A Filipina executive working in Dubai, who recently lost her pet cat, is the latest beneficiary of the philanthropic efforts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has designated 2017 as the “Year of Giving”. Angelie Agoncillo Mangalindan’s cat Chico died from suffocation in a fire that broke out in a residential area in Dubai recently.
Dubai-based publication Gulf News reported that after learning about her sad plight, the Dubai Civil Defence invited Angelie to come to their headquarters, where she got a most pleasant surprise—she was handed a cat that resembles her beloved Chico.
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Angelie and her new feline friend “Cheeno” (Photo taken from the video uploaded by Gulf News)
No less than the head of Dubai Civil Defence, Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, presented the cat to Angelie, which she named “Cheeno”. The director general said they “wanted to make her [Angelie] happy”. “It is part of the Year of Giving to make residents happy. This gesture is the first of its kind [in Dubai],” Maj. Gen. Al Matroushi was quoted in the Gulf News report.
A video of the cat being presented to Angelie was also posted by the newspaper on its Facebook page. Watch it here:
Angelie expressed her appreciation in the comments section of the video. She wrote: “Thank you again Dubai Civil Defence HQ. I fell in love with Cheeno in an instant! This is something, I’ve never expected. It definitely caught me off guard, I didn’t know how to react or what to say.. Thank you for your genuine concern. Much love and respect!”
Throughout 2017, during the “Year of Giving”, the UAE government will perform over 1,000 initiatives in a bid to enhance the country’s position as a “global hub of philanthropy”.
“I believe giving is not limited to monetary donations. Rather, “giving” is defined by the differences we make: the differences in someone’s life, in a society, or in a nation…This is our goal for the Year of Giving – to make a difference in the lives of those we care for, and in ourselves,” said His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in a website dedicated to UAE’s Year of Giving.
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