Having a Dog in Kyiv

I thought I’d give an update on dog mom life, as well as to let y’all know my thoughts on having a dog in Kyiv:

After a ruff (LOL) first month or so of house training, things have been wonderful with our pup! She has completely won me over, as well as pretty much everyone in our neighborhood. Mila is such a charmer. She plays almost every day with her doggie friends and is enjoying life. She brings so much love and joy to our household.

Kyiv has been an ideal place to have a dog. Our neighborhood is super dog friendly, with lots of parks and green space. Most people love dogs here, and many stores and restaurants allow dogs. I thought living in an apartment would be a drawback to having a dog, but it’s actually been a benefit, since it forces us to get out and walk our dog (yay for exercise, especially in winter) and socialize her. Our vet and pet store are also within a short walking distance to our apartment. Best of all, costs are way cheaper in Kyiv compared to the United States for all things dog related.

Our dog walker charges $5 USD per walk for one hour, veterinarian care is super cheap and convenient (24 hours), and we are also able to order most of our dog food, toys and treats online to cut costs (dry food is more expensive here, believe it or not). Boarding our dog during our R&R cost us about 3,660 UAH (roughly $150 USD) for 10 nights of lodging, daily walks and playtime, pickup and drop off from our apartment, and daily updates. I heard it costs upwards of $60 USD per day to board a dog in the U.S., so it is quite inexpensive to board a dog in Kyiv in comparison.

When you factor in food, dog walking, vet costs (she’s had a couple minor issues we’ve had to take her to the vet for), monthly flea and tick medicine, treats, toys, and saving up for PCS (permanent change of station , or moving to another post), we pay between $250 and $300 USD per month for our dog on average.

Is $250-$300 USD per month worth the not fun task of house training I had for the first month, waking up early on weekends during the winter to walk Mila, and headache due to paperwork, costs, and logistics that will inevitably happen when we PCS? Absolutely. I mean, come on, look at her. She’s the best:)