Dubai: Family offers Dh1,000 reward to help find missing pet

A family in Dubai has offered a financial incentive of Dh1,000 to anyone who can help them find their missing dog.

The pet Maltese - named Cuddles - went for a walk near his home in Umm Suqeim around 9pm on Thursday but failed to return. The little dog was reportedly last seen the following morning nearly 30 kilometres away at Al Twar.

Pet owner Ria Sodhi, who announced the cash reward, said she’s torn by the pooch's disappearance.

“Our heart aches for Cuddles. Al Twar is pretty far from our villa in Umm Suqeim. Cuddles used to go for a walk in the area and come back on his own. But it is unlikely he will find his way back here from Al Twar. My parents and I are worried sick about him,” said the lawyer, who spent six hours looking for the beloved pet on Saturday.

“We scoured an entire neighbourhood in Al Twar and even went door- to-door distributing fliers. So far, our search hasn’t yielded any result, but I'm hopeful and headed to the area again,” Sodhi told Khaleej Times on Sunday.

The Indian expatriate has also taken to social media urging the public to share any information about Cuddles’ whereabouts.

An Arab woman, who took Cuddles to her Al Twar home after seeing it wandering on Al Wasl road, responded to Sodhi’s post on Twitter on Friday afternoon to inform that the lost pet was safe with her.

“She even sent me a picture of Cuddles. I was thrilled and relieved,” recalled Sodhi.

However, her joy was short-lived.

By the time she dashed to the Arab’s villa, Cuddles had disappeared again.

mazhar@khaleejtimes.com