Hey everyone,
Pets are an integral part of a lot of families. So much so that they would never consider moving abroad without them. Before doing so, it would be important to know the pet culture in Portugal just to make sure that their little “expets” feel welcomed in their new homes. Would you give our expats-to-be an insight of what it is like to have a pet in Portugal by answering the following questions?
What part do pets play in society in Portugal? Are they generally accepted in rentals and public spaces more generally?
Is it common for families to have pets?
What animal is the most often kept as pets? Are there some animals that cannot be kept as pets? Do some animals have specific significations when kept as pets?
How about the infrastructure needed to cater for pets? Can you find everything you need for your pet in terms of pet food, veterinary services, accessories, pet grooming etc...?
Do people generally spend a lot of money on their pets?
Please share your experience,
Priscilla
The pet culture in Portugal
Hi there,
It's a tough life for dog owners, I can't take MaggieMay in any shop and she's accepted only outside in bars.
Renting holiday accomodation: check with the owners as pets are often not welcomed. Renting long-term: you might have a few problems finding an accomodation.
It's not that Portuguese don't like pets, quite the opposite, but home owners prefer to rent to non-pet owners.
In fact, more and more families and also singles have pets in Portugal and pet food is sold a bit everywhere. Finding no-frills accessories is also quite easy.
A small percentage of vet invoices can be deducted form your Income tax return.
Strange but true: sometimes vets are pet groomers too, however your dog may have to wait a bit (once MaggieMay had to wait 6 hours because of an emergency 
).
You can find pet pensions in the countryside, but I've never used one so far.
Hope this can help...
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