How Dubai Police dog tracks stolen safe, helps arrest thief – Emirates 24/7

Canine leads cops 1.5km afar where safe was buried

By Mohammed El Sadafy

Published Friday, November 14, 2014

A smart Dubai Police dog not only helped in finding the stolen safe from a farm, but also surprised officers when it traced down the thief.

Speaking to ‘Emirates24|7’, Lt. Col. Abdulsalam Al Shamsi, K9 Security Search Directorate of Dubai Police, said, “When we got information about the theft from a farm in Dubai, we sought the help of one of our canines  in tracing the stolen safe. It started tracing the footprints of the suspect.

After some time, the footprints disappeared because it passed through an agricultural area. However, the canine did not stop. After 1.5km, it stopped near a palm tree in that area. Our officers started digging, and we found the stolen safe buried there.”

However, the dog continued its pursuit, explained Lt. Col. Al Shamsi. “It surprised us as it started tracing again. We followed it until we reached a labour camp. The camp had many rooms, but the canine entered only one room that had about ten beds. And to our shock, it stopped near one bed which belonged to the suspect. During investigation, the he admitted to committing the robbery.”

Lt. Col. Al Shamsi explained that sniffer dogs not only help them track material things, but also understand the nature of the crime scene.

“These dogs are really helpful, and they are well trained. We also take good care of them and ensure they are treated well and fed well as these things are vital for its performance.”

He added that they have 65 canines in the unit, and 56 trainers look after them. “We also get these dogs from different farms abroad. “And we choose the best of each bread and for each mission,” he added.

via How Dubai Police dog tracks stolen safe, helps arrest thief – Emirates 24/7.

 

Pet Festival 2014 to feature birds, reptiles too | GulfNews.com

Published: 16:31 October 8, 2014

• Image Credit:
• Best paw forward: There will be a two-day competition for dogs

Dubai: Nine months after the popular Pedigree & Whiskas Dog Show was cancelled in Dubai, animal lovers in the UAE are now gearing up for another pet fair.

Organised by PETME, the Pet Festival 2014 will be held at the Rugby Stadium in Dubai Sports City on November 7 and 8. According to Shree Nair of PETME, the three-year-old festival will host the first international dog show and the 10th international cat show, besides featuring birds and reptiles.

Nair said: “This is the first time that all these categories are coming together in one show. People not only keep dogs and cats as pets, but birds and reptiles too. So we didn’t want to exclude them.”

He said extra care will be taken to avoid any untoward incident. “The festival is three years old. We haven’t had any incidents in the past but are leaving nothing to chance. A thorough assessments of the pets will be conducted at the entrance and the pets classified into different categories. For instance, an aggressive dog will be given a red ribbon, a moody pet a green ribbon and friendly creature a yellow ribbon, so visitors know what to expect when they interact with these pets.”

Nair said long leashes will be banned during the show. “Pet owners will have to use short leashes for their dogs. We will also make sure that the groomed competition dogs are segregated from the guest dogs, so they do not lose focus,” he added.

The festival is expected to attract hundreds of pets across different categories. It will feature a two-day competition for dogs that will be judged by an international panel, a demonstration by a police and military dog squad and a fancy fashion show for dogs.

Nair said: “The 10th International Cat Show organised by the Middle East Cat Society in association with the World Cat Federation will also be judged by international judges. There will be presentations and demonstrations by pet experts and animal welfare groups.”

via Pet Festival 2014 to feature birds, reptiles too | GulfNews.com.

 

 

Dogs in Dubai | Entertainment Features | Ahlan! Live

As K9 Friends plans another top pub quiz, we look at the organisation’s work to help the emirate’s homeless pooches

1987-88

A group of animal lovers plan to found a kennel club for pedigree dogs. The idea is soon shelved in favour of setting up a shelter for strays. Most are fostered by volunteers or placed in commercial kennels.

11

Years for which the organisation continued to operate in this way.

2008-09

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum gives K9 Friends its own land and facilities.

