“A Day in the Life” allows you to step into the shoes of a UAE resident to experience a typical 24 hours in their work and home life
Puppy pool parties, doggy suites and canine classrooms are just some of the exciting things Sean Parker gets up to at the office.
As the director and general manager of My Second Home, the UAE's biggest pet resort and spa, Mr Parker welcomes 300 dogs a day.
It's there that they can enjoy a range of pet suites, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and an air-conditioned park, ideal for the UAE weather.
My Second Home offers professional behaviour and temperament training, as well as a luxury grooming parlour where guests can enjoy a makeover before returning home.
Four-legged boarding guests can even enjoy private transfers to and from the resort, with customised suites stocked up with their favourite toys and blankets.
Here, The National joins the 48-year-old South African animal trainer on a typical day juggling the whims, whines and wagging tails of Dubai's furry friends.
5:30am: First ‘walkies’ of the day
Every day, Mr Parker wakes up early to take his own five dogs for a walk.
“I've got two rescues from Ras Al Khaimah called Puppy and Milo and my other three, Badger, Sam and Delilah, were left here at My Second Home,” he says.
“Every now and then, a dog will come for boarding and no one comes back to collect them, which is heartbreaking.
“Once we’ve had our breakfast, we all head to My Second Home and set up for the day ahead.”
Mr Parker has been “animal crazy” his entire life, starting his career as a bird trainer in South Africa in 1997, followed by roles as a nature guide and a dolphin trainer at Atlantis The Palm before joining My Second Home in 2016.
Currently, he oversees the facilities in Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park, leading everything from obedience lessons to “sniffaris”.
“In addition to dog training, we also have our day care facility where dogs can come and join us for a full day of activities,” he says.
“We have swimming pools, an indoor dog park, classrooms, communal eating areas and places where they can relax while they're waiting for their next activity – you can't have dogs going crazy the whole day.
“We also have sniffaris where we hide various scents for the dogs to sniff out and explore, or the dogs can spend time just playing with their friends.”
Mr Parker said it's important that owners understand that their pets have a dog brain, no matter how much we want to treat them like humans.
“They need to be engaged in stimulating activities through scent work and socialising with each other so they can go home and be more relaxed and content with a satiated brain.”
Noon: Puppy pool party
Once the dogs have settled in with their buddies for the day, the fun really starts with an afternoon pool party.
“We’ll throw a pool party for any occasion,” says Mr Parker. “Sometimes it’s a birthday party or graduation, but often we’ll have a pool party just for the sake of it.
“Sometimes, we have a special pool party for labradors and retrievers with about 100 dogs just piling into the pool, but every day the dogs have the opportunity for a paddle.”
The dogs are usually well behaved under Mr Parker’s watch, though his own pets have been known to act out on occasion.
“He had come to the age where it was time for him to be neutered but afterwards, he wasn’t allowed in the water while he recovered,” says Mr Parker.
“I kept him in the office with me but as soon as I turned my back he made a break for it, jumped the fence and dived straight into the pool.
“Dogs can do funny things. They have a mind of their own we see a lot of dogs dragging their owners into My Second Home in search of their friends or teachers.”
5pm: Turn down service
In the late afternoon, the day care dogs start heading home for the evening, while the boarders get ready to settle down for a cosy night in their private suites.
“The dogs go through to their individual rooms for supper, then go for a final activity in the evening and have one last toilet break before lights out at 9pm,” says Mr Parker.
“As for me and my dogs, we head home and I’ll usually take them for their final walk of the day and make sure they’re all happy.
“After that, it’s a case of chilling on the couch with my pack of wolves and relaxing before another busy day.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Persuasion
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Results:
5pm: Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m | Winner: AF Tahoonah, Richard Mullen (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m | Winner: Ajwad, Gerald Avranche, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m | Winner: Duc De Faust, Szczepan Mazur, Younis Al Kalbani
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 2,200m | Winner: Shareef KB, Fabrice Veron, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,500m | Winner: Bainoona, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
Company%20Profile
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
Naga
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'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
