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ABU DHABI (AFP) – Oscar beat the summer heat in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by working out at the gym and on the treadmill two or three times a week. It’s nothing unusual – except Oscar is a dog.
Fearing the pace of climate change, the bay’s increasingly severe temperatures pose a health threat, and those who can’t afford not to work outdoors in the scorching sun stay in the air conditioner.
Air-conditioned gyms for dogs have become an attractive option for pampering pet owners who can splurge on cash.
“In winter, I used to take him out to play, but (in) summer, he used to be isolated,” said Oscar’s owner Mozalfa Khan, a Pakistani expat. “Because whenever I take him out, he gets sick from the heat.”
The resource-rich Gulf region is one of the regions most at risk from global warming, with some cities facing the prospect of becoming uninhabitable by the end of the century.
Temperatures in the UAE regularly soar above 45 degrees Celsius and can stay above 40 degrees Celsius even after midnight.
Like other Gulf countries, the UAE goes into partial hibernation during long, hot summers, with those who can afford it being quarantined in air-conditioned homes and workplaces.
Oscar is a Welsh corgi and now works at Posh Pets Boutique and Spa in Abu Dhabi, a shop and grooming salon that claims to be the first dog gym in the UAE.
Before he started running, staff carefully secured him with seat belts on one of two modified treadmills, with glass barriers on both sides to prevent him from falling. Rather than being set to a specific speed, the treadmill automatically adjusts itself to suit each dog’s pace. Oscar’s owners started taking him to gyms in the UAE capital after a veterinarian advised against taking him outdoors in the summer because of the risk of heat stroke.
“Last summer was really hard for me because there was no such place,” Khan said.
Due to the high temperature and humidity, “we only walked for two or three minutes, and he was finished. He didn’t want to walk anymore.” Posh Pets Mansour al-Hammadi, dog owner, charges AED 0.25 per minute to use the treadmill and $7.50 for a half-hour run.
Experts say dogs should exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
“So imagine when you can only walk for one or two minutes a day,” Hammadi told AFP.
“We have carefully researched the project to make it 100% safe. Everything was chosen carefully and not arbitrarily to avoid any future problems and harm the dog,” he added.
Destiny, a 7-month-old German Shepherd, was another regular, rushing into the gym to play with the other dogs.
“For the dog’s health, it’s best to let her do some exercise and tire herself out,” said Destiny owner Fahed al-Monjed. “Using an indoor treadmill is the best solution.”
Fate can indeed take some exhaustion. In a recent treadmill race, she set the fastest speed.
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