We decided to resume our services due to the high demand by UAE residents, seeking a reliable and hassle-free way to purchase and import ethically bred and raised puppies directly from genuine, verified and trusted breeders. Many people struggle with the complexities of international pet adoption, and so we decided to continue providing a viable solution that ensures a smooth and ethical process.

Additionally, we now recognise a growing gap in ethical pet sourcing after Pets Habitat LLC was sold in 2023, and its ethics model was abandoned.

The new owner of Pets Habitat has strayed from the path of responsible sourcing model, partial evidence of this can be seen in the fact that the text on petshabitat.com remained unchanged from original content for at least two years post sale, while no puppies came from Italy in those years. The new owner has not traveled across Italy to source ethical pets, does not speak Italian, and has not personally met any of the breeders we used to work with (whether or not it is still the context of petshabitat.com today). In fact, none of known to us breeders in Italy have ever been contacted by new owner of Pets Habitat. We personally know many breeders we used to work with in Italy, no one came to visit them from UAE aside of us. If you check Pets Habitat puppies origin, which is no longer mentioned on petshabitat.com (the price and the age is not mentioned either, lacking transparency), none of the puppies come from Italy or from different breeders. Now days, Pets Habitat puppies seem to be coming from a single source...

Given this, we felt it was necessary to relaunch our services to uphold the standards of ethical pet sourcing that residents of UAE expect and deserve.

In short, we are Italians—we speak Italian, have worked closely with Italian breeders for many years, and know many of them personally. Over time, we've facilitated numerous exports from Italy for our customers. Most importantly, Italy upholds some of the highest standards in pet laws and regulations, ensuring strict compliance with animal welfare policies and leaving no room for leniency!

Can we find a puppy from another country? In some cases, yes. However, many private breeders in non-English-speaking regions may not have the language proficiency to navigate the complexities of animal export with complete accuracy. Therefore, we focus on countries where we share common languages (English, Italian, German, and Russian), and where the regulations permit export and import. Additionally, flying a young puppy alone from countries like the USA or Australia may not be ideal due to the extensive distance and thus long flight durations. Please let us know your preferences, but we encourage flexibility in your requests.

The cost of our service depends on several factors, including the price set by the breeder, the puppy’s lineage, the chosen airline, required documentation, breeder's location and distances, and many additional expenses. For example, transporting the puppy from the breeder’s home to the airport, to the goverment vet office, which in Italy often involves a long car journey, or additional boarding costs the breeder may charge to keep the puppy until his/her age to travel.

As for discounts, we always strive to keep costs as close to your expectations as possible, but this may not always be possible or feasible. More importantly, when welcoming a new family member, the focus should be on quality and care rather than seeking the lowest price. The puppy will live with you for at least a decade and hopefully longer. You want to invest now into a solid base for a happy and healthy decade together with minimal vet expenses within your pet's life.

To fly your puppy to Dubai, UAE, we primarily utilise Emirates SkyCargo, a service specifically designed to provide pets with the highest levels of care and attention. Emirates ensures that pets are transported with the utmost care, including a documented transit care timeline. Specially designed vehicles transfer pets between their temperature-controlled facilities at the airports and the aircraft, with expert staff ensuring safe boarding.

Additionally, we partner with Lufthansa Cargo, which offers the exclusive Frankfurt Animal Lounge. This state-of-the-art facility combines handling, animal coordination, and veterinary services under one roof, spanning approximately 4,000 square meters. A dedicated team of 50 employees and qualified animal caretakers ensure round-the-clock care for the pets during transit.

For some destinations under certain circumstances, if neither Emirates nor Lufthansa are available, we carefully select the most suitable carriers with a pet-friendly approach. Whenever possible, we consult with the new owner, as different airlines offer varying prices and levels of service.

I want to point out that some pet shops opt for the cheapest airlines to trasport puppies in bulk to save the costs as much as possible, which obviously lead to health issues, discomfort, unneccesary stress and emotional trauma in young puppies. While being the owner of Pets Habitat until 2023, I consistently used Emirates or Lufthansa from Italy, ensuring the highest standards of care for transported pets. This practice now stays in Pets Caboodle: I will not sacrifice animal wellbeing over a few hundred Euros!

We can search for any dog breed among the network of trusted dog breeders in Italy. However, we may refuse to source some breeds, those that may be completely unsuitable for life in UAE/GCC region in our opinion.

In the past, we imported Lagotto Romagnolo, Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd (all these breeds had hips tested and certified against hip dysplasia), Golden Retriever (hips tested and certified against hip dysplasia), German Sheppherd, Jack Russell Terrier, Beagle, English Cocker Spaniel, Miniature Dachshund, Bichon Frise, Mini Schanuzer, Poodles, Maltese, Yorkie, Coton de Tulear,  Chihuahua, and many others...

Potentially, we can source any breed, but availability varies. Some breeds are rare in Italy, some are restricted to certain countries, and others may not adapt well to specific climates and lifestyle limitations. We discourage importing larger, brachycephalic and some other breeds to the UAE, as they won't have a suitable environment to optimum living and exercise, as outdoor-friendly weather in GCC is limited to just a few months per year.

