By Joey Aguilar
Staff Reporter
Adopting or taking rescued pets back home may not be as costly as some animal lovers in Doha expect it to be.
Those willing to take an animal to their homeland need to pay a QR10 fee to secure the required permit from Qatar’s Ministry of Environment, Department of Animal Resources (MoE-DAR), said Zyron Pineda, chairman of Pinoy Animal Lovers (PAL).
PAL is a non-profit group recognised by the MoE-DAR.
While many people in the country are keen to adopt pets, what prevents them from proceeding further is the perceived high cost of securing documents. According to Pineda, some groups reportedly refer people to private clinics, which charge QR4,000 to QR5,000 for vaccination and other services.
Not everyone is aware that much cheaper options are available as well. “In our case, we refer them to the MoE-DAR, which offers free neutering, medical checkup and a number of services needed to secure a permit,” he noted. “A lot of people want to adopt but they do not know how.”
PAL is distributing informative materials about the procedures of taking pets to the Philippines. For other nationalities, the procedures and requirements in their respective countries may differ.
One requires an import permit from the Bureau of Animal Industry in the Philippines to secure an export permit in Qatar.
Some of the requirements to get the export permit include an updated (micro-chipped) vaccination record and a permit from the MoE-DAR 10 days prior to the scheduled flight.
PAL noted that the import permit is valid for two months only and pets aged four months and above are the only ones allowed to be imported to the Philippines.
Pre-registration is required for a Qatar Airways flight. This can be done by calling 4449-6666 48 hours before the flight, according to PAL.
Meanwhile, the group said adopting pets in Qatar comes with big responsibility and negligence will land one in trouble.
Spaying and neutering animals, as well as keeping their identification up to date, and following Qatar’s licensing laws are part of responsible ownership, PAL further notes.
As most of the cats and dogs they have are rescued animals, PAL says some may have behavioural problems and need a lot of understanding and patience. One probable factor for their condition is cruelty and trauma experienced at the hands of the previous owner. “But we are not trying to discourage anyone as most of the rescued pets are very sweet,” the group added.
PAL rescues one or two animals almost every day and mostly keeps them in their members’ houses and villas. Volunteers have also built a temporary shelter in the Industrial Area for pets.
Pineda said they do not accept any donation except dog and cat food.
