Could this be an answer for the many beautiful "desert dogs" currently languishing in animal shelters?
Reading, London: The first Saluki racetrack will be set up in Abu Dhabi within the next two years as part of the Emirates' bid to promote its national heritage, said officials yesterday at an international event held in the UK.
"A standard racetrack will be constructed that will meet the international standards, as we aim to hold international race competitions for salukis," said Hamad Ganem Al Ganem, Director, Breeder and Registrar General of the Arabian Saluki Centre.
Hopefully if salukis become more iconic as a symbol of UAE heritage, more families will want to own them and be less likely to ill-treat them and abandon them to the care of welfare workers.
But if racing does start, it needs to be done responsibly. This means strict drug-free policies with extensive tests and checks, and also a policy in place for retired dogs. Having worked in a veterinary surgery and witnessed perfectly healthy greyhounds euthanased just because their peak racing days were over, it would be horrific to see a similar fate befall ex-racing salukis.
Reading, London: The first Saluki racetrack will be set up in Abu Dhabi within the next two years as part of the Emirates' bid to promote its national heritage, said officials yesterday at an international event held in the UK.
"A standard racetrack will be constructed that will meet the international standards, as we aim to hold international race competitions for salukis," said Hamad Ganem Al Ganem, Director, Breeder and Registrar General of the Arabian Saluki Centre.
Hopefully if salukis become more iconic as a symbol of UAE heritage, more families will want to own them and be less likely to ill-treat them and abandon them to the care of welfare workers.
But if racing does start, it needs to be done responsibly. This means strict drug-free policies with extensive tests and checks, and also a policy in place for retired dogs. Having worked in a veterinary surgery and witnessed perfectly healthy greyhounds euthanased just because their peak racing days were over, it would be horrific to see a similar fate befall ex-racing salukis.
Labels: animals
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