Adopt a pet in Dubai and Abu Dhabi – What’s On

What’s On teams up with good magazine for a guide on how to adopt a pet in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, including adopt-me.ae, 38smiles, Feline Friends and more.

Ahead of the Dubai Pet Festival, What’s Onteams up with our pals at good magazine to bring you a guide to adopting pets in the UAE, including where to go, how to go about it, and, more importantly, the success stories from across the UAE…

ADOPT-ME.AE
This fantastic database collates animals in need of adoption from shelters and charities across the UAE. You can then search by your criteria, view images and contact the right people to find out more and take the process further. They also promote regular adoption days and share expert insights on pet ownership.

adopt-me.ae

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38SMILES
What: Founder Kay Ivanova began rescuing stray animals from her villa (number 38) in 2011. 38smiles has a policy that they will not rehome surrendered pets, and mainly rehome stray cats and some dogs.
The adoption process: 38smiles rely on foster homes for the cats and host frequent adoption days at Petzone Veterinary Clinic where you can adopt on the day. A contract is signed to protect the animal’s rights, guaranteeing they will be returned to 38smiles if the animal is no longer wanted.
Fees: All adopters are expected to cover the cost of vaccination, microchip, de-worming, spay or neuter and registration with Dubai Municipality, at a reduced rate of Dhs650.

38smiles.com

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FELINE FRIENDS
What: In 1991 Lesley King started Feline Friends, a non-profit organisation that rescues cats suitable for rehoming through a network of volunteer foster parents. They also have a sterilisation program to prevent the number of unwanted kittens on the streets of Dubai. Cats are trapped, neutered and released, and it is funded on donations.
The adoption process: Monthly adoption days are a chance to pick up a furry friend, but cats can also be viewed in foster homes. A form can be filled in online and this will be followed by a call from an adoption coordinator who will discuss which cat is best suited to you.
Fees: To cover vet bills and the trap, neuter and release programme, Feline Friends ask for a non-refundable donation. This is typically Dhs500.

felinefriendsdubai.com

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THE SENIOR DOG PROJECT
What: There are hundreds of dogs abandoned in Dubai every year. The Senior Dog Project is on a mission to rehome dogs over the age of 7. This age group tend to get neglected when it comes to being adopted and The Senior Dog Project want to promote the fact you can teach an old dog new tricks and give them another chance at happiness.
The adoption process: The first step is a meet and greet with founder, Hayley Strifler, to work out what type of dog is suited to your lifestyle. This is followed by a two-week trial adoption and the official paperwork.
Fees: The adoptee is asked to cover any medical costs that have been incurred at a capped rate of Dhs500 per dog. If a dog is adopted with a chronic health condition they will be entitled to subsidised vet care.

facebook.com/dubaiseniordogproject

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K9 FRIENDS
What: K9 Friends is a volunteer-run organisation that rehomes Dubai’s unwanted pooches. They have a shelter but, like so many of the region’s animal charities, are severely stretched. K9 Friends rely on help from the general public to ensure they are able to carry on helping as many strays as possible.
The adoption process: Those interested in giving a dog a forever home are invited to call the shelter and then answer a questionnaire. You can then make an appointment to visit the shelter to get matched up to the perfect dog for you.
Fees: Dhs850 for a cross breed, Dhs1,400 for a pure breed and Dhs1,600 for a pedigree with papers.

k9friends.com

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SNIFF (Strays Needing Interim or Furever Friends)
What: SNIFF was founded by a group of friends all with rescue pets and a love for animals. It aims to not only rehome abandoned or stray animals, but to also educate people on the importance of adopting rather than buying pets. It relies on foster parents and support from the public to help with vet bills.
The adoption process: A form is filled out before you are matched to the right pet. There’s then a 20-day trial adoption period, if it works out you can officially adopt your new pet. SNIFF also offer reduced rate training and socialisation classes to help your new pet settle in.
Fees: Dhs400.

facebook.com/SNIFF.MiddleEast

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THE BIN KITTY COLLECTIVE
What: The Bin Kitty Collective is a welfare-enabling group, helping people to help distressed or stray animals. They offer support, discounted veterinary services and advice, along with a trap, neuter and release programme.
The adoption process: Adoption days are held monthly and you will be asked to provide a responsible forever home and take your cat with you when you leave the UAE.
Fees: A donation will be asked for which goes towards the trap, neuter, release programme in areas such as the Deira Fish Market.

