Pet-care is a major commitment

Readers urge pet-owners to fulfil their commitment to their animals. Other topics: digital space, British Airways, insurance, Mongolia, conflicts

Readers say people should adopt pets only if they can look after them as long as they live. Sarah Dea / The National

I refer to the article The pain when puppy love ends (September 2). My suggestion is that if you really want a pet and can be sure you can look after it for its lifetime, then adopt it.

Please don’t buy pets. The authorities should ban the sale of cats and dogs.

Claire Wyness, Abu Dhabi

A pet is not a toy. It becomes a member of the family, a life companion which means time, love, attention, grooming and care as long as it lives.

I think it would be a good idea to demand that people complete a training and get a licence to qualify to own an animal.

Anita Luise Gasteier, Germany

Digital space isn’t safe for sharing personal material

Aren't those who kept their images in the cloud storage system also to blame (Stop looking at private images on the internet, September 3)? When will people learn not to share or keep their private stuff online.

No matter how good the securities are, loopholes are bound to be there in the system. If you share your personal material online, you will have to face the consequences.

Parvaiz Anjum, Dubai

Get the facts right on BA fares

The article Flying British Airways economy just fine for Abu Dhabi to London (September 1) says that the return economy fare from London during the Christmas period is Dh7,500. When I checked on the Brtish Airways' website, I found the fare on offer to be less than Dh3,000.

Brian Martin, Dubai

Tell us what Mongolia needs

I was fascinated by the article UAE charity worker calls for help to aid Mongolian orphanage (September 1). I have always wanted to visit Mongolia and combining a trip there with some charity work would be ideal. Does Marjoleine Buker, who volunteered at a Mongolian orphanage this summer, make arrangements for groups from the UAE to the orphanage? I would be interested to know. If there is a follow-up article, perhaps you could also mention what kind of aid is required.

Name withheld by request

Conflicts will not achieve anything

I refer to Tony Karon's opinion article Sanctions aren't helping anyone in Ukraine's crisis (September 1).

No recent conflicts has achieved anything positive. On the contrary, they had a devastating impact on the concerned countries’ economies. The Ukraine crisis will also complicate the economic situation for the rest of the world.

For sure, Russia will never compromise on its military might, even if the western alliance forms a strategy to fight it. The more concerning scenario would be the expansion of Nato, which may affect countries close to Russia.

Russia still wants to exercise a monopoly over the countries that were once part of the former Soviet Union, while the West is trying its best to utilise the opportunity in their favour. The question is: how practical is all this?

Ramachandran Nair, Oman

Insurance needed for serious injuries

Thank you for throwing light on what has become a very serious health issue here in the Emirates (Take it easy at trampoline and gymnastics clubs, doctors warn, Sept 1). Having said that, the article failed to properly contextualise the scale and seriousness of the injuries caused to participants.

My 25-year-old athletic son, who lives in Dubai, suffered a serious tear to both knees on June 16 from which he is still recovering. He spent 10 days in excruciating pain in the hospital, following emergency assistance and surgery. He is now able to work from home. He will have to undergo physiotherapy for at least another six months.

It has been a life-changing experience for my son considering both the physical and emotional setbacks he has been made to endure.

Doctors are right to warn visitors over trampoline at gymnastics clubs, but, crucially, the businesses themselves surely must be held more fully to account when injuries occur, as they regularly do. We all understand that we accept some degree of liability as individuals when we participate in certain activities, but, equally, these businesses must be made to carry liability insurance and provide its related cover to seriously injured customers such as my son.

Nizar Badwan, Abu Dhabi