Very pet-friendly
Good to know
Good to Know
- Bogotá's ciclovía (car-free Sunday streets) is one of the best free ways to exercise a dog in the city, but bring water and clean up after your pet as it's heavily used by families and cyclists.
- Pet-friendly seating is almost always outdoor/terrace only — don't assume a pet can come inside a restaurant's main dining room even if the venue is advertised as pet-friendly.
- Start the ICA/SISPAP registration and vaccination paperwork at least 6-10 weeks before flying; travelers (especially from the US) commonly get tripped up by the canine coronavirus vaccine requirement, which isn't routinely available in the US, so a vet exemption letter is essential.
- The health certificate has a strict 10-day validity window before travel, so timing the vet visit and airline endorsement (USDA/CFIA) close to departure is critical.
- Microchipping isn't required to enter Colombia, but it's worth doing anyway both for peace of mind in an unfamiliar city and because it will likely be required if you later travel with your pet to the EU or back to the US/Canada.
- Public transit (TransMilenio) is not a reliable pet option; plan on ride-hailing apps or walking, and confirm with drivers in advance that they accept a leashed or crated pet.
- Vet prices in Bogotá vary a lot by clinic tier and neighborhood — a routine consultation can cost as little as ~30,000 COP at a modest local clinic or ~95,000 COP at a premium 24-hour chain like Movet.
- Most named vet chains (Movet, Petplus, Clínica Veterinaria Niza, Animals Health Center) have locations in or near the popular nomad neighborhoods of Chapinero, Usaquén and Niza, so you're rarely far from 24-hour emergency care.
- Colombia requires a rabies vaccine and Bogotá's animal ID/vaccination card is often checked at official dog parks like the Colsubsidio dog park — bring your pet's vaccination booklet when visiting municipal facilities.
- Almost any public park in Bogotá tolerates leashed dogs, but only a couple dozen have dedicated, fenced 'dog zones' with agility equipment — Parque Simón Bolívar and Parque El Tunal are the two flagship examples citywide.
- Usaquén's Sunday flea market area and its surrounding cafés are consistently the easiest place to find pet-friendly brunch spots in the city.
Dog Friendly Cafes
Abasto
- Area
- Usaquén
- Notes
- Known for good food plus ample outdoor seating where dogs can relax comfortably.
El Altillo
- Area
- Usaquén
- Notes
- A cozy spot with a pet-friendly menu, so dogs are welcome to have their own treat while their owner eats.
Café San Alberto (Usaquén Branch)
- Area
- Usaquén
- Notes
- A specialty coffee spot that allows pets on its terrace.
Typical Pet Care Costs
Basic/routine Consultation (Lower-cost Clinic)
- Cost
- COP 30,000
- Range Note
- Routine consultations at budget clinics run roughly 20,000–50,000 COP depending on the clinic and neighborhood.
Routine Consultation (Premium Chain, E.g. a 30-min Consult)
- Cost
- COP 94,700
- Range Note
- Higher-end chains charge close to 95,000 COP for a detailed 30-minute consultation.
Single Core Vaccine Dose
- Cost
- COP 40,000
- Range Note
- Individual vaccine doses typically run 30,000–80,000 COP.
Full Puppy Vaccination Scheme (Initial Series + Rabies, per WSAVA Protocol)
- Cost
- COP 180,000
- Range Note
- Covers the initial parvovirus/distemper/hepatitis series plus the mandatory rabies dose.
Internal Deworming Treatment
- Cost
- COP 50,000
- Range Note
- Typically 40,000–60,000 COP, recommended every 3–6 months.
Spay/neuter Surgery (Starting Price)
- Cost
- COP 350,000
- Range Note
- Prices vary widely by clinic and animal size/sex; another source cites a broader range of 150,000–500,000 COP.
Night/urgent-care Consultation
- Cost
- COP 80,000
- Range Note
- Emergency night consultations run about 70,000–90,000 COP before any tests or treatment.
Simple Fracture Surgery
- Cost
- COP 850,000
- Range Note
- Simple fractures run roughly 700,000 COP to just over 1,000,000 COP; complex fractures cost noticeably more.
Intensive Hospitalization (E.g. Parvovirus Treatment)
- Cost
- COP 2,500,000
- Range Note
- Serious hospitalized cases like parvovirus treatment typically run 2,000,000–3,000,000 COP.
Dog Friendly Parks And Spaces
Parque El Virrey
- Area
- Chapinero / north Bogotá
- Type
- Park
- Notes
- One of the most popular spots to walk a dog in Bogotá, with extensive green areas, drinking water, and plenty of other dogs to socialize with.
