 2015
- 9 Comments
