Dubai: Pamper your dog, but do not forget the cleanliness of your city. This is the message pet owners in Dubai were given as part of a recent cleanliness awareness drive.
The Veterinary Services Section in the Public Health Services Department of Dubai Municipality organised the initiative as part of this year’s Clean Up the World campaign, the civic body said in a press release.
The initiative was aimed to convey the municipality’s message to the pet owners to take care of the cleanliness of the city as an individual responsibility by consciously dealing with the waste of their dogs when they take their dogs for a walk on the public streets.
Pet owners were asked to keep plastic bags dedicated for this purpose. The drive also urged them to collect their pets’ waste instantly and dispose them of in places allocated for that to help preserve the civilised face of the city and prevent polluting the green spaces and roads.
Pet owners were also reminded that discarding pet waste hygienically will also help reduce public health hazards and minimise complaints and reports from the public.
The campaign was held on November 23 and 24 in Uptown Mirdif, Motor City, Dubai Downtown and Zabeel Park.
The campaign was attended by municipality staff and volunteers from the James Wellington High School, Dubai, and female students of the University of Sharjah.
Participants in the campaign communicated the message to the public through the distribution of leaflets listing guidelines and violations related to pet breeding in the emirate of Dubai and a bulletin on the basic principles of animal welfare.
A questionnaire was also distributed to different categories of people to gauge the impact of the campaign. The results of the survey, participated by 250 people, showed that the campaign was highly successful.
Fines
Failure to clean up and dispose of dog’s waste or leftovers in a plastic bag when taking the dog out in Dubai attracts a fine of Dh200 and a written undertaking that the offence will not be repeated, according to the municipality’s website.
If the violation is repeated, the dog can be impounded and a fine of Dh400 will be slapped on the owner. If the owner fails to collect the dog and pay the fine within three working days, the Veterinary Section will confiscate the dog, the website added.
