Pet owners need to take some responsibility

Pet ownership comes with responsibilities, a reader says. Other topics: cycling, Oscars, mobile phones, tolerance

Pet ownership comes with responsibilities, a reader say. Sarah Dea / The National

Owning a pet, particularly a dog, entails certain responsibilities (Pets in the UAE: How a shifting attitude is seeing more places become animal-friendly, March 2). You need to keep them under control, you need to teach them manners around other people (for example, not to jump on people or bark at them), you need to only take them to places you know to be pet friendly, such as a park or a beach.

People don’t know what to expect from a strange dog – even in the United States people are wary of them.

For that matter, I am very animal friendly, but still approach a strange animal warily, letting them sniff the back of my hand before I touch them. Few westerners take their responsibility seriously.

Paul Martin, Al Ain

Is Reem Island safe for cyclists?

In reference to the article New Cycle bike stations installed around Abu Dhabi (March 2), I was wondering where on Reem Island is it safe to bike around. The bikes are there, but you can't even push a stroller or walk safely without having to go off the pavement and on to the road at times. Try doing it around Sun and Sky Towers. At some points, the pavements have steep slopes.

People on the island think they are on a racetrack.

Jean Francoise Ng Lewis, Abu Dhabi

Questions over the Oscars gaffe

The error at the Oscars ceremony in mentioning La La Land as the Best Picture, courtesy of an auditing faux pas, then calling up the Moonlight team to receive the award, was unexpected. Rarely do such embarrassments take place at the cinema world’s biggest event.

Coming on the heels of a two-year absence of African-American starts, the plethora of black nominees was a real surprise. It coincided with president Donald Trump’s completion of one month in office.

So was the gaffe a deliberate swipe at Mr Trump? Or was the Academy patronising the increasing list of black artists, who have graced American cinema since Harriet McDaniel took the first award in a segregated auditorium in the late 1930s?

AR Modak, South Africa

Nokia phones were useful

Nokia phones were the best until Microsoft bought it and made a joke out of it (Nokia and BlackBerry should stay where they belong – in the past, March 1).

I hope Nokia will return to Finland and manufacture smartphones.

I can’t understand why the company stopped production after the N9.

Nikki Caz, Dubai

The Nokia 3310 is perfect for those who wish to use a phone only as a phone.

Danielle Payne, UK

It at least needs good front and back cameras. If its only 2g how will it connect to most networks?

Chris Reid, Dubai

The BlackBerry differentiator is also security tools added on. I think people are starting to care about that.

Glenn Smith, Dubai

Why we need to be more tolerant

In reference to the article Islamic texts 'must be more moderate', UAE scholar says (March 2), I was running a children's art workshop and they were having a lovely time. A girl of about nine years looked at me and asked: "Will you go to hell?" As that was what she had been told happened to non-Muslims.

I answered her by saying that I think it’s more a matter of whether you’re a good person or not. I’m not sure who was telling this beautiful girl this type of thing.

Introducing more tolerant instruction is a good move.

Michal Teague, Abu Dhabi