Ukraine is creating its first pet-friendly guide for businesses
This has been announced by the project’s initiators – the Suziria Group, the MasterZoo chain of pet shops, and the NGO ‘Bezbar’iernist’.
Work has begun in Ukraine on the first comprehensive pet-friendly guide for businesses. The document is intended to help companies, establishments, shopping centres, offices and other public spaces create comfortable conditions for visitors with pets.
The guide will cover not only the issue of allowing animals into establishments, but also standards for the layout of spaces, communication rules and mechanisms for responding to potential conflict situations.
The project was initiated by the Suziria Group, the MasterZoo chain of pet shops, and the NGO “Barrier-Free”.
What will be included in the pet-friendly guide
The aim of the document is to establish a unified approach to how businesses interact with visitors who come with their pets.
The developers note that many Ukrainian companies strive to be open to customers with dogs or cats, but lack clear guidelines on how to organise such spaces.
The guide is expected to contain step-by-step recommendations on the layout of premises and surrounding areas, rules for animals’ presence in establishments, standards for communication between staff and visitors, as well as mechanisms for responding to potential conflict situations.
There are plans to place particular emphasis on accessibility, mutual respect among all visitors, and a comfortable environment for both pet owners and people without pets.
Why businesses need pet-friendly standards
According to the project’s authors, since the start of the full-scale war, the number of pets in Ukraine has increased by more than 340,000. The total number of cats and dogs in the country has reached almost 17.72 million.
At the same time, Ukrainians’ attitudes towards animals are changing. More and more people view their pets as family members and want to spend time with them not only at home, but also at work, during leisure time, while shopping or travelling.
A MasterZoo survey conducted in April 2026 showed that over 67% of pet owners take their pets with them to public places every day or several times a week.
At the same time, over half of those surveyed regularly face barriers – ranging from being barred from entry to a lack of necessary facilities.
Ukrainians are more likely to choose pet-friendly establishments
The survey also showed that around 90% of respondents prefer establishments that provide comfortable conditions for visitors with pets.
Over 83% of those surveyed are willing to spend more in places where facilities for pets are well thought out.
According to the guide’s developers, this indicates that a pet-friendly approach is gradually becoming not only a social initiative but also a competitive advantage for businesses.
When will the guide be presented?
Work on the pet-friendly guide is scheduled to be completed in July 2026.
Following its presentation, the document is set to become available to Ukrainian businesses and could form the basis for new pet-friendly standards in Ukraine.
What is already in place in Kyiv
An updated pet-friendly map was previously presented in Kyiv, which helps pet owners find comfortable places for walks, relaxation and services.
The initiative was implemented by the company LUN and the MasterZoo pet shop chain. The interactive map includes around 450 locations in the capital.
These include over 250 dog walking areas, nearly 100 veterinary clinics and around 100 cafés and establishments that welcome visitors with their pets.
The Shevchenkivskyi district of Kyiv has the most dog walking areas – 57. A significant number of such areas are also available in the Darnytskyi and Holosiivskyi districts.
The Pecherskyi district leads in terms of the number of establishments open to visitors with pets. The Shevchenkivskyi and Podilskyi districts also have high figures.
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