DUBAI: A series of quirky online posts that tugged at the heartstrings of animal lovers have helped 24 abandoned dogs find new homes in Dubai. K9 Friends listed 52 dogs on classified website Dubizzle seeking buyers for ‘second-hand dogs’.
Within days nearly half of them were adopted.
Each post carried ‘sarcastic’ descriptions of dogs to highlight the issue of pet abandonment.
Kiwi expat Julie Sparks who was sifting through the site for a second hand speaker came across a picture of a two-month-old pup for sale.
Driving home a message
The description alongside read: ‘White second hand dog for Dh1’. “Dogs are not second-hand objects. They are invaluable.”
The following day she was at the dog shelter home and the pup had a new home. Anywhere between 30 and 50 dogs are abandoned in the UAE every month.
Helen Bragger, manager at K9 Friends, said they listed abandoned dogs on the e-commerce platform as part of their #Adoptinvaluabledogs initiative, to encourage people to adopt dogs that have been abandoned by their owners.
“You don’t need a “new” dog when there there are so many “used” ones available for adoption. People must understand that when they get a pet, they need to look after it and take it with them if they are planning to relocate,” she said.
