Someone posted on Facebook the other day she was being
evicted because her neighbors complained that she had dogs. There are people who have dogs or other
pets in the UAE, however they are not always allowed in most apartments. I find most people in the Middle East
are not big pet people and it is typically us Westerners who have them.
I love my pets.
My only condition to move to Turkey many years ago was that my dog could
join me. So when we moved to Dubai
for sure I was not going to leave our two cats behind. When we finally found a place, I
noticed the contract had a no pet clause. “No pets allowed”. I was not sure how strict this would be
enforced, so for sure I was worried.
When I told this to one of my husband’s colleagues who is
from the region and has lived in Dubai for many years, he ensured me there was
nothing to worry about. He
said I shouldn’t have even brought up the subject. However, since I did, the next time I went to the apartment
office I was to tell the person working in the office “cats are not pets”. What?
As crazy as it sounds, when I went to sign the contract and
the guy asked me about them, I thought about it for half a second and did as
instructed. “Well you know they
are cats, and cats are not really pets”. I couldn’t even
believe those words came out of my mouth.
The guy paused for a second, looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and
said, “Okay. Sign here." What?
Needless to say I was in shock and had to control myself
from laughing hysterically. That
was just about the craziest thing I have ever told someone and they so easily
obliged.
In retrospect, it really was no big deal. There are a few people in our complex
who have dogs. There are many
signs that go up in the elevators about how this is against policy. The dogs are still here. Perhaps someone complains, but it is
not enforced. The dogs are on
leashes so it is fine.
I tested this logic again here several years later. I went to pick my husband up from work
one day. There is a small pick up
area where I waited. It was taking
a few minutes, so I continued to wait.
I could see the security guard getting uncomfortable. He came over to tell me I was in a no
parking area. I simply told him, “I
am not parking”. Like the guy who
worked in my apartment office, he said “Okay” and walked off.
I feel like I have discovered some sort of super power.
