That’s right humans of dogs could face penalty for noisy pets, read a notice by real estate developer Emaar issued to residents of Dubai Hills. The first time I read this it sounded ridiculous, because what’s noisy to someone else may not be noisy to me. Noisy is highly subjective.
A notice by Emaar Community Management mentions that owners unable to control their noisy dogs will be issued a warning followed by a penalty of AED500, as first reported by The National. The announcement obviously drew varied reactions on social media. Humans of pets are questioning the lack of clarity around “excessive noise.” While a section of non-pet owners doesn’t find anything wrong with it [its okay, we’re not judging you].
Need for clarity
The “excessive noise” bit is quite unclear and requires clarification since there are several pet owners in communities developed by Emaar that are considered pet friendly. Such rules can cause confusion and even biased instances of reporting.
It must be remembered that dogs bark, just like humans speak. And dogs tend to bark when excited and anxious or when they need attention. So, it also falls upon humans to be more mindful of their dogs’ needs and meet them responsibly.
More rules
The notice issued by Emaar Community Management also outlines a few other rules. These include:
Dogs must be always kept on leash in community areas. We feel this is a good rule to follow unless you are taking your dog to a designated park where they can enjoy off-leash time.
Humans must clean up after their dogs, and the waste must be disposed in designated bins. We feel this is a must-follow rule in every community to maintain hygiene for humans and pets.
In line with Dubai Municipality guidelines, residents are urged to not feed stray cats. We feel this rule needs to be well defined. If there are stray cats, they will need food. So, the possibility of having designated feeding areas could be a solution.