Dubai Diaries: Fur babies up for sale - do you want one?

I have two babies up for adoption: One is a giant, spotted beagle with golden eyes and the other is a wolf with a pink glittery collar. My husband won them in carnival games.

Rain, the wolf, was ‘rescued’ from a claw machine at Global Village. Summer, on the other hand, was a trophy my husband got after shooting a basketball in just one try at Motiongate Dubai. We’re not into stuffed toys, really, but how can you not bring home a reminder of one lucky day?

These two furballs have been permanently seated at our dining table for several weeks now. They see all the meals we eat together as a family. They welcome us home after a long day at work and keep me company whenever I have to write this column late at night.

In July, they even donned party hats as guests to mum’s birthday dinner. They always look like they just finished having tea after gossiping about our choice of music and Netflix shows. Who knows, they could be starting their own Toy Story gang with our peace lilies, rubber plant and bamboo money tree over here?

But then, I know they are not supposed to be seated there forever. Shouldn’t they be in bed, comforting a toddler who was jolted awake by a nightmare? Or the first best friends of a four-year-old who never runs out of stories about school? They could also be the giant villains that the Avengers will be fighting next. To a child, Rain and Summer could be anything.

Back in college, I organised a donation drive where we collected pre-loved toys, from puzzles and musical boxes to doctor sets and mini kitchens. We gift-wrapped each of them and then played Santa in the neighbourhoods around our campus.

Send me an e-mail if you have any questions and if you’re interested in giving this duo their fur-ever home. I might donate them to charity soon.