Parque El Country
- Area
- Chapinero / north Bogotá
- Type
- Park
- Notes
- A calmer alternative, well suited to older dogs or pets that don't tolerate a lot of commotion.
Parque Simón Bolívar (Dog Zone)
- Area
- Teusaquillo
- Type
- Large park with dedicated fenced dog area
- Notes
- The city's flagship park has a specialized dog area opened in 2018 covering 37,000 square meters, with secure fenced zones where dogs can run off-leash and dedicated hydration stations.
Ocico Dog Park (Parque El Chicó)
- Area
- Parque del Museo El Chicó, north Bogotá
- Type
- Private-style dog park within a public park
- Notes
- A 2,500-square-meter dog park with a ball pool, tunnels, agility rings and other obstacles.
Chicó Norte II Sector Dog Zone
- Area
- Diagonal 92 with Carrera 12, north Bogotá
- Type
- Municipal dog park
- Notes
- Features jump rings, obstacles, see-saws and zigzag platforms, and is a regular meeting point for the dog-owning community in the north of the city.
Biblioteca Virgilio Barco Dog Park
- Area
- Teusaquillo (Carrera 60 #57-60)
- Type
- Municipal dog park
- Notes
- Located around the Virgilio Barco Library, with more than five adapted zones plus ample green space for dogs to run, play and socialize.
Trusted Vets Animal Hospitals
Movet
- Type
- 24/7 veterinary hospital chain
- Notes
- Movet operates multiple clinics across the city including Chapinero, Fontibón, Usaquén, Suba, Engativá and Kennedy, offering surgery, imaging, lab work, and round-the-clock emergency care.
Neighborhoods Nomad Relevant
- Chapinero
- Usaquén
Petplus Clínica Veterinaria
- Type
- 24-hour veterinary chain
- Notes
- Petplus runs 19 clinics and 4 round-the-clock hospitals across Bogotá, Barranquilla and Medellín.
Neighborhoods Nomad Relevant
- Multiple locations across Bogotá
Clínica Veterinaria Normandía
- Type
- 24-hour veterinary hospital
- Notes
- Offers specialized services in orthopedics, cardiology, radiography, clinical lab work, neurology, oncology and abdominal ultrasounds around the clock.
Neighborhoods Nomad Relevant
- Normandía / near Chapinero-Salitre corridor
Animals Health Center
- Type
- 24-hour veterinary clinic
- Notes
- A veterinary team offering everything from routine care to emergencies, located on Av. Cra. 30 in La Castellana.
Neighborhoods Nomad Relevant
- La Castellana (near Chapinero/Usaquén corridor)
Clínica Veterinaria Niza
- Type
- 24-hour veterinary clinic with surgical suite
- Notes
- Provides round-the-clock care with an anesthesiologist and monitoring staff present for every surgical procedure, however minor, plus an in-house lab for bloodwork, urinalysis and more.
Neighborhoods Nomad Relevant
- Niza (north Bogotá, near Usaquén)
Clínica Veterinaria Dogtor
- Type
- 24-hour veterinary center, grooming, pet shop
- Notes
- Operating since 1996, this clinic combines 24-hour urgent care with grooming services and an in-house pet shop for food, medication and accessories.
Neighborhoods Nomad Relevant
- Central Bogotá
Acceptance And Travel Requirements
Social Acceptance
- Cats
- Cats are welcome too, though the public pet culture (parks, cafés, ciclovía) is overwhelmingly dog-centric; dedicated cat-boarding options exist for owners of cats.
- Hotels
- Many hotels and short-term rentals in Bogotá accept pets, sometimes for a modest per-stay fee.
- Ciclovia
- Every Sunday morning Bogotá closes many of its main streets to cars for the famous 'ciclovía', and dog owners routinely bring their pets along to walk, jog or cycle, with water stops available along the route.
- Overview
- Bogotá is a genuinely pet-friendly city where dogs in particular are woven into everyday public life rather than just tolerated.
- Services
- There is a well-developed local pet-services industry, including 'pet universities' (day-care/boarding), dog walkers, grooming and pampering salons, and pet boutiques selling clothing and accessories.
- Transport
- Small pets in carriers are sometimes permitted on the TransMilenio bus rapid transit system, but this is inconsistent, so most residents rely on ride-hailing apps, where drivers commonly accept leashed or crated pets if confirmed in advance.
- Green Space
- Bogotá has a park on every corner, and the flagship Parque Simón Bolívar covers close to 1,000 acres of jogging paths, wooded areas and lakes where dogs have plenty of room to exercise. Other popular dog hangouts include Parque Virrey (often nicknamed the city's unofficial dog park), Parque El Country and Parque de la 93.
