Dubai
My six-year-old dog, Leo, escaped from our villa in Mirdif, Dubai, with his sisters Smalie and Anisha, on July 5 at around 6.30am. It happened when the housekeeper was cleaning and feeding the animals, and forgot to lock the gate, which then must have been pushed open by the wind.
The minute we realised they were missing, the housekeeper and I started to look for the dogs. We distributed posters and put some up on notice boards in the community supermarkets. We also walked around and asked every person on the street and also followed up with Dubai Municipality Veterinary Department every day. Additionally, we checked veterinary clinics, too, but there was no sign of the dogs.
The housekeeper found Anisha three days later, not far from our villa. She was hiding between the bushes, under two big trees. People in the area told us that they had seen Smalie and Leo running towards Mirdif Park, which is quite far from our home. We checked the park and continued to walk and drive around every street in the area, shouting the dogs’ names and showing their pictures to the neighbours.
Eight days after they disappeared, we were standing in front of the Star International School and suddenly Smalie jumped up to me and I cried out of joy. However, the sad part was that there was no sign of Leo.
We asked the security guard at the school and searched the school premises, but didn’t find him anywhere. There is a construction site nearby, and the workers said they had spotted him the next night. They called to inform us of his appearance several times and we went to the site immediately, but we weren’t successful.
The issue we faced was that people would call us to say that they had spotted our dog, but no one ever took him indoors, even if he followed them. He was clearly circling the area, hoping to find his home. On July 30, the housekeeper came across a woman who was walking her dog, and asked about Leo. She informed him that she had in fact seen him lying on the grass close to our villa, but even she didn’t take him home.
I am very concerned about Leo’s health as it is very hot and he probably has no water or food. This would affect his body and mind. I request anybody who has seen him to take him in and bring him to our villa, or even keep him temporarily until we can come and pick him up. He is very friendly and reacts if you call his name. He is microchipped and has a red collar, with a small metal coin on it. If you see him, please call me at 052 8105177.
— The reader is based in Dubai.
