Dubai Whichever way the die rolled, February 28 was destined to be a day of tears.
The life of a dog hung in the balance. To some he was a vicious killer. To those who knew him, he was a gentle giant; a loving pet who made a mistake.
It was a mistake that cost another dog his life. A defence reaction by Trip at the Dubai Pet Show on February 3 led to the untimely death of Pluto, a toy poodle.
Authorities clamped down on Trip, an American Staffordshire. He was held prisoner at Dubai Municipality. Cut away from the only people who could help him, Trip was alone, facing a death sentence. Dubai Municipality would watch him for a minimum of two weeks, before passing the sentence.
For weeks, as Trip's family hoped for a miracle, many residents of Dubai united to say a prayer for this dog. Two days ago, on February 28, at 11am, that sentence was passed.
Trip wasn't a monster after all. He was just a dog that should be sent home to his family. He wasn't harmful, vicious or aggressive by any yardstick.
Trip's owner, a 28-year-old Indian expat, was lost for words after being reunited with his beloved dog. The owner requested anonymity due to personal reasons.
"The last three weeks were hard. We didn't know what would happen. I didn't know how to face the fact that my Trip may never come home again."
But come home he did. Amidst much fanfare and cheering from hundreds of fans and supporters.
Ragini Nagu, a 21-year-old woman, on hearing of Trip's imprisonment, created an online campaign through her Inconcundrums website on Tumblr. She asked people to create ‘Save Trip' posters. "What wows me is that over 600 people came together to save a dog. And not just any dog, a pitbull. Not a cute poodle, but the pitbull that killed a poodle! For me, this is huge. It's a leap forward for compassion."
Francois Laurent, a 47-year-old painter from Paris, heard about Trip and started campaigning from France to help reunite Trip with his family. On the day of Trip's release, Laurent spoke to XPRESS, "Today, I'm so happy. In order to save humanity, we need to take care of the little creatures. I'm proud to have participated in some way towards Trip's freedom."
It's a fight for freedom that many will remember. Kristina Romanova Coco, creator of the Save Trip page on Facebook, is overjoyed at the huge show of support Trip received from the media and people of Dubai. "It was very important for Trip to prove to Dubai Municipality that he is a good dog. Once he'd proved that, I'm sure all the support he received played a part."
Romanova-Coco, a long-time friend of Trip and the family, says that from the beginning Trip began warming hearts at Dubai Municipality. "He was so well-behaved. The staff would pet and play with him. His family and friends were allowed to visit him daily. Trip has proved once and for all that just because he's a Staffordshire terrier does not mean he's a dangerous dog. That day, at the dog show, Trip was nervous. He reacted. And my heart goes out to little Pluto and her family. But an accident is different from an attack. In this case, both dogs were victims. One died already. There was no reason to kill the second one too," says Romanova-Coco.
"There isn't a day that goes by when I wish I hadn't taken Trip to that dog show," says the owner. "It was a sad day. One lady lost her dog and I nearly lost mine."
However, the time for regret is now over. "Trip is home and I'm going to do everything in my power to help him forget the last three weeks."
First up on Trip's agenda was a long shower, a dose of anti-flea medication, some good food, lots of treats, and a long walk, just him and the owner. "Trip's everything to me. I love this dog so much. Welcome home Trip," the owner said.
