Dubai: The newly opened Dubai Birds and Pet Market will include a dog-walking park as part of an expansion plan, Dubai Municipality has said.
Faisal Al Baidawi, Head of the Markets Management Section of Dubai Municipality’s Assets Management Department, said that 40 of the 80 available shops are operational, he said during a tour of the market last week.
Besides a dedicated facility for walking dogs, he said, the expansion will also include more shops and services. The plans are under discussion, he said.
The market, located in Al Warsan 3 close to Emirates Road, also has a dog hotel, a veterinary hospital, an auction hall, a quarantine area, a food court and shops for pet food, medicine and accessories.
Many shops are owned by Emirati pet owners who were selected after background checks on their experience and passion in handling pets, including house visits. “You can meet many of those owners working in the shops in the evenings and weekends,” he said.
He said that the municipality’s aim is to provide the best services to the public, adding that their target is to get 500 visitors a day.
Opened in September 2015, the market, which cost Dh95 million to build, is divided into four blocks, each with 20 shops.
The shops are spacious, clean, and follow strict regulations that are compliant with the Cites convention (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), he said.
“We have several initiatives and plans for animal-related activities in the future, such as an initiative to teach people how to train their dogs, as well as a dog show, a bird show and we have a multipurpose hall where companies or people can hold events. We encourage any environmental and animal-welfare related initiatives,” he said.
On February 5, the market hosted Poshpaws Animal Sanctuary and Peyting farm’s petting farm, which allows children and adults to interact with animals and learn more about how to properly care for animals.
Laura Glandfield, from Poshpaws, said that the petting farm includes rabbits, hamsters, parrots, chicken, pygmy goats, a python and dogs, to name a few.
“The farm helps children and adults alike overcome their fear of animals. At first you see the children are afraid to touch the animals but by the end of the day they are all petting and playing with them,”
She added that most of the pets are rescued or adopted animals and people can adopt them if they want.
“We hold many of these petting farms. We had one a few weeks ago at Jumeirah Golf Estates. We try to hold as many of these events to educate people,” she said.
All the animals at the market undergo check-ups at the municipality’s quarantine building at the market before they are allowed to be sold in the shops.
Dr Hashem Al Awadhi, Head of Veterinarian Services at Dubai Municipality, said the inspectors at the quarantine centre check the animals’ health and documentation to ensure that all the animals in the market are healthy.
“If they suspect that an animal is sick or has an infectious disease, they are immediately quarantined,” he said.
People from the veterinarian department are responsible for ensuring shop owners are abiding by the cleanliness guideline as well as the health of the animals.
“There are two inspectors responsible for ensuring the shops are in line with the regulations, one in the morning and one in the evening, in addition to four veterinarians — two in the morning and two in the evening,” Dr Al Awadhi said.
Dubai Municipality has also provided accommodation for the workers who work at the shops, which consists of 93 rooms.
Free parking for 800 cars has also been made available.
Abdul Aziz Al Mutawa, one of the shop’s owners, said that he is looking forward to the official opening, and hopes that there will be more advertising for the market.
Open door policy
The private Veterinarian Hospital at the Dubai Municipality’s Birds and Pet Market has an open-door policy, and encourages people to pass by the hospital to learn more about how to care for their pets.
Dr Sara Elliott, owner and manager of the British Veterinary Hospital located at the market, said that they have brochures in multiple languages on how to handle pets. “We encourage people to pass by us before going into the market to buy a pet, and ask questions like what kind of pet is suitable for them, and we can advise them according to their lifestyle,”
She said, for example, someone who lives in a one-bedroom apartment cannot buy a Rottweiler, as the space is not enough for the dog.
“We have information sheets in Tagalog, Hindi, Arabic and English and other languages. People can pass by and pick them up or find them online on our website. When people know how to care for their pets and know the correct hygienic practices, vaccinations and operations, then we will have healthier animals,” she said.
Dr Elliott said that they want to be involved with the municipality and work closely with shop keepers to ensure the shopkeepers are keeping the pets healthy.
