Singapore has been home for many years. It is a hub for travel connections and dream destinations such as Bali are only a short flight away. Growing up in the expanse of Canada, if I didn’t travel, I definitely would have gotten “cabin fever”. With dogs, this means that reliable pet-sitters are essential and makes the difference whether an overseas trip happens, or not… and why pet-friendly staycations are priceless.

Dogs in Singapore

Many people wonder how dog-friendly Singapore is. It was my question before relocating here with my dog, Lou. In the past decade, it’s become much more dog-friendly. Navigating transportation probably remains the big challenge for many people. With more dogs in the city, prejudice against dogs has softened and drivers are more open to taking pet passengers.

Many taxi drivers, especially Muslim ones, however, do not take dogs. When I first moved to Singapore, I had Lou, who is a medium-sized dog, or large/extra-large in Singapore, depending on who you spoke with. The second time I relocated to Singapore, I also had Abby, a Golden Retriever. So that’s two dogs, which can be trickier getting a taxi.

Our first apartment was near the beautiful Botanic Garden and this is where Lou and I went for our daily morning walks, which was an hour or more. She was only about four years old and was highly-energetic. We often also went there for nightly strolls to enjoy the evening-blooming flowers. Lots of people walk their dogs at the Botanic Garden which had many trails and different areas to explore. I met my first friend in Singapore at this park, where she was walking her two Cocker Spaniels.

When we lived in East Coast, the park and beach were close-by and it was an easy drive to get there, where we could walk for miles and miles.

Generally, people are curious about dogs. Except black dogs. People notoriously avoid them, even crossing the street to do so. I don’t get it.

Dogs in Singapore

In Asia, having a helper is common. Sometimes the helper’s been hired specifically for taking care of animals. When I walk Lou and Abby, I mostly meet the helpers, especially during the week.

Having helpers is handy for when you want or need to travel. Many expats also fly home with their dogs for summer vacation. This makes sense if they aren’t required to be quarantined in either location.

I don’t have a helper and so I initially looked at boarding options. The game-changer was when a friend agreed to dogsit, as Lou and Abby do not thrive at boarding. They ended up getting sores, etc.

Pet-Friendly Staycation at Capella Sentosa

I was surprised when I discovered that Capella is dog-friendly. Staycations with a small dog in Singapore has more options.

The location of Capella on Sentosa also makes it feel more like a vacation. I stayed there twice, the second time with three animals, including my kitten Luna. Both experiences were outstanding.

Here are some reasons we loved Capella:

☞ Capella was very welcoming to their animal guests; the rooms came with dog beds and bowls.

☞ The hotel grounds are beautiful and offer many walking routes. The resident peacocks were a high point for Lou and Abby.

☞ The side gate provides easy access to the beach. We went early mornings before the beachgoers.

☞ We also walked outside Capella and I could have taken them for a drive to different parts of Sentosa.

☞ The villa patio was perfect for me to clean the dogs after their morning beach walks. I also let them dry off before coming back inside.

☞ The room service menu included their favourite – chicken sausage.

☞ For me, the spa and in-villa massage and facials were heavenly.

To be respectful to the Muslim staff and those not keen on animals, here are some things I did:

☞ The hotel grounds are spacious and I didn’t bump into many people while walking Lou and Abby. We did mostly walk where the houses and villas are and the streets are wider, rather than the more narrow paths on the hotel grounds. Or we were outside Capella, where we hardly saw anyone.

☞ The dogs were either on the suite balcony or another room in the villa when room service came. I took them out on a walk when the cleaning staff came. (Note: the villa patio is not walled off – so please don’t leave your dogs unsupervised outside.)

☞ I left the “Do Not Disturb” sign up when I was out myself. While Lou and Abby are very friendly, not everyone loves dogs. Both Lou and Abby are also well-trained and are used to being left alone for hours at a time. This meant I could go for my buffet breakfast, take a dip in the pools, go on a tour of the hotel’s art collection, or my favourite – a spa treatment. I also met up with friends and had a fantastic catch-up over happy hour.

☞ I packed what they needed, including extra towels and mats. They slept on their own bedding. I also made a disposable litter box for the kitten to use in the bathroom.

☞ And of course, always always always pick up after your dogs.

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