Additionally, breeds that shed excessively may not be ideal, especially in warmer climates. Hypoallergenic dogs are often the preferred choice for easier maintenance and comfort.

I suggest to read our Blog article Suitable Dogs Breeds for UAE for a more detailed perspective.

We are not a pet shop, so we do not have puppies readily available. Unlike some pet shops that respond with "in stock" when asked about a breed - reducing a living being to a mere inventory - we believe that a pet should be considered as a future family member, not a product.

As soon as you let us know which breed you are interested in, with possible alternative, we will begin the search. To search among the breeders and collect all the details and photos, videos may take a few days. Most breeders we know have full time jobs and busy family lives, so may not always be able to provide all the details with photos immediately (if we're lucky, they have all the details readily available on their phones. Otherwise, it usually takes a bit of back-and-forth communication to gather everything needed.). 

Then, once you select your puppy (or decide to reserve one from the upcoming litter), the time frame depends on the age of the puppy (or if the puppy has yet to be born). This process may take a few weeks or longer, as puppy may be too young to travel, some litters may not yet be born or are only in the planning stage. A responsible breeder will never overbreed. Ethical breeders typically have only one litter per year from the same mother, sometimes only once every two years. Many breeders we know adhere to the philosophy of "letting nature take its course", avoiding any form of intervention or encouragement to mate.

Rest assured, we will do everything possible to ensure your new canine family member joins you as soon as possible. However, this will always be done in alignment with nature’s timeline, ethical considerations, a strong commitment to animal welfare, and full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations

Yes, all the breeder details will be shared, and you will be able to contact them directly. You will always find the breeder's details, full address and contact number in your puppy's pet passport, health certificate, and all other official documents. However, please keep in mind that most Italian breeders may not have strong English skills.

As a side note, when visiting a pet shop, you're unlikely to find a breeder's name or contact number on a pet passport. Instead, you'll typically see a company name. However, if a breeder's name does appear, pay close attention - if the same name is listed on pet passports for more than two different breeds, this is a major red flag. It likely indicates not any ethical breeder but rather a middleman or part of a puppy mill operation.

It is important to do your research and take your time before committing to purchasing any pet. It's your right to ask for all the relevant documents, including the parents' pedigrees (preferably traceable online), health screenings, tests and records, pictures of the parents with the litter, and your puppy's background detailed information.

If these basic requirements are not readily available, pause and ask yourself: does this source seem reliable? Do I want to know everything about my new family member, or am I comfortable with vague or sketchy answers?

Your puppy will have an international Italian passport, complete with a matching microchip number, vaccinations, and the necessary treatments required for entry into the UAE. Additional treatments may also be included, following the breeder's protocol.

Before travel, an official veterinary doctor in Italy will issue a health certificate within 48 hours of departure. In many cases, your puppy will also come with a hard copy of its Italian ENCI pedigree, which may alternatively be sent directly to your address by the ENCI office. This pedigree records specific health tests of the puppy’s parents and grandparents and is accessible online.

What guarantee do you have to receive a healthy puppy from a pet shop or from a dodgy backyard breeder in UAE? I have founded and successfully managed a pet shop in Dubai for over 16 years, and I can confidently make a statement that no real guarantees exist when it comes to health or ethics. There are many different nuances making any guarantee a pet shop gives you obsolete.

The most reliable guarantee for you, as an ethically committed pet enthusiast, is rooted in your own research and the questions you ask. Beyond that, of course, there is also legal liability—alongside moral responsibility—that ensures we uphold our commitments

Absolutely not! Absolutely not! We are firmly opposed to all forms of animal cruelty, including tail docking - a practice that has been banned in the EU (except when necessary) and in many other parts of the world. So your puppy's tail will never be altered in any way. We cherish our animals exactly as nature intended them to be.

First of all, ask to see pet passport for 2-3 different breeds of puppies available in the same pet shop (if the pet shop staff hesitate or refuse – walk away without wasting your time!). Roughly on pages 4-6 of the passport, you will be able to read details of ownership of the puppy, details of the puppy, the microchip number, and the official passport issuing vet office in the country of origin. If under “details of ownership” you read company name, or the same person’s name/address for different puppies, the same “issuing of the passport” address/name among several puppies' passports – the puppies are not coming from a breeder.

When a puppy comes from a breeder, every breed will have different breeder’s name, different passport issuing office details (it is unlikely that the same office would issue the passports for various breeds of puppies, ending up at the same pet store but from different breeders). If all the different breeds of puppies come from all the same ownership (and the same passport issuing office between differen breeds), in simple terms this means that puppies come from one facility that can only be a commercial breeding setup or a broker, who gathers and keeps puppies for trade purposes. Such commercial activities should never be supported by genuine pet lovers, because commercial mass production and trade of pets is never a place of love, care or welfare. I don’t think I need to list all the obvious points and bore you with repetition of common sense discussions.