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Dubai: Video of man choking, kicking pet goes viral; volunteers rescue dog in 5 hours
A woman claiming to be the original owner revealed that she was on her way from Spain to Dubai to reclaim her French bulldog
- PUBLISHED: Tue 4 Mar 2025, 11:37 PM
Animal rescue volunteers successfully rescued a dog within five hours after a shocking video of its owner abusing the pet went viral. The incident occurred in Dubai’s Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), where the distressing footage showed the French bulldog being kicked and attacked by its owner.
Captured from a neighbouring building, the video begins with the owner entering his balcony and kicking the dog, who is seen trembling and cowering in the corner. The man then goes further, sitting on the helpless animal and attempting to choke it with his legs. In the background, a concerned neighbour is heard shouting, that the matter will be reported to the authorities.
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Volunteers were quick to file complaints with authorities following the circulation of the video. Some individuals reported the incident to Dubai Police, while others turned to the Emirates Animal Welfare Society and Dubai Municipality.
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While authorities took swift action, a woman claiming to be the dog’s original owner shared her story on social media, revealing that she was travelling from Spain to Dubai to reclaim her pet.
P S, a digital marketer, said the man forcefully took the dog from her. “This person took him from me, and it has been three months of nightmare,” she said in a video posted on Instagram. “I told everyone that he was not safe.” P S also shared details of her flight from Madrid to Dubai, which was scheduled to land at 7.45am on Wednesday.
Tia Mallia, an animal welfare activist, was among the first to respond to the case. She explained that P S, the dog's original owner, had been unable to retrieve her pet due to various challenges and had returned to Spain. "She has been fighting ever since to get the dog back but had no luck, so she went back to Spain," Mallia told Khaleej Times. "She found him through the viral video and is now on her way to Dubai to get him from the shelter. She has the original dog passport, so she will reclaim ownership."
Mallia mentioned that many individuals had reported his Instagram account, which was no longer available as of Tuesday evening and was likely taken down. "Some of my followers were able to identify him quickly and track down his social media account," she said. "It's the power of social media. We are also working to have his LinkedIn profile removed."
When authorities arrived to investigate, Andrea Petrovic from the pet food manufacturer Wunderdog was on the scene. "Someone recognised the building and called Dubai Municipality," she said. “As soon as I saw the video shared on animal rescue groups at around 2pm, I left work to go to the area. I was accompanied by Nader, the founder of Chauf-fur, and two volunteers from the Animals and Us rescue organisation.”
Petrovic described the situation as "horrifying" and confirmed that when she arrived, authorities were questioning the dog’s 'owner'. "We were assured that the dog was taken by Dubai Municipality, where he will stay until the investigation is complete," she said. "The dog will be examined by a vet and is likely to be handed over to a rescue organisation to re-home him (unless P S can successfully reclaim him)."
Waad Barakat is a Special Correspondent covering security topics, from law enforcement to local courts. With a keen eye for human interest stories, she hopes to blend it all with unique Gen Z-inspired content.