Be a responsible pet owner

A reader urges pet owners to maintain cleanliness in residential areas. Other topics: cancer, Emirati tradition, adverts

A reader urges pet owners to maintain cleanliness in residential areas. Sarah Dea / The National

If you are a dog owner and able to avail yourself of the lovely cool mornings to walk your pet for endless kilometres, please do not forget to clean up their poop as you give them their daily exercise.

I live in a well-landscaped, lush part of Abu Dhabi that is very popular for strolls for families. I often walk my two dogs early so as not to upset these families’ time in the fresh air.

However, the area is becoming soiled and spoilt by other irresponsible dog walkers who do not clean up their pets’ poop as they stroll, and therefore, are leaving the whole area a very unhealthy and disgusting place to walk.

Please, I urge all dog walkers to make sure they take bags with them to clear away any poop their pets may make on the footpaths of Abu Dhabi because there is no such thing as the dog poop fairy.

J Bett, Abu Dhabi

Informal adverts are beneficial for many people

Your editorial Putting notices on notice (February 16) was topical. In many areas in Abu Dhabi, you will find adverts on various things in various many places.

They are mostly seen on street light poles and sometimes on building facades, as you have mentioned. But a keen observer will notice that these notices are not seen in every locality.

There are particular areas in the city where they are common. I live in one of those areas and I can say that I have benefited from some of those adverts. They mainly serve a particular class of people, who live on tight budgets.

Those who shop at Spinney’s do not look at those adverts. Their kind of stuff is advertised inside Spinneys, where there is a noticeboard. Perhaps baqalas can do the same. The only problem is that in one locality there may be many baqalas. Which means one has to go from shop to shop in search of the thing one is looking for.

I think some things are better kept informal. There is no need to think that such small things actually spoil the “beauty” of our city.

Name withheld by request

Emiratis’ love for tradition

It is heartening to read that despite the country's rapid progress, there are Emiratis who wish to live close to their roots and tradition (Helping those who keep our traditions alive, February 19).

These people who forgo the amenities of a city for the rural lifestyle surrounded by nature are truly worthy of praise and deserve support.

Telemedicine clinics are great for women living in remote villages, who can seek help at any given time of the day.

However, it would be ideal if a community centre comprising a mosque, clinic, school, a market and other basic facilities is set up in these isolated places so that villagers can easily access them when the need arises.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

Those who make efforts to keep the traditions alive should get special help from the Government, considering the importance of their contribution to the country.

Without them, the indigenous original culture and tradition would perish, so there is no doubt that they deserve an easy access to basic facilities such as hospitals, homes for the elderly and, perhaps, meeting halls.

Brigitte von Bulow, Abu Dhabi

Is childhood cancer rising?

It can be traumatic for anyone to know that his or her child has cancer (UAE parents say battle against childhood cancer can be won, February 16).

Expatriates, in particular, will normally feel helpless as they live away from their families. In such situations, what one needs the most is mental support.

However, it would be helpful to know the statistics of childhood cancer and its prevalence in this region. If it is increasing, we will need to examine the cause and address the root of the problem.

Avinash Bhargav, Dubai