- Public Attitude
- Colombians love their pets so it should come as no surprise that Bogota is a welcoming city for pet owners, with the capital actively working toward becoming what locals call a pet paradise.
- Events And Community
- The city hosts recurring pet-focused events such as 'Mascotas al Parque' pet fairs held in city parks, alongside adoption drives and dog-fashion or agility events, reflecting an active pet-owner community.
- Cafes And Restaurants
- A number of restaurants and cafés — especially in Chapinero, Usaquén, Zona G and Quinta Camacho — offer garden or terrace seating where pets are welcome, often with a complimentary water bowl provided; indoor dining with pets is generally not permitted.
- Documentation In Public
- Owners are advised to carry a pet vaccination card, as it may occasionally be requested at parks or organized community events.
Travel Requirements To Bring A Pet
- General
- Colombia does not require a general import permit or an EU-style 'pet passport' for dogs and cats accompanying their owner, and there is no mandatory quarantine period if all paperwork is complete and correct.
- Quarantine
- No quarantine is required if all documentation (health certificate, vaccines, ICA/SISPAP registration, parasite treatment) is in order. If paperwork is incomplete, Colombia may impose a home quarantine or, in rare serious cases, refuse entry or require the animal to be returned.
- Age Restrictions
- Colombia does not set a strict minimum entry age in its own regulations, but puppies and kittens under three months are exempt from the rabies requirement (with other restrictions applying), and airlines commonly set their own minimum age (often 4 months).
- Health Certificate
- An original international/export health certificate issued by an accredited veterinarian in the country of origin is required no more than 10 calendar days before arrival; for US travelers this must be endorsed by USDA APHIS, and for Canadian travelers by the CFIA.
- Parasite Treatment
- Pets must receive internal and external parasite treatment (including a product effective against tapeworm) administered by a licensed veterinarian within 60 days before arrival, with the product name and date recorded on the health certificate.
- Airport Arrival Process
- On arrival (El Dorado Airport has a dedicated ICA desk in the arrivals area), owners must declare the pet and go to the ICA office before regular customs, where an inspector checks documents and the microchip if present, then issues a Sanitary Inspection Certificate (CIS); this typically takes 15–30 minutes.
- Ica Sispap Registration
- Owners must pre-register the pet online through Colombia's ICA (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario) SISPAP portal before travel, uploading documentation to receive approval; this should be started several weeks ahead, with many guides recommending beginning the whole process 8–10 weeks before departure.
- Prohibited Or Restricted
- Wolf hybrids and Savannah/Bengal cats (unless at least five generations removed from wild ancestry) cannot be imported under standard pet regulations, and Colombia restricts certain dog breeds classified as potentially dangerous; airlines may add their own breed bans on top of this.
Fees
- Ica Airport Inspection Fee
- COP 75,000
Approximate range 50,000–100,000 COP; figure shown is the rough midpoint. Paid by card or cash at the ICA desk on arrival.
- Home Quarantine If Documents Incomplete
- COP 575,000
Only applies if paperwork is incomplete or incorrect; covers two required ICA visits.
Microchip
- Detail
- Colombia does not require microchipping for imported dogs or cats, though it is still recommended for identification purposes and is advisable for anyone who may later need to travel back to the EU or return the pet to the US/Canada, where microchipping rules are stricter.
- Status
- Not legally required for entry into Colombia.
- EU Note
- If a pet may ever be taken to or returned to an EU country, the microchip should be implanted before the rabies vaccination is given, matching EU pet-passport sequencing rules, even though Colombia itself does not enforce this order.
Vaccinations
- Rabies
- All cats and dogs over three months of age must be vaccinated for rabies at least 21 days prior to entering Colombia, and the vaccination must not be more than 12 months old at time of travel.
- Titer Test
- A rabies titer (antibody) test is not required to enter Colombia, though it may be required by the destination country if the pet is later taken elsewhere, since Colombia is classified as a higher-rabies-risk country by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
- Cats Additional
- For cats, ICA requirements list rabies and feline panleukopenia, with calicivirus and rhinotracheitis typically already covered by the standard FVRCP combination vaccine.
- Dogs Additional
- Beyond rabies, Colombian authorities (ICA) list distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, coronavirus and parainfluenza as required/expected vaccines for dogs, recorded with vaccine name, lot number, and administration/expiry dates on the health certificate.
- Coronavirus Caveat
- The canine coronavirus vaccine is not commercially available in the United States, so US-based owners are advised to obtain a signed veterinary letter confirming its unavailability, which ICA inspectors will accept in place of the vaccine record.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.