He said this move would increase awareness.“Pet parents will become more aware about their responsibility, and will think before adopting a new animal into their family,” he said.
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On Tuesday, the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) issued a new rule which mandates pet owners to register their cats and dogs through the TAMM portal. The move will provide a centralised database - which will be launched in February - for owners and their microchipped pets. According to the authority, existing individual pet owners have a one-year grace period to complete their registration without penalties while establishments who own cats and dogs must complete their process within six months.
More responsible owners
“The new platform which will shortly be implemented will link the animal's identity with the owner,” explained Dr. Luis Mendoza, General Manager at Pet Pavilion.“The registration will include every information about the animal including its health and vaccination details. This will ensure that owners have better responsibility towards their pets and if an animal gets lost or wounded, every single clinic in the emirate will be able to access the central database and help the animal and find their owner.”
David Appleby, founder of free pet safety platform microchipped, called it a“significant and positive step forward for animal welfare” and said it is in the best interest of everyone.“This initiative not only benefits genuine pet owners by ensuring quicker reunification with lost pets, but also contributes to the broader effort of controlling the overpopulation of stray animals,” he said.
David Appleby
In 2023, over 150 cats were found dumped at a site in the Al Falah area in Abu Dhabi. Rescuers had worked day and night to care for and reunite many of them with their original owners.
Finding lost pets
David added that the creation of a centralised database will be crucial in enhancing the chances of recovering lost pets and called it an“exciting time” for pet owners and animal lovers.“The momentum created by this move will have a lasting impact on animal welfare standards throughout the country,” he said.
Dr. Luis explained how the system would help.“Right now, when a pet is brought into the clinic, they can check the microchip but they can't do much with that information,” he said.“However, if there is a centralised database, the clinic which did the initial microchipping will be alerted. If the owner has registered that the pet is missing, they will immediately be able to flag the pet.”
Abu Dhabi resident Yasmin, who lost her cat two weeks ago, expressed cautious optimism about the move.“My cat, Leo, has been missing for two weeks now and although he is microchipped, I have been unable to find him,” she said.“While this move is an improvement from the current system, I hope it is only a first step in a series of other steps. Right now this system only works if someone who finds a cat takes it to a vet. If the cat is dumped or someone takes it home with them, the owner will not be able to trace it.
Abu Dhabi resident Yasmin lost her cat, Leo, two weeks ago
She added that she hoped further steps would be taken to link microchips to trackers, which would make it possible for pet owners to trace their pets.“However, I am still holding out hope that once the system is put in place, we will be able to find Leo.”