DUBAI // Welfare campaigners welcomed a decision to suspend the live animal sale licence of a pet shop accused of selling sick puppies.
Petholicks was forced to refund money to several customers who bought puppies and found that they were seriously ill with contagious viruses.
Some of the dogs died, while other pet owners paid thousands of dirhams in veterinary bills.
Complaints were submitted to Dubai Municipality and spot checks carried out by the licensing authority, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), who in March issued a warning to the shop in Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
It continued to trade and further cases of neglect and of animals being sold in ill health were reported to authorities.
DMCC has suspended the shop’s licence to trade live animals. “Petholicks still has a licence, but the shop’s right to sell live animals has been suspended,” a DMCC spokesman said.
“The owner is no longer allowed to sell animals and DMCC will not be renewing that licence when it expires, so no live animals are permitted on the premises.”
The trade licence expires in October.
Fourteen people who said they had bought sick dogs from the shop joined forces on social media to gather evidence to push for action from Dubai Municipality.
Natalie Kardoush was given a miniature poodle called Marley – bought from the shop by her husband – as a Valentine’s Day present.
Two days after taking Marley home, the dog became seriously ill with parvovirus and vets said the puppy had 48 hours to live. Although Marley survived, the couple had to pay a substantial vet bill.
“We are beyond excited this has finally happened,” said Ms Kardoush. “This should have happened a long time ago.”
Lakshmi Kewalramani, who lives in Dubai Marina, bought a Chihuahua called Pablo, who died days after taking him home, also from parvo.
“I’m glad the licence has been suspended but the concern is he will continue to sell puppies online and in other shops,” she said. “He’s not going to stop – the authorities need to go far deeper.”
Evelyn Priess, an executive management member of the Emirates Animal Welfare Society, was another campaigning for the shop to be sanctioned. “I am deeply grateful for the final action of the DMCC Authority and the continuous support of Dubai Municipality,” she said.
The owner of Petholicks said all customers signed terms and conditions accepting that pets were at risk of certain viruses, such as parvo, distemper and coronavirus.
The terms stated: “If any of our pet [sic] is diagnosed with the mentioned virus we only replace. If the pet is available with us or we will issue a credit note from the shop that can be used for one year from the date issued.”
nwebster@thenational.ae
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
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Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible
Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465
Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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Towering concerns
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Background: Chemical Weapons
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
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- Financial well-being incentives
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Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
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COMPANY PROFILE
The smuggler
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Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
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Year-end rank since turning pro
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2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
