Rifq card to promote animal care

Having pets and caring for animals will be less expensive following an initiative that aims to reduce the financial burden on looking after them.

Having pets and caring for animals will be less expensive following an initiative that aims to reduce the financial burden on looking after them.

With the new ‘Rifq’ (humane/welfare) card, pet owners and animal lovers will benefit by receiving discounts for animal services including veterinary checks, medicines, animal foods and products from a number of affiliate companies.

The Rifq card, which is being offered free-of-charge, is a nationwide initiative by the Emirates Dogs Breeders Society (EDBS) in partnership with the Emirates Association for Animal Welfare.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Waleed Mubarak Salem, general manager of EDBR and Rifq, said the discount card will not be limited to animal owners only. “This is for anybody who cares about animals, not just pet owners. We want to push people to be interested in animals, to save them,” he said. Rifq targets 100 companies to be onboard the programme this year, starting with those in Abu Dhabi. These include veterinary clinics, stables, zoos, animal foods and medicine suppliers, cargo airlines, commercial airlines and hotels.

“We’re hoping to partner with 500 or more companies across the UAE at a later stage,” Salem said.

The Rifq cards will be distributed in May, initially to EDBS members, along with a booklet detailing the name and location of companies, the discount rates and the actual price of their products and services. “The company is free to choose the services or products that they will give discount to. There will be no fix discount. We will let the company write the value of the discount and the public is free to choose the service provider,” Salem said.

According to him, Rifq targets to have around a thousand members by the end of the year. They are also looking at tying up the Rifq membership with any companies that have membership cards. “We plan to have the Rifq logo on their membership cards and anyone who has the Rifq logo on their card can get discounts for their animals,” stressed Salem.

Those who are interested to avail the Rifq card are urged to take an application from the EDBS office in Muroor (02-4446639). Alternatively, the application form can be downloaded from www.rifquae.com when the site goes live in May.

The Rifq programme is being supported by the Abu Dhabi Police, Municipality of Abu Dhabi City, Ministry of Environment and Water and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority

olivia@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE