DUBAI // The sudden cancellation of one of the Middle East's biggest and best-loved pet shows has been met with disappointment by Dubai pet-owners.
The organisers of the Pedigree and Whiskas Dubai Pet Show, which has been staged in the emirate for 25 years and attracted tens of thousands of canine and feline lovers, have announced they will not be returning for a 26th year.
The not-for-profit show – which was marred in 2012 when a poodle was killed by an American Staffordshire terrier – raised thousands of dirhams for animal charities each year with dog charity K9 Friends one of the key beneficiaries.
“We were very disappointed,” said Jackie Ratcliffe, the charity chairwoman for K9, on the pet show’s closure.
On the website for the show, a short statement read: “Due to a realignment of strategy we will not organising the Pedigree and Whiskas Dubai Pet Show in 2014.”
Ms Ratcliffe said she had no warning about the closure. Normally, the charity is approached in November or December to ask for their help, but the first she heard about the cancellation was from a flyer.
“It is such a shame,” she said. “We could not believe it.”
The pet show not only financially aided the animal charity but also gave them exposure and publicity about responsible pet ownership.
“We had a couple of spots in the ring and people could see what kind of dogs we had for rehoming,” she said. “It was also good for education – to show how people listen, respond to, and treat dogs.”
Mai El Kinawi, regional corporate affairs manager for Mars Gulf, the producers of Pedigree and Whiskas and the organisers of the Dubai Pet Show, said it was refocusing its attention on “responsible” pet ownership.
“We have realigned our business objectives for the Pedigree and Whiskas brands. The agreed approach has been to focus our efforts and resources on a sustained campaign in support of responsible pet ownership. As result, we will not be organising the Pedigree and Whiskas Dubai Pet Show in 2014.”
There are no plans to hold another event, and Ms Ratcliffe believes the show is unlikely to return to the emirate as the pet show organisers offered the K9 charity the fixtures and fittings used for the annual event, staged in the Dubai Rugby Sevens arena.
After a notice was posted on the event’s dedicated Facebook page, dozens of people also echoed their disappointment at the announcement at the end of the event.
It featured categories such as fancy dress, cutest rescue dog, best waggy tail, crossbreed best in show, agility demonstrations, happiest dog and dog most like its owner, among others.
“Gutted, it was an amazing event,” said one. Another said: “What a shame, was so looking forward to it.”
Others called for a better explanation than the brief statement given by the organisers.
However, not everyone was disappointed by the news.
Nasanin Karimian, the owner of Pluto, the six-year-old toy poodle killed in the 2012 attack, said she has a "paradoxical feeling" about the event's closure and felt her experience two years ago opened up wider questions about the potential dangers of such shows.
“While I believe well-organised pet shows can be a nice event for dogs and owners, I can not forgive those show organisers for losing my beloved dog,” she said.
"They did not think about the potential dangers which could happen for dogs and children.
“They never thought about the banned breeds, how to confront that and many other issues.”
Ms Karimian said the experience at the event still left her shaken.
“Everybody passed the issue just because it was a dog, but while he was so dear to me, he could be a kid. I am not aware what is the exact reason of this pet show closure, but I believe it should have been done earlier.”
jbell@thenational.ae