Rio is one of the kindest and loveliest dogs you will ever meet. All he ever asks for is a cuddle and to be taken for a walk on time. He has been living with us for 12 years.The reason he is missing is terrible. My husband and I bought an apartment in Dubai some years ago. Since we have both lived in the city for many years, we would like to keep a base here, as Dubai is our home.
However, we were recently informed by the developer that no animals are allowed in the apartment. This was a shock to us. Since we also still had two grown-up sons living with us, we jointly decided to find them another place to live, which would be suitable for Rio, too.
Daniel, one of our sons, has set up a surfing school along Jumeirah Beach, where he found an old Arabic villa with lots of space for Rio.
Rio settled in nicely, since he is a real people-lover. The surfers come and go, and Rio was like a puppy again. It was a joy to watch. My husband and I went to visit him daily, so Rio would not feel deserted by us.
Everything went terrifically, till one day, when someone accidentally did not close the gate properly and Rio probably wandered outside the villa. Unfortunately, he was not wearing his collar, which he always wears when he is outdoors. Since Rio is really pretty, people always ask us if they might take a picture of him. We now fear that one of the people that liked him so much picked him up. Or perhaps because he did not wear his collar, we could not be contacted and people took him in.
Rio was last seen sitting in front of the gate by a neighbour, but this person was too scared of dogs to open the gate for him. Our other worry is that he might try to come to Al Garhoud, since he only lived by the beach for three weeks. Needless to say, he would have to cross the busy traffic on Al Garhoud Bridge and the temperature is already very high.
Rio does have a microchip with the number 985120031846691.
We have taken all the steps to find him, like checking in with the Municipality, K9 Friends and all veterinary clinics in the area. We have put up flyers on poles, in shops, on cars, and talked to everybody in the area. We drive daily around the neighbourhood where he was last seen, to check if anyone is walking him.
However, he is still missing. We are unable to sleep and worry about him all the time. We would be immensely grateful if anyone could give us details of where he is and return Rio to us. We love him so much!
You can contact my husband Cees on 050 4534306 or me on 050 6579472.
— The reader is self-employed, and is based in Dubai. Be a citizen reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Write to us at: readers@gulfnews.com
