DUBAI // The emirate’s oldest dog rescue centre is preparing for its annual rush, as the novelty of puppies bought as Christmas gifts begins to wear off and owners realise the work, training and love needed to keep a pet.
Each year hundreds of dogs are abandoned in the emirate, with staff at K9 Friends Dubai taking calls daily to look after dogs left by owners who leave the country or will not commit to the effort the pets need.
The centre, which has been running for 28 years and is close to finding a new home for its 5,000th dog, is housing about 140 dogs, 20 above its capacity.
“We’re always full,” manager Alister Milne said. “There are all sorts of reasons so nothing shocks me any more.”
Summer and new year are the busiest times for the centre, which is run by volunteers and supported by sponsorships.
“By February the puppy is no longer cute and fluffy and still not toilet trained so we get a bit of a rush then,” Mr Milne said. “There is a run before Christmas where people get rid of dogs to make room for puppies.
“While we’ve started to get Christmas puppies it’s still early. Some realise they’ve made a mistake immediately but from February they begin to realise what they’ve taken on. It’s all too common that dogs are just kicked out on the street.”
Animal workers say people should research which breed is right for them based on activity and independence, and the size to which the dog will grow.
“Due to more and more pet shops and people not taking responsibility for their animals, more dogs are abandoned or left to stray every day,” said Jackie Ratcliffe, one of the original founders of K9 Friends.
“It is sad that places like K9 Friends need to exist. If people neutered their animals and took responsibility for their care then we wouldn’t need to exist at all, but sadly dogs are another throwaway item and people buy them and breed them on a whim.
“It’s sad that although we are nearly at our 5,000th dog, and even though we neuter every dog that comes through our shelter, abandonment and overbreeding is still such a problem.”
Jenie Blanksby adopted pharaoh hound Arnold three months ago after her son Harry fell in love with it while volunteering at the centre.
With its ears and tail cut off to breed him for fighting, Arnold, now 3, had spent about half his life at K9.
“Each time he was put forward to a family, they didn’t want him because of the way he looked,” said Mrs Blanksby, whose family already have two rescue cats.
“We thought my husband was allergic to dogs so we agreed to foster Arnold for two weeks and see how it went with that and the two cats, but as soon as Arnold saw my husband it was mutual love at first sight,” said Mrs Blanksby, who has lived in Dubai for 12 years.
She said the shelter provided a vital service to the community.
“It’s a very important facility to have. Otherwise, these dogs would die a horrible death. They find the right family and environment for them so to find 5,000 matches is really amazing.
“These dogs now live all over the world.”
mswan@thenational.ae
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Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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