Search for ‘Bin Kitty Collective’ on Facebook to join the group

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FRIENDS OF ANIMALS
What: Friends of Animalsarecommitted to keeping the cat population in the UAE under control and hold weekly adoption days. They work with the government to bring animal cruelty to their attention and encourage the community to start their own operations in their area.
The adoption process: You’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire, which will be used as a screening process. If successful, you’ll be invited to meet the animal you are interested in adopting and asked to submit a passport copy and tenancy agreement.
Fees: Friends of Animals will ask for medical costs to be covered at a discounted rate and for a donation to enable them to help other animals.

friendsofanimalsdxb.com

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ME AND MY RESCUE – SUCCESS STORIES

Emma Foley and Bruno
I’m currently eight months pregnant with my first baby. It hasn’t been an easy pregnancy and the plan was always to wait until the baby was six months old before adopting a dog. Six weeks ago I saw a post on Facebook about a five-month-old Saluki on death row in a Sharjah shelter. Baby hormones tipped me over the edge and my husband agreed we could foster him. Buying a bed, leash and toys was the first sign Bruno wasn’t going anywhere, with the final indication being a tag with our phone number on it. When he arrived he had so much energy, which he now burns off in the dog park in The Greens. My house is filling up with sand but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t believe this little dog, who loves everyone he meets, was so close to being put down.

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Megan Castang, Dora, Diego, and Maysie
When I arrived in Dubai three years ago I wanted a kitten. I asked around and found out a colleague had rescued a pregnant cat, and six weeks later Dora entered my life. A month later my husband and I felt she was lonely, and again fate stepped in as a stray cat in our area gave birth to six kittens before sadly passing away. Weeks later Diego became Dora’s stepbrother. We had no plans to adopt any more cats until we literally stumbled on a ball of black fur in the lobby of our building; we couldn’t leave her and soon christened her Maysie.

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Cherith, lifestyle writer and stylist for good, and Posie
It’s no secret that I’m something of a cat lady and my Himalayan is rather spoilt. I can justify treating her like a baby because of her past – Posie was hit by a car several years ago, leaving her with a broken pelvis and back legs. Thanks to the devotion of Feline Friends and Modern Veterinary Clinic, she regained the use of her legs, with just a limp. After spotting her on the website, I fell in love. Feline Friends wanted to make sure she found the right home and luckily I fitted the bill. I do occasionally take Posie shopping, and she recently visited team good in the office but I wear the cat lady badge with pride. Just stop me from purchasing that pet buggy I’ve had my eye on…

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Daniel Evans, Flora Howard, Katsu and Miso
The first time we saw Katsu it was in an email that was sent around work. He had been abandoned in Bur Dubai and was approaching everybody who passed in the hope of being rescued. He was homed but given up as the older cats in that home were bullying him. Reading that email still upsets us and is a great reminder of how the simple act of adopting can make a difference. Seven months after adopting Katsu we decided he needed a sibling. Miso was found near Al Wasl Road as a very young kitten. We saw her on the Facebook page of The Veterinary Hospital and fell in love. They quickly became best friends and we feel they seem incredibly grateful to have a home. Pedigrees may have an appeal but consider those living on the streets; adopting a needy animal is a wonderful experience.

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Annabelle and Paul Kelly and Biscuit
In May we adopted our furry friend Biscuit from K9 Friends. Biscuit was brought in by the Municipality with his two sisters and since he came home with us he’s gone from a nervous, timid dog to loving life. He has a huge personality and is such a gentle soul; he puts a smile on our faces every day. We can’t recommend rescuing a dog highly enough.

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Helen, editor of good, and Lizzie
Two years ago Lizzie had been dropped off for boarding at Posh Paws in Ajman when her owner called to say he wasn’t coming back. After seeing her little face on Dubizzle I drove in the pouring rain to meet her, and within seconds was on the phone to my husband to say that I couldn’t leave without this sweet, shy spaniel. We’re her third – and last – home. Lizzie will be 10 years old in March and I hope she’s having her happiest years with us – she’s in great health (the breath could be better, I admit) and I suspect she’ll be part of the family for many more years. I’m pregnant with our first child, and know that Lizzie will be the best big sister we could hope for.

 

via Adopt a pet in Dubai and Abu Dhabi – What’s On.

 

Animal cruelty in the UAE: Who’s listening? | GulfNews.com

Disturbing rise in animal abuse cases across country despite Federal Law to protect them

Dubai: Rising incidents of pet cruelty and abandonment are becoming a matter of serious concern for animal welfare groups in the UAE.

Welfare groups say they receive at least 30 distress calls a day from people reporting pet neglect, abuse and abandonment.

Federal Law No. 16 of 2007 protects the rights of animals in the UAE. Mistreatment of animals can result in a one year imprisonment and Dh20,000 fine. According to the law, animals must be given protection from the weather and predators and be fed a wholesome diet appropriate for their age and species, and receive a continuous supply of fresh drinking water each day.

Animal welfare groups, however say, the law needs to be implemented strictly.

“People don’t take the law seriously and rarely report cases of animal abuse. Most of them don’t care for animals and just choose to remain quiet about animal abuse.

