I am seeking urgent help for a very special dog. His name is Gelo, a pure-bred miniature poodle, which belonged to the owner of our shared apartment. I met Gelo last year. He was very shy and skittish at that time towards other people. But, with a lot of patience, affection and few treats, my husband and I gained his trust and he became comfortable with our presence in the house.
I immediately noticed that he was neglected by his owner, as he was suffering from a number of medical issues, such as very rotten teeth, long and infected toe nails and an eye and ear infection. I am certain that he was not vaccinated and registered with Dubai Municipality as well. He was already neutered and house broken at least.
Being a dog lover myself, I was so upset and began taking care of him and treating him as my own fur baby. I feed and took him for a walk twice a day. Many times, I thought about discussing Gelo’s poor condition with his owner. But, hesitated because I always heard him say that his family is just trying hard to make both ends meet. When I suffered a miscarriage in the same year, Gelo showed his gratitude. He provided so much love, companionship and affection and saved me from sinking into dreaded emotional depression and helped me recover faster from our loss. He was such a sweet boy!
We are moving next month to another place, which is closer to our work and his owner would like us to take Gelo. They confirmed that their daughter will be attending school soon and they are no longer in a position to provide for his expenses, such as food. They will subsequently rehome him anyway.
I have loved Gelo with all my heart and I know for a fact that we are not eligible to own a dog in the UAE, but this does not stop me from trying to get help to enable Gelo to find a loving and caring home he truly deserves, even if it not with us. All he needs is a chance.
For anyone interested, we would be willing to provide any details you need. Please get in touch with us at sharonjane.padojino@gmail.com.
— The reader is based in Dubai.
