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Meet Chase, Dubai JLT community's first-ever Chief Dog Officer
He’s currently enjoying the perks of his new role — custom outfits, treats, and plenty of attention
- PUBLISHED: Sat 7 Feb 2026, 6:00 AM UPDATED: Sun 8 Feb 2026, 8:43 AM
If you’ve walked around Jumeirah Lake Towers recently and spotted a very friendly cocker spaniel saying hello to everyone with a big grin, then congratulations! You’ve just met Chase, JLT’s newly appointed Dog Officer (CDO). Wearing a little T-shirt and a purple cap, he has been strutting around, taking his job very seriously.
He was crowned the winner after a community-wide competition launched by JLT to pick a CDO whose chief responsibilities include welcoming new dogs to the neighbourhood and showcasing the community’s pet-friendly spots.
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“It was meant to be just a bit of fun,” his owner, Samantha D’Sa, told Khaleej Times. “I honestly never thought he’d win.” She added that he’s currently enjoying the perks of his new role — custom outfits, treats, and plenty of attention. “He’s loving it,” she said. “Especially the treats.”
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Fostering fail
Canadian expat Samantha moved to the UAE a year ago. She was with a friend who was helping rehome Chase after his original family had to leave the country when she agreed to foster him. “I didn't even have a doggy bowl or kibble,” she chuckled. “We went out that night at about 11pm to buy those things.”
Within just five days of having him, Samantha found herself planning daycare, travel, and boarding, without realising she’d already decided Chase was home for good.
Soon, with daily walks around the lakes, dog parks, vets and cafés, Chase quickly became a familiar face. “He’s a cocker spaniel, which means he’s basically a Velcro dog,” Samantha said. “He loves people, loves dogs, loves everyone.”
It was during one of those walks that a fellow resident suggested entering him into JLT’s Chief Dog Officer competition.
“She actually insisted,” Samantha says. “She took my number and said, ‘You have to nominate your dog,’ and when I saw the competition, it looked like fun. So a couple of my colleagues and friends from work and I put together the video for him, and the rest was history.”
The CDO job
As JLT’s first-ever CDO, Chase is now the official four-legged ambassador for the community. “His role is really about representing the pet community,” Samantha explained.
His duties include promoting good behaviour in shared spaces, showcasing pet-friendly cafés and walking routes, and popping up at community events. He’ll also be helping launch JLT’s new dog park in Cluster B, something Samantha says residents are genuinely excited about.
“He’s basically just going to keep doing what he does best,” she said. “Being friendly, social, and part of the neighbourhood.”
She added that she loved staying in JLT for its pet-friendly features and hoped that Dubai would introduce more services to support pet parents.
“It's not that Dubai isn't a pet-friendly market, but it's just developing in that regard,” she said, citing the example of getting around the city with Chase.
“If I have to move him around anywhere, I have to take a pet taxi, which has to be booked in advance,” she said.
“So hopefully there'll come a time where maybe regular taxi services have pet-friendly options so it makes it easier for us to transport them around as well.”