“Animals are not fashion accessories or toys. They have a life and suffer just like human beings,” said Mel Stones, founder, Animal Action – Abu Dhabi, which has rehomed around 700 animals since 2010.

“Not everyone has to love animals and have one in the house to understand the suffering of a pet. Take action and call any animal support organisation for help. That is the least that you can do to save them,” said Stones.

Lesley Muncey, chairperson, Feline Friends Dubai, also urged people to report animal cruelty. “To me, not reporting animal abuse is as bad as keeping quiet about child abuse,” she said.

Tania Chernyshova, a volunteer with the Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre said a thorough background check of families wanting to adopt pets can save many animals from torture and cruelty.

“In order to get get a better understanding of the family looking to adopt a pet, we ask them to fill out adoption forms. Unfortunately such screening is rarely conducted in pet shops where anybody can buy a pet,” she said.

“One of our major goals is to educate people on animal welfare. We do so by running various educational campaigns in Ras Al Khaimah, especially in schools. We run various online campaigns and organise events on responsible pet ownership,” she said.

Saddled with over 130 abandoned dogs and cats, Animal Action recently launched a crisis appeal, asking for foster homes.

Stones said this was the worst ever summer as far as abandonment of pets were concerned.

10 shocking pet stories

1. Three caged rabbits are mercilessly left outside a villa in New Dubai area by their owner before leaving for summer vacation. A maid working in a neighbouring villa informs her employer who takes the rabbits into his house. One rabbit dies, and the other two are severely dehydrated.

2. Two cats are left alone in an apartment before the pet owner leaves the country for good. A friend who is supposed to check on the cats and re-home them fails to show up. The pet owner contacts Feline Friends to rescue the cats. With the help of the building security and the permission of the owner, the welfare group manages to rescue the starving cats who probably survived on toilet water for days.

3. A caged German Shepherd is left outside a villa in New Dubai. Neighbours in the area ask the pet owner to keep the dog inside. Community residents also take up the matter with Dubai Municipality. The owner promises to build an air-conditioned kennel for the dog – but nothing is done about it.

4. A badly injured female Arabian Mau (around six months old) is abandoned in the garden of a villa in Jumeirah by her owner who leaves for Eid holiday. Feline Friends receives a call from a community member to rescue the kitten. She lures her with some food and water and manages to get the cat out. The cat looks like she is about to die. She has been tossed around and played with like a toy by a child living in the villa. Her hind legs are broken with the bones and muscles visible to the naked eye. The skin is completely splittered all the way into her abdomen. She is stinking and her eyes are dialated. The kitten unfortunately has to be put to sleep as euthanasia is the only humane act left for her.

5. In what must surely rank among the worst cases of neglect, a pet owner abandons eight dogs in his Tecom villa in unimaginably filthy conditions. The dogs are rescued by an animal activist with the help of a neighbour. Three of the dogs, a chihuahua and her two puppies are seen sitting on their own faeces, looking listless in a bathroom where they are kept without food and water for days.

6. Two mixed-breed stray dogs (a male and a pregnant female) have acid thrown on them by people who do not want them living in their building in Al Ain. The male dog suffers severe burns and soon dies. Millie, the female dog, however returns to the building to litter her puppies. Animal Action – Abu Dhabi is called in to re-home the mum and her puppies. Millie is now in a foster home with a couple in another building and one of her puppies is adopted by a family living just three floors apart.

7. Naji, a male greyhound is dumped at the doorstep of the Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre in Ras Al Khaimah. The dog is extremely malnourished and has a bad case of ascites (fluid retention in the abdomen due to poor nutrition). He has several open wounds with maggots in them and is suffering from Ehrlichia – a tick borne disease. The welfare centre soon begins treatment of the dog with a vet. Fluid from his abdomen is drained out and he is nothing but a skeleton. Unfortunately, despite all efforts taken by the vet, the dog dies.

8. An adult male husky – Whisper – is kept inside a puppy carrier by his pet owner. The dog is rescued from the owner by Animal Action – Abu Dhabi who claims the husky is only four months old. A visit to the vet, however, reveals Whisper is all of two years and is the runt of his litter. The husky is malnourished and looks terribly frightened. He squeezes into his carrier to feel safe every now and then. The dog is now receiving treatment and is showing signs of improved social behaviour.

9. A mixed-breed female desert dog is found by a passerby in the Al Khawaneej area with a wire around its neck. She is being chased by children who beat her and pelt her with stones. The dog is rescued by the passerby who takes her to Modern Veterinary Clinic in Jumeirah. The dog suffers horrific wounds as the wire slices into her neck tissues. The incision from the wire rips her trachea muscles so badly that a few millimeters deeper could have proved fatal.

