Dubai residents urged not to abandon pets during summer holidays

Dubai - The British Veterinary Hospital in Dubai also sees a surge in numbers of abandoned pets during the summer months.

Residents continue to abandon their pets during summer months while they are away on holiday to avoid paying someone to look after the animals.
Despite several media reports and warnings from overflowing animal shelters over the years, people continue to purchase or adopt pets without "thinking it through", according to Alister Milne, the manager of K9 Friends.
K9 Friends is a Dubai-based non-profit voluntary organisation that shelters, re-homes and rescues dogs. Milne said the shelter is always overflowing, especially in the summer months, as people want to get rid of their pets. They are currently sheltering 144 dogs, however, they have capacity for only 120.
"We've already started getting calls from pet owners a couple of weeks ago. People are leaving their pets behind before leaving and it's a huge problem. People don't want their pets anymore when they're moving out of the country or going on vacation. They call us and ask if we'll take in the dogs. People also come for last minute vaccinations when they realise that boarding facilities will not accept their animals without these being in place.
"We try to help as much as we can but we are always full. Especially in the summer, it gets really difficult for us. We're full and overflowing.
"We've got dogs squeezed into kennels. We had a person who brought in a dog that was gifted to them. They said they didn't want a dog. Many people rush into buying dogs. They don't do enough research on what it's like taking care of dogs. When people think about buying dogs, they need to think about what they'll be doing in 15 years or so and if they'll be able to look after it for that long."
Milne said the group does have 30 people who foster dogs in their homes and that helps K9 in terms of freeing up space at the shelter.
The British Veterinary Hospital in Dubai also sees a surge in numbers of abandoned pets during the summer months.
Dr Sara Elliott, the founder and veterinary director of British Veterinary Hospital, said: "People often take on pets without sufficient research. They do not plan for a long vacation when they are likely to be out of the country and factor in the costs and availability of pet care whilst they are away. This failure of forwarding commitment can lead to them abandoning pets."
The pet owners are being warned by vets to take better care of their pets during the hot summer months.
Dr Elliot said that pet owners are not accounting for pavement temperatures, for the fact that their animals are wearing fur coats and unable to escape the high temperatures. She said they are also not altering their pet's exercise routines to suit the changing temperatures.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai