In 2017, travelling with three dogs in India felt countercultural. Hotel staff would look alarmed at the sight of Apple getting out of the Rubicon. "Pets allowed" on a website meant "small dog in a carrier." Highway rest areas with dog-friendly spaces were effectively non-existent. The community of travelling pet parents in India was a small, connected group who found each other in Facebook groups and shared notes on which properties had been surprisingly welcoming.

In 2025, the same trip to Jim Corbett involves choosing between eight verified pet-friendly resorts, stopping at a highway food court that now has a dedicated water station for dogs, and staying at a property that lists its pet policy - including specific breeds allowed, charges, and accessible areas - prominently on its website.

Something has shifted. Here is what has changed, what is driving it, and where the meaningful gaps remain.

What Has Genuinely Changed

Pet-Friendly Accommodation

The most visible change. In 2017, properties near Jim Corbett, Rishikesh, and Coorg that allowed pets were exceptions. By 2025, most boutique properties in these areas have a pet policy. The Den Corbett with its pet-friendly infinity pool is an example of properties that have moved from "allowing" pets to genuinely designing for them.

Pet Cafes and Dog-Welcoming Restaurants

Pet cafes in India went from approximately 10 in 2016 to well over 200 in 2025, concentrated in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and now spreading to tier-2 cities.

Veterinary Access

Small animal veterinary care has improved significantly in India's metro areas. Specialty veterinary hospitals offering oncology, orthopaedics, and cardiology now operate in Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, and Chennai.

Pet Parent Awareness

The biggest change is information. Pet parent communities on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have created peer-to-peer knowledge networks that simply did not exist a decade ago.

Legal Recognition

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act enforcement has improved. The landmark Supreme Court judgment of 2015 affirming that housing societies cannot ban residents from keeping pets has meaningfully changed the apartment-living-with-dog experience.

What Still Needs Serious Work

Highway Infrastructure

India's highway rest areas are still designed as if dogs do not exist. Dedicated dog relief areas, water stations, and shade are almost universally absent.

Public Spaces

Most Indian public parks remain technically dog-free or practically hostile to dog visitors.

Airline Policy

As covered in our transport comparison guide, domestic air travel with pets in India remains in the cargo hold for all but the smallest animals. No domestic airline in India currently allows pets in the cabin for routes above 400 km.

Tier-2 and Tier-3 Cities

The improvement is concentrated in metros and popular tourist destinations. Pet-friendly accommodation in tier-2 cities remains sparse and unreliable.

Where It Is Heading

The direction is clear: India is becoming significantly more pet-friendly with each passing year. The pet industry in India was valued at approximately ₹20,000 crore in 2024, growing at 15–20% annually. That growth is driving investment in pet-friendly infrastructure, services, and products at a rate that was unimaginable in 2017.

Related: How to travel with dogs in India by car | 15 pet-friendly destinations India | How to book a dog-friendly stay

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Why India Is Actually Getting Better for Pet Parents - And What Still Needs Work