135

Adult dogs it can house, each in an air-conditioned kennel. It also has room for 30 puppies… aww!

30

Pupils who can visit at any one time to learn about responsible dog care.

INFO: 7.30pm, Wed 10 Sep, McGettigan’s, Bonnington JLT, Dubai, 04 356 0560, http://www.facebook.com/mcgettigansdubai.

To register a team of four, call Nicky Barr on 050 548 3604 or email quarterlyquiz@itp.com. To learn more about how you could help K9 Friends, see http://www.k9friends.com

via Dogs in Dubai | Entertainment Features | Ahlan! Live.

The ‘dangerous’ dog breed list

Dubai’s Municipality produced a list of dog breeds many years ago that they have decided to class as dangerous.

If someone owns a dog on this list the Municipality states that they must wear a basket type muzzle in public areas and not live in an apartment.

“In order to protect the public from animal diseases, the presence of following breeds of dogs is prohibited in residential areas, public places, markets and shopping centers from January 1, 2008. All pet owners are hereby requested to keep their dogs on a leash on streets and beaches and not to walk them without masks.

“Owners shall be responsible for any damage resulted from their non-compliance. Dubai Municipality will confiscate dogs if it causes harm or poses threat to people, animals and properties. Violators will be dealt as per municipality rules and regulations”

Click to access Municipality_Letter_to_Dog_Owners_13-Feb-2008.pdf

All you have to do is go for a walk down the street in Dubai and you will come across one of these breeds. They are not “banned” and you can import some of these dogs into the emirate with little problems.

I have owned a Pit Bull for 18 months in Dubai and I haven’t yet had any problems at all. 

Municipality prohibited list of dogs include:

American Staffordshire Terrier

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Pit Bull Terrier

American Bull Dog

Bull Terrier and Miniature Bull Terrier

Old English Bull Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Tosa

Husky

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rottweiler

Doberman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shar Pei

Perro de presa mallorquin/Bull Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neapolitan

Argentinean Mastiff

Canary dog fila brasilerio/ Brazilian Mastiff

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photo credit – Wikipedia)

 

Residents in Dubai gated community fear dead fish at man-made lakes could poison pets | The National

April 9, 2014 Updated: April 9, 2014 21:49:00

Emaar Properties Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DUBAI // Residents in a gated community are worried that their pets could be poisoned by dead fish that have appeared all around their man-made lake.

Owners and tenants living in Meadows 9, in Emaar’s Emirates Living, also said they were unable to go for a walk with their children because the sight of dead fish strewn around the lake and in people’s gardens was disturbing.

“I took my kids walking and they were really upset because so many fish were lying dead in the pathway,” said Kavita Agarwal, who has been living in the Meadows for over a year.

“There were too many lying dead on the path and on the road near the lake. The birds may have picked up the fish from the pond and left them around. My little one was so upset he doesn’t want to go. Mrs Agarwal, whose children are aged 9 and 14, said this is not the first time this had happened.

“It was there last year as well around the same time. Maybe as summer starts, the fish begin to die. It never happens during the winter,” she said.

Emaar confirmed the deaths and said it was natural.

“We use Aphanius fish, a native species found in UAE wadis, which have the ability to withstand high temperature and salinity fluctuations,” said a spokesman.

“However, they have a short life cycle and die after spawning. We have no choice at that time except to gather all the fish and dispose of them, which we do on a regular basis.

“The fish death is a natural occurrence, as has been independently verified by an external consultant, who studied the matter after similar fish death was reported in earlier years. The report said the occurrence is due to die-offs following spawning, seasonal changes in temperature and oxygen levels in the lake.”

Residents said they had also noticed white foam on the surface of the lake, which Emaar attributed to high protein content. The spokesman added that the lakes in the area were regularly pumped with fresh groundwater and were also cleaned manually.

Many residents, however, worried their pets could be poisoned by the dead fish.

Stephanie, who did not want to give her full name, said she had found one of the dead fish in her back garden on Wednesday morning.

