Mia, spayed and microchipped, was wearing an orange leash and harness when she was lost.- Supplied photo
Dubai - Yasmine Martin lost her dog Mia, a golden Shiba Inu, in July 2017 in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC).
Published: Wed 24 Oct 2018, 11:00 PM
Updated: Thu 25 Oct 2018, 10:00 AM
A French expat is offering Dh10,000 reward for residents who find her four-year-old dog that has been missing for a year.
Yasmine Martin lost her dog Mia, a golden Shiba Inu, in July 2017 in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) while they were both out for a walk.
"I was walking her around our home in JVC. She panicked when she heard a loud noise from workers in a nearby construction site and she fled from my garage to run all the way to the tunnel connecting JVC and Sports City. I ran after her, but eventually I couldn't keep up and lost her," said Martin, a UAE resident for the past four years.
Mia, spayed and microchipped, was wearing an orange leash and harness when she was lost. Martin distributed flyers across the JVC community who conducted a desperate search, but to no avail.
Martin said she reported the incident to the Dubai Municipality and informed all vets around Dubai and animal shelters across the UAE including Sharjah animal market. Photos of Mia have been posted all over community pages on Facebook groups.
Martin doubled the reward from Dh5,000 previously offered in July to Dh10,000, noting that she will pay the amount from her own personal savings.
"I know people would think it's just a dog, but she is everything to me. I was passing through hard time in 2017 when I didn't have a job or enough money to buy a decent meal and she was with me during this time," said Martin. "Her companionship helped me go through my difficulties and if paying Dh10,000 is what it takes to find her, I will pay it," said Martin.
She continues to distribute flyers to security guards and passersby in hopes to find her dog.
"Mia was one of the most social and lovable dogs I have seen. Maybe a family found her and chose to take care of her," said Martin.
She urged whoever catches a glimpse of Mia to get in touch at 0523359147. "I believe in miracles and I will not give up. I miss her terribly," said Martin.
Losing a pet can subject owners to Dh500 fine
The Dubai Municipality confirmed to Khaleej Times that once a microchipped pet is found, the owner is subjected to Dh500 fine.
"Pets are the owners' responsibility and should be carefully looked after," a senior official at the municipality told Khaleej Times.
If the municipality's veterinary section finds a missing pet, inspectors scan the microchip number that connects them to the owner whose details are registered.
Pets that aren't registered are either rehomed or euthanized, if deemed unsafe.
Officials also confirmed that the owner has the right to raise a complaint against anybody who took their lost pets without reporting it to authorities.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
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