Fur parents from around the world can find solace in pet friendly Cebu.
Pet owners visiting the Philippines should definitely come to pet friendly Cebu!
According to Agoda, the Queen City of the South is one of the best cities for fur parents and their fur babies!
The travel platform revealed a list of the most pet friendly cities in Asia, with Cebu City ranking second next to the coastal city of Da Nang in Vietnam. It is joined by Manila (ranked #10), the only other city representing the Philippines.
According to an article on CDN Digital, the list is based on the average number of accommodations that allow guests to bring their pets. (2025) While there are dozens of pet friendly resorts in Cebu, they aren’t the only locations dedicated to pet travel.
Cafes, restaurants, and even shopping malls allow and encourage pets inside their premises. There are also countless pet fairs and social activities where they can meet other animals to play with.
That being said, here is a short list of the best places that have contributed to a pet friendly Cebu City!
- Charlie’s Cup
What better place to bring a pet than a cafe inspired by a fur baby. Deep in the mountains of the city is Charlie’s Cup, a mountainside coffee shop named after an adorable corgi.
The cafe is ideal for pets with its open space where they can roam around freely. They must be leashed at all times, however, as it encourages the owners to bond with them.
They also have occasional pet-centric activities, like hosting meet and greets with Charlie and other furry animals, as well as participatory activities like bringing your pets in costumes.
- SM Seaside Cebu
The biggest mall in Cebu was one of the first to allow pets inside, but with several rules and regulations. Owners must be fully responsible for their pets, making sure to clean up after them and to have control the whole time.
Management allows every breed and size to walk the aisles, as long as they are accompanied by their owners. However, they must be carried when going on escalators and put on a short leash inside elevators.
Management may disallow other types of animals, but they are pretty open to other animals as seen from one owner going viral for bringing a goat to the premises.
SM Seaside also has an outdoor obstacle course called the Paw Park, which is located at the Sky Park. To avail, owners must register at the Super Pets Club program on the SM Supermalls app.
- Robinsons Galleria
Another pet friendly mall is Robinsons Galleria, which has had this initiative since 2017 when they started the Happy Pets Club. This is free-of-charge and can be registered from the mall’s concierge.
This serves as the pet pass that allows your fur baby to enter the premises. The Happy Pets Club ID also gives owners a 10% discount on pet products from True Value and the Animal Wellness Veterinary Clinic.
The mall has made it convenient for owners by providing stations where pets can take water breaks. There are also free plastic bags to help clean up after their pets.
Additionally, the mall has Cebu’s first indoor dog park, letting them socialize with other pups through a fun, colorful obstacle course. This is free to use for all Happy Pets Club members.
- Cebu Business Park
What about having your pet as your jogging partner? Cebu Business Park is one of the best jogging areas in the city, and your fur baby will surely enjoy it too!
Aside from the vast open space where pets can play around, CBP has partnered with local pet advocacies to ensure the safety of their community cats and dogs, with whom your pet will surely enjoy playing.
Furthermore, Ayala Center Cebu is inclusive of the park’s initiative, but only for small and medium household pets weighing less than 50 pounds (23 kilograms).
Owners must present their Ayala Malls Pet ID, which can be registered free of charge. Pets can also enjoy outdoor areas like The Terraces.
- Radisson Blu
Among the few pet inclusive hotels in Cebu, the Radisson Blu is often placed at the top of the list. Aside from being generally pet friendly, it is a popular hotel with an average 8.9 rating among 8,430 Agoda reviews.
Radisson Blu welcomes both cats and dogs, but only two are allowed per room and with a maximum weight of 12 kilograms.
While the hotel lacks dedicated rooms for pets, they make up for it by not enforcing any rules for pets in common areas around the hotel. There is an open space for pets to walk around and roam freely.
SUPPORTING A PET FRIENDLY CEBU
The Cebu City government and other private entities have been supporting a more pet friendly Cebu by highlighting programs that let stray dogs coexist among the public.
Last year, city veterinarian Alice Utlang and the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) announced that they would no longer impound strays that look healthy.
Instead, they will emphasize keeping them and the community safe through a Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return (CNVR) program, in order to achieve a “rabies-free” city.
CARA (Compassion and Responsibility for Animals) Welfare Philippines defines the CNVR as the only method proven to be humane and effective at controlling an uncultivated animal population.
This consists of the offices gathering undomesticated animals from the streets, vaccinating them, then returning them to where they were found.
While originally used for feral cats, the Cebu government has used it to help roaming dogs coexist with residents, emphasizing that they should not be impounded or punished.
When the DVMF identifies healthy stray dogs, they will be vaccinated and marked with pink paint to inform the public.
Aside from this, Cebu has many private pet advocacies such as Hope for Strays and the Mayari Animal Rescue Organization (MARO) that helps rescue healthy impounded dogs around Cebu.
They also have feeding programs for stray dogs and cats around the community, ensuring they are safe and are able to eat adequately.
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So, why is Cebu so pet friendly?
According to a Facebook post from Dr. Utlang, a pet friendly city needs amenities and spaces suitable for pets, while having more at home and less inside shelters.
The locations mentioned above show how pets are widely accepted in Cebu, especially in public places and a few tourist attractions. For most establishments, they are just as important as the owners that have brought them there.
Also, many organizations ensure that even if pets have no owners, they should be treated with as much care and love as those who have homes.
So if you need a place to vacation for you and your fur babies with a welcoming warmth, pet friendly Cebu is the way to go!
REFERENCES:
Erram, Morexette Marie. 2025. “Cebu among top pet-friendly cities in Asia.” CDN Digital.
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/620043/cebu-among-top-pet-friendly-cities-in-asia