Highlights
My Second Home offers dogs in the UAE a chance to chill-out in the world’s largest air-conditioned indoor free play park and leisure pool complex
Contrary to what we’re told by glossy magazines, lifestyle blogs and fly-on-the wall TV documentaries, high-end luxury resort living isn’t the exclusive pleasure of Dubai’s well-heeled two-legged residents.
Thanks to the single-minded vision of three entrepreneurs seven years ago, it’s also enjoyed around-the-clock every day by hundreds of pampered pets.
Situated in Dubai Investment Park and spread across the equivalent of 20 tennis courts — with two thirds indoors, the first Dh10 million My Second Home resort opened the doors to its 3,000 members over Easter 2015 to offer the UAE’s sweltering dogs a chance to chill-out in the world’s largest air-conditioned indoor free play park and leisure pool complex. The resort also provides outdoor play in the cooler months, supervised zoned day-care for 185 dogs, 150 luxury boarding suites, training, grooming and a pet food and accessories shop.
The second resort — in the popular Al Quoz district, is 35km closer to Dubai airport and was opened in 2021 to meet demand from more northerly residential communities for the same levels of world-class quality and service. Feasibility studies for a third and fourth resort are underway.
“Pet humanisation has been the principal trend in global dog care markets for several years and has brought with it huge demand for premium-level services,” said My Second Home Co-Founder Sanjiv Dhiman. “As owners increasingly treat their dogs like children, we saw an opportunity to transform and differentiate the way in which pet care is offered. Where better to break new ground with a world class concept, than Dubai? From the launch, our focus has been on building a trusted, international brand by concentrating on what we call the My Second Home Brilliant Basics — doing the reasonably simple things extraordinarily well.
“From day one, our overriding priorities have been the well-being and safety of our canine guests and the service experience and peace of mind of their owners. While we’re not really surprised by the response to the size of our Dog Park and the level of quality we’ve been able to offer, we have been amazed by the demand for so many complimentary services and products. It’s enabled us to continue to attract top talent such as our General Manager and Director Sean Parker and some truly gifted senior leaders, trainers and groomers.”
Currently under development on the upper floor of the Dubai Investment Park flagship My Second Home resort is a new luxury cattery and an in-house veterinary clinic. The cattery will take cat boarding to a new level with vast suites incorporating play centres; each capable of accommodating up to three cats from the same family. The vet clinic will meet demand from members for basic non-surgical procedures, blood tests, ear and eye examination and vaccination.
“We’ve proved time and again over the years that our members are very reliable trend barometers,” added Dhiman. “We spend a lot of time seeking their views and opinions on products and service levels and they have consistently told us that their preference for veterinary care would be an in-house clinic in which their pet can be treated while it is with us for either daytime fun and games or boarding.”
