Pets

Many people view their pets as another member of the family so if you are planning on staying in The Netherlands for a while, you might decide to bring them with you. 

The Dutch love to have pets, and you will find a lot of pet shops, pet products, veterinarians pet grooming services (trimsalon) and kennels (hondenpension, hondenhotel or hondenopvang) as well as pet-friendly restaurants and stores.

If you are looking to adopt a pet in the Netherlands there are several shelters throughout the country. Luckily they have a website, Ik Zoek Baas, with the profiles of all the animals looking for a new home. It is in Dutch but and you can filter by species, location and other characteristics. Verhuisdieren is another organisation for adopting or rehoming pets. If you prefer buying, check out pet stores and local breeders. Be aware though to choose a responsible breeder and look out for poor animal practices.

If you plan to travel here with an animal, it’s important to know the rules and expectations of the Netherlands when bringing your pet here.