WIN with the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival!

The Abu Dhabi Pet Festival returns to the Du Arena again this year, on Friday April 13 from 2pm- 10pm.

This FREE, annual must-attend community event presents an entertaining and educational day for everyone, from the pet-loving public to exhibitors, and experts. The Pet Festival Abu Dhabi is designed to raise awareness about animal welfare and pet services within the UAE, including pet health, training, nutrition and fashion.

Here’s your chance to win a fantastic gift hamper for your pet from the lovely team at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival! Stuffed full of treats and toys, you’ll be able to choose either a cat hamper or a dog hamper, each worth AED500.

For your chance to enter, simply share a photo or video of your pet on Facebook or Instagram using hashtag #YallaPets and follow us @yallaabudhabi. We’ll select a winner on Thursday April 12 and your hamper will be ready to collect at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival at Du Arena.

Good luck!

With an exciting range of activities including the International Dog Show, agility competitions, and cat beauty contests there’s plenty to entertain spectators at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival. For something a bit more hands-on, there’ll also be a petting zoo, animal welfare programs, and veterinary specialists to educate children and adults on the importance of pet care and the resources available in the UAE. Here’s what you can expect from this year’s show…

The 7th International Dog Show takes place at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival, with competitions in ten different categories. Competitions will be held in-line with FCI dog show rules and regulations, and judged by FCI approved International Judges. The Registration of Dogs can be done online here, and at the venue one day before the show. There will be competitions for older dogs under Veteran Class and there are also prizes for Child handlers. Here is the full schedule of competitions:

1pm- 3pm: Registration

3pm: Group 1, 2, and 3

4pm: Group 4, 6, and 8

5pm: Group 5, 7, and 10

6pm: Group 9

7pm: Child handlers

8pm: Best in Show

9pm: Prize

The Feline Beauty Contest takes place from 4pm until 7pm at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival, with prizes available for “Best Kitten”, “Best Male”, “Best Female”, and many more. Participants can register here, or at the Show Registration Desk between 2pm and 3pm on the day to collect their cage numbers.

The Agility Rings at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival provide a great opportunity for dog owners to allow their dogs to compete at the event, regardless of whether they are complete beginners or experts. No time, no stress, no fear, it’s all about fun and happiness!  Pre-registration is not required for the Agility Rings, and owners can simply register their dogs at the venue on the day to collect their numbers. Entry fee is AED20 per dog.

The agility ring will be open from 2.30pm until 8pm, and winners will be selected from short listed entries from each round.

The Abu Dhabi Pet Festival will also feature an exciting demonstration by the UAE Police K9 Unit, presented by the Abu Dhabi Police Security Inspection Department. The demonstration will be held between 6pm and 7pm, and will include the dogs and their handlers in a show of total obedience, bonding and control. The dogs will later present several dramatic demonstrations of false run, attack, vehicle attack, and search and rescue missions, whilst children will also have the chance to compete with the dogs in fun games such as tug-of-war and “who pops their balloons first”!

There really is something for the whole family to enjoy at the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival! Kids can keep busy in designated play zones and fun craft bazaars, while families can dine at one of the event’s many food and beverage stalls. There’s even a petting zoo for children and adults to get up close to their favourite animals and learn a bit more about them.

Here’s what you need to know in order to take your pets to the Abu Dhabi Pet Festival:

• All pets entering the venue must have proof of vaccination within the last two years
• Extendable leashes are not permitted
• Dogs will be checked by vets and an expert team to assess them for aggressiveness, and coloured ribbons will be tied to collars based on the result of their assessment
• Any dog inside the venue without a ribbon will be sent for assessment or asked to leave the venue
• Dogs and cats entering competitions must go to separately marked registration areas in order to pay for registration fees
• Cats must be carried cat carriers
• All pets entering the venue must be registered at the Vet Check desk
• Owners are responsible for their pets and will be responsible for any damages caused to their pets or to others by their pets
• Pet owners bring their pets to the venue at their own discretion, organisers and officials take no responsibility for any accidents or incidents involving pets
• Owners of small breed dogs should keep their pets away from big dogs while inside the venue