Pet-friendly maids and nannies in the UAE

Her usual job in a home with pets, plus any pet care you agree. That can include:

• Feeding and fresh water, at the times you set
• Walks and play for a dog, if she's comfortable
• Cleaning up after pets, such as litter trays and pet hair
• Keeping pets and children safe together
• Her other duties, such as cleaning, laundry, cooking or childcare

Because not every helper is comfortable with animals. Some have never lived with pets, some are afraid of dogs, and some have allergies. Choosing a helper who is already happy around cats or dogs avoids a difficult start for her, for you and for your pets.

Through her profile. A helper can say she is fine with a cat or a dog in the home, or list pet-friendly as a skill, and this page shows helpers with either. On the helpers page, choosing A cat or A dog shows the same helpers. Being fine with pets doesn't always mean she has cared for them, so ask what she has done before.

Real comfort with animals, and the skills for the rest of the job. Choose on skills and experience, not nationality. Look for:

• Experience with your kind of pet: a large dog is a different job from a cat.
• Calm, confident handling, especially with children and pets together.
• Good hygiene habits, such as washing her hands after pet care and keeping pet food apart from family food.
• No allergies to the animals you keep.
• References from families with pets.

Ask about the pets she has lived with, and introduce her to yours if you can:

• Has she lived or worked in a home with a cat or a dog, and what did she do for them?
• Is she comfortable walking a dog, feeding pets and cleaning up after them?
• Does she have any allergies, or any fear of particular animals?
• How would she keep a toddler and a dog safe together?
• What would she do if a pet became ill or got out of the house?

Which pet care is part of her job, in writing. Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022, the UAE's law on domestic workers, sets what her contract must cover, and MOHRE (the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) sets the standard contract form. A domestic worker's contract must be on MOHRE's standard form and state, among other terms, the nature and place of the work and the worker's total pay and how it is paid. Agree feeding, walks, litter and grooming, and which of them are hers, alongside the rest of her work.

Adding pet care later, or a new pet, is a change to talk through with her. The Decree-Law sets a condition for giving her a different kind of work. An employer may not give a domestic worker a different kind of work from the contracted job unless the worker explicitly agrees and the new job is one of the listed domestic occupations. We found no official page that says which everyday tasks count as a different kind of work, so agree any change with her first.

Around the pets' routine and her rest. Dog walks early and late can stretch a helper's day, so plan them within her hours. The Decree-Law sets her rest:

• A domestic worker is entitled to at least 12 hours of rest a day, of which at least 8 must be consecutive.
• A domestic worker is entitled to one paid day off a week.

It depends on the helper and the job, as for any role. Each helper lists her own salary range on her profile. When enough helpers match this page, it shows the median and middle range of what pet-friendly helpers ask. Budget separately for pet food, vet bills and grooming.

In five steps:

1. Browse the helpers on this page and watch their video CVs.
2. Shortlist those with experience of your kind of pet and the rest of the job.
3. Contact her directly. Families contact helpers directly on WhatsApp, through the Hire button on each profile.
4. Introduce her to your pets before you decide, and agree the pet care in writing.
5. Arrange her visa. Sponsorship is the employer's responsibility; families can manage the visa themselves or ask MaidMatch to connect them with its visa partners.