Fur-give me for leaving

How to travel without the pet guilt

- BY LAKSHANA N PALAT Assistant Features Editor

As soon as she sees the suitcase, I get a withering look. I start apologising profusely, muttering that I'll be back soon. "Sorry Loki," I say. Dogs really know how to guilt you.

It doesn't help that she sits squarely on the suitcase. The furry version of twisting the knife.

As anyone with pets knows, it's not easy to leave them behind. There's a strong sense of guilt; you feel that you are abandoning them. Nevertheless, as Saisha John, a Dubai-based dog trainer and expert, explains, guilt means you love them, and that love just needs to be paired with the right preparation.

Anne Jackson, a Dubai-based life coach and dog mum, echoes this thought. "In reality, they're often enjoying a break from us, too. So I've reframed my thinking: Instead of feeling bad, I feel grateful that I've built a support system that allows both of us to recharge."

Time away isn't a bad thing