Dubai: Dog owners from Dubai Marina on Sunday proposed setting up their own committee to police dog owners and impose fines instead of banning dogs at the promenade.

Dubai Marina residents submitted an online petition to Emaar, the master developer, on Sunday signed by 1,803 supporters, hoping to reverse the ban on walking dogs on the promenade. The ban was put in place in July by Emaar reportedly based on the guidelines of Dubai Municipality to keep the premises clear, safe, hygienic and healthy at all times.

Besides submitting the online petition, a group of dog owners submitted a proposal to Emaar which details how dog owners in the community plan to solve the issue through “accountability, education, quality, and governance”. The proposal was drafted by 15 dog owners taking into account suggestions from the online community.

“What we’re saying is we can find a balanced solution that doesn’t need to be extreme. We want to find a common ground and cooperate with Emaar,” Erica Manssour, who is among those who made the proposal, told Gulf News.

The group also proposes holding a census for all dogs and owners in the Marina so they can be made accountable should there be violations. They also proposed creating a volunteer committee to enforce these suggestions as is being done in The Greens, another Emaar development.

“The Greens created a dog park and a committee. We would like to have the same in our community, to be recognised and to police ourselves just like in the US,” Manssour said.

Chris M., a British resident who helped draft the proposal, said the biggest problem is the lack of communication.

“Ultimately, our proposal is to have a dialogue with an Emaar representative to come to some sort of an agreement on this issue. This includes us, dog owners, non-dog owners, and Emaar,” he said.

When contacted by Gulf News on Sunday, a spokesperson from Emaar said they fully understand the residents’ concerns on the regulation placed on dog walking. He clarified that the dog walking ban does not apply to all areas of the Marina.

“We would like to reiterate that residents are discouraged from bringing their pet dogs only along the entire 7.9km Marina Promenade close to the waterways. Dubai Marina residents have the provision to walk their dogs across the pavements and side roads in the Dubai Marina master community,” the spokesperson said.

“They are only being asked not to take their pet dogs along the above area to ensure the high standards of health, hygiene and safety.”

The spokesperson said the promenade is currently being refurbished with the addition of over 10,000 square feet of landscaping and interlocked granite tiles since the terrace seating of restaurants will be extended there.

“We have observed that pet-walking tends to inconvenience regular visitors. Regulating pet walking is also important as not every dog-owner tends to be responsible about their civic duties,” the spokesperson said, adding: “Several people also tend to bring large-sized dogs to the Marina Promenade, which is a concern for families with infants who come for a relaxed evening.”

Manssour said they are willing to sit and discuss the issue with Emaar.

“There are a few irresponsible dog owners but I don’t think the whole community should be punished for that. What we’re proposing is making owners accountable. They should fine them if they don’t clean up after their dogs, or if the dogs aren’t leashed,” Manssour said.