Dead fish up close (Photo credit: severinus)

“My husband found a half of a dead fish in our garden. It is very scary to think, because we have a dog. If she had got to it first, I have no doubt she would have sampled it,” said the American expatriate, who has a 10-year-old golden retriever. “If the fish are poisoned, pets could end up sick.”

Another resident said an empty piece of uncleared land behind his villa was a breeding ground for insects and snakes.

“My one-year-old son has insect bites whenever he plays in our garden,” said Akmal Razaq, an Afghan who owns a villa in the community. “We have had to take him to the doctor a few times.

“The land is not cleared out or levelled and, because of this, there are a lot of insects coming into our garden. Last month, security killed two snakes in there. We have asked Emaar to clear up the land.”

However, Emaar said it did not own the land. “We have explained that the land belongs to another entity and cannot be landscaped or developed as a 132kw line runs along the area. We have instructed our service provider to clean the area thoroughly and have also implemented pest control.

He added that no snakes had been found in the area.

pkannan@thenational.ae

 

via Residents in Dubai gated community fear dead fish at man-made lakes could poison pets | The National.

 

 

 

Dubai court: Ex-husband wins custody of four dogs and three cats | GulfNews.com

By Bassam Za’za’, Legal and Court Correspondent Published: 16:14 March 31, 2014

Dubai: A woman has been ordered to give back four dogs and three cats to her ex-husband, which she took when she walked out on him.

The British man said he got the shock of his life when he returned from a business trip to find a virtually empty house.

He filed for divorce before the Dubai Sharia Court. The man mentioned in his lawsuit that he had bought everything in the house, including the animals. The court ordered the man’s ex-wife to return everything she had taken.

He told the Dubai Courts that the woman constantly cursed him and his family and was a troublemaker.

Meanwhile the woman lodged a counter-lawsuit, in which she requested a divorce and demanded the man pay her around Dh100,000 in maintenance. She also demanded her husband pay for a housemaid in addition to her rent. She said their marriage had become unbearable.

The husband’s friend testified before the Sharia Court that the woman used to call her husband names and defamed him in front of his colleagues.

Meanwhile, the wife’s friend testified the man constantly intimidated his wife.

The Sharia Court looked into the lawsuits after efforts to settle the dispute between the couple before the Dubai Court’s Family Guidance and Reconciliation Section failed. The court was granted a divorce. The British man was ordered to pay Dh25,000 in maintenance.

The couple appealed the verdict before the Appeal Court that upheld the ruling.

via Dubai court: Ex-husband wins custody of four dogs and three cats | GulfNews.com.

 

Pet dog in Dubai almost dies from apparent snake bite at The Lakes | The National

(Photo credit: epSos.de)

Sandrine Pohl’s four-year-old white labrador, Finja, began to vomit shortly after being taken for a walk in The Lakes.

“At first, I didn’t think it was anything unusual because that morning she had stolen some waffles from the breakfast table,” said Ms Pohl, a German expatriate.

“But then later there were big lumps, which looked like veins, sticking out all over her skin. When I touched one of them it burst open and started bleeding.

“So we took her to the vet.”

The veterinarian who examined Finja said the dog’s symptoms could have been caused by either a spider or snake bite.

The UAE does have a number of indigenous snake species, some of which are highly venomous. At least two species – the saw-scaled viper and the sand viper – can be fatal to humans, said Dr Reza Khan, a specialist in wildlife and zoo management at Dubai Municipality.

However, he said sightings of the snakes, especially in densely populated areas such as The Lakes, were rare.

“In my 30 years here I remember one incidence in Mirdif of a dog being bitten by a viper, and it later died,” Dr Khan said.

“If vipers are around they will bite anything that moves within their reach. They fear the moving object, a person or animal, is an enemy and can harm them. This is a purely natural, defensive reaction.”

via Pet dog in Dubai almost dies from apparent snake bite at The Lakes | The National.