Pet owners in Abu Dhabi must register their cats and dogs and have them microchipped under new plans to restrict abandonment and improve animal welfare.
The Animal Ownership System initiative is due to launch on February 3, and has been called a significant move forward.
Training on the process has been given to veterinary clinics by the Abu Dhabi Department for Municipalities and Transport. Registration must be completed through clinics, with owners urged to contact their regular vet to understand more about the process.
Nora Shackleford, clinical manager at the German Veterinary Clinic in Abu Dhabi, said owners should expect to pay up to Dh500 a year to have their pets fully vaccinated and registered. “One of the biggest impacts this will have is helping owners and pets to be easily reunited, which we deal with a lot,” she told The National.
“If missing pets are not microchipped or not registered anywhere, it can be almost impossible to put people back in touch with their pet. This is unifying all the pet owners, pet shops and veterinary clinics across Abu Dhabi – so it’s a great initiative.”
Many countries already have mandatory pet registration and a similar scheme is already up and running in Dubai. Those working in the animal care industry have been calling for the step to be taken in Abu Dhabi for some time.
Abandonment
In October 2023, more than 150 cats were dumped in Al Falah desert area in Abu Dhabi. Some were strays, but others were pets mistakenly rounded up by pest control. About 62 of the cats died, and the Department of Municipalities and Transport opened an investigation. Since then, animal welfare experts have called for mandatory registration to make it easier to track lost animals.
David Appleby lost three of his cats in Khalifa City in 2022. He suspected pest controllers took the animals under a trap, neuter and release programme. While he found Monty more than three months later, the other two, Blacky and Winnie, were never returned.
He set up microchipped.ae, a free platform to help owners track their pets, and said the government’s new system will offer a huge boost to animal welfare.
“This initiative not only benefits genuine pet owners by ensuring quicker reunification with lost pets, but it also contributes to the broader effort of controlling the overpopulation of stray animals,” he said.
“The creation of a centralised database will be crucial in enhancing the chances of recovering lost pets efficiently, which will bring much-needed peace of mind to responsible pet owners.”
Public education
Despite the expected benefits, he said more education was required on strays, and the public sector should have clear protocols in place to deal with colonies of cats.
“The guidelines to pet shops on setting standards for pet sales and education programmes are very good, and pest controllers have been retrained in new procedures for TNR, ensuring strays are returned to original locations after sterilisation,” said Mr Appleby.
“We are now seeing fewer stray colonies disappearing from public spaces, but the complaint procedure still needs addressing, and we also need to educate the private sector.
“Due to a lack of knowledge, they think calling in pest control to remove stray animals from their premises is the solution. The aspiration is for Abu Dhabi to be one of the best places for animal welfare globally, but these measures will take time to take effect.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
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- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
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