Photos have emerged on social media this week of what appears to be a Dubai motorist ‘walking’ his dog in a car park while sitting in his car as it slowly drives alongside the canine.

The car was pictured slowly driving laps of the Al Mazaya Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road on Tuesday this week, and, according to the person who witnessed the incident, the dog appeared to be enjoying it.

“I dropped the paintbrush and I took a picture of it,” Jim Wheat told 7Days newspaper. “The dog was walking nice and quietly. He didn’t look in distress. They did a few laps, the driver put the dog back in the car and they left – never to be seen again. It was like a dog on a treadmill. From my perspective it looked like the dog was enjoying it,” he added.

While the exercise appeared to be harmless, one Dubai vet expressed concern about the practice.

“This is just the height of laziness from the owner. But at least the animal is getting out of the house, which is more than what a lot of dogs here in Dubai get,” Dr Scott Crosby at Modern Veterinary Clinic told 7Days.