Animal owners in the UAE are being urged to consider potential relocation costs before taking on pets.
One expert said she had witnessed a spike in enquiries over shipping fees during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The coronavirus outbreak has had an economic impact in the Emirates and across the globe, leading many people to return to their home countries.
Rescue centre staff are concerned those forced to leave the country after losing work may abandon their pets as a result of expensive fees.
It is sensible to start an exit fund once you take as animal on so there are no nasty surprises.
Amanda Hyden, owner of the Pet Sitting Company in Abu Dhabi, has had a surge in calls over relocation of animals during recent months.
“About 70 per cent of the people I speak with have no idea of the process or the costs involved,” she said.
Those travelling back to the US can arrange a transfer of their pets from up to five days before the planned departure, whereas the timescale for Australia, Singapore and New Zealand can be up to six months.
Ms Hyden said preparations to fly pets home should begin well in advance of any move date as some countries demand pets have up-to-date vaccinations.
“Most people have picked up their pets here in the UAE, so often have a nasty shock when they see how much they have to pay, especially for the health checks and certificates they may not have considered,” she said.
Saving funds in advance to fly pets home could soften the blow of unexpected animal transit costs.
Sarah Laidlaw planned to leave her post in Abu Dhabi as a veterinary receptionist in March and return to Scotland where her 10-year-old son could be closer to family.
As she prepared to organise the transit of her two rescue dogs and a cat, she was shocked to realise the costs involved.
As the coronavirus pandemic hit and international borders closed, Ms Laidlaw’s plans were put on hold giving her more time to raise the cash to fly her two three-legged dogs and a cat to Glasgow.
“All my pets were rescued from the streets and the dogs were especially traumatised,” said Ms Laidlaw, who has taken up a post supporting the homeless near Edinburgh.
"When I adopted the dogs from Animal Action I was in different circumstances and never thought it would be a problem to relocate them when moving home.
“I ended up a single mum and without a job.
“I had done my best to save some money, but it wasn’t nearly enough.”
Ms Laidlaw had no choice but to ask for help and borrow money from friends to ship Mason, a 5-year-old three-legged Saluki, and Willow, another three-legged dog, back to Scotland alongside her cat, Paddy.
Expenses included an import and export health certificate attested by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, priced Dh425 for each animal, and other veterinary services.
Travel crates can cost up to Dh500 per pet, while airport arrival fees pushed the price up further.
Boarding, ground transport and service fees were other costs while the main Dubai to Glasgow flight ticket came to Dh12,750.
One donor to come forward to help was Claire Laing, who contributed Dh10,000 towards the bill.
“We originally thought the cost would be about Dh9,000, but that then doubled quite quickly with all these extra charges,” said Ms Laing, who moved her own German shepherd dog to Dubai from Ethiopia in 2019.
“The final invoice was more than Dh23,000 for her three pets, but luckily there were other donors who also helped.”
Ms Laidlaw had few options, as rescue charities said rehoming two disabled dogs in the UAE would prove difficult.
“Both dogs had three legs so they were less adoptable, because of that we helped organise the relocation process,” said Sarita Harding, an animal rescue volunteer working in the UAE.
“The dogs would not have gone anywhere had it not been for Claire putting up some of the money.”
The charity currently has 80 dogs and 30 cats on its books and is running a large trap neuter release programme in Abu Dhabi to reduce the number of strays.
Ms Harding urged anyone looking to take on a pet to consider the cost of flying animals home when they leave the country.
“It is important people are prepared for these kind of costs when they take on dogs as there are considerable costs involved,” she said.
“Depending on the size of the dog, the crates can be quite large and that has a cost to ship by air.
“It is sensible to start an exit fund once you take an animal on so there are no nasty surprises.”
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The biog
Favourite pet: cats. She has two: Eva and Bito
Favourite city: Cape Town, South Africa
Hobby: Running. "I like to think I’m artsy but I’m not".
Favourite move: Romantic comedies, specifically Return to me. "I cry every time".
Favourite spot in Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat beach
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
Company%20Profile
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