10. A maid living in a villa in Jumeirah is seen carrying a cat and her kittens in a bin liner and is seen dumping them in a garbage bin. A neighbour calls Feline Friends to rescue the cats. The neighbour unfortunately fails to report the matter to relevant authorities for fear of being recognised by the maid. The rescued cats are malnourished and have been left starving.

Note: Case-studies provided by Animal Action – Abu Dhabi, Feline Friends, Modern Veterinary Clinic, Ras Al Khaimah Animal Welfare Centre and some compiled by XPRESS research

via Animal cruelty in the UAE: Who’s listening? | GulfNews.com.

 

Feline Park plan in Dubai will be the cat’s whiskers | The National

September 8, 2014 10:59 AM

DUBAI // It may sound like a horror movie to some, but plans are being considered to release as many as 5,000 cats into a public park.

The proposed “Feline Park” will be a place where people can play with house-trained cats while spending time with the family outdoors.

If they like any particular cat, they can pay to adopt the animal and take it home with them.

“Once you have this park, it will mean not as many cats on the street,” said Mahin Bahrami, founder of the Feline Park project.

“At the same time, it would be a place for adoption, education and tourism.”

The proposed park could be situated opposite the new Dubai Pet Market, which will open its doors later this month on the Hatta-Dubai Road.

Plans have been submitted to Dubai Municipality and are awaiting approval.

The park will cost about Dh2 million to build and will have an indoor, air-conditioned area for the animals, as well as other amenities outdoors such as climbing poles.

There is also the possibility for cat cafes, which are proving popular the world over and involve people enjoying the company of affectionate animals for an hour over a coffee. Yoga classes are also a possibility for the park.

In terms of numbers, the park would probably start with about 500 animals and increase to 5,000 over time.

The aim is for it to be 200m by 300m, or 600 square metres, meaning each cat has a territory of about 10m².

The animals would be former street cats that had already been rehabilitated in shelters or in volunteers’ homes, as well as vaccinated and neutered.

Ms Bahrami said the release of animals into the park would be tightly controlled.

“We don’t want to just dump them in there, because they might be sick,” she said. “Our plan is not just to scoop up cats from the street.

“We want to have the best, home-able cats in the park. The ones that are friendliest and most used to humans.”

She acknowledged that there were challenges related to caring for so many cats but she said there were plans to deal with that.

“We won’t have 1,000 plastic bowls for the cats to eat,” she said. “It’s going to be industrial.

“We’ll have a long trough along the wall where the cats will be fed. We want to make a spectacle out of the feeding, so we can add tourism value.”

But one owner of an animal shelter, who declined to be named, said it was a problematic idea.

“If these cats were wild originally, even if they have been rehabilitated and house-trained for years, if you release them into a park, they’ll go back to being wild,” she said.

The shelter source said it would also be difficult to ensure so many cats were regularly washed, as well as properly fed. The cost of the food itself for so many animals would be prohibitive, she said.

“I don’t think it’s realistic,” she added. “It would likely turn into a place where people just dumped their animals. It could be a disaster.”

The park draws upon the growing popularity of cat cafes, a craze that started in Tokyo a little over 10 years ago and has since spread around the world.

A Royalty Dubai Cat Cafe is thought to already exist in Jumeirah, although the site could not be located this week and the owners could not be reached for comment.

Ms Bahrami said she hoped the park would become known internationally and develop into a tourist spot.

There are plans to maximise its uniqueness by making it completely green and self-sustainable. There would be solar panels for electricity and a unit to make drinking water by condensing the humidity from the air.

A sewage-treatment plant would also be on-site.

“The main thing though is to have lots of trees,” she said. “I want to create a natural environment for cats to live in.”

mcroucher@thenational.ae

via Feline Park plan in Dubai will be the cat’s whiskers | The National.

 

Abandoned pets in UAE: Worst summer ever – Emirates 24/7

Published Sunday, September 07, 2014

With more than 130 dogs and cats waiting to find a permanent home, an Abu Dhabi-based volunteer group dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals in the UAE has launched its first ever crisis appeal.

“This was the worst summer I have known since we started Animal Action – Abu Dhabi,” says Mel Stones, founder of the organisation.

Animal Action is being hit by a double combination of an increased number of animals being abandoned or surrendered, and a reduction in the number of available volunteer foster homes as many of its current volunteers have been away over the summer or have recently left the UAE.

The high number of abandoned pets represents an all-time high since the organisation was founded in 2010, it said in a media statement today.

With no animal shelter of its own, the organisation is appealing for new foster homes to help support the current influx of animals, as well as ‘forever’ homes, for its homeless dogs and cats.

“Every day we have received calls from owners who want to surrender their pets, usually because they are going away and haven’t made arrangements for their pet to be cared for, or aren’t prepared to accept the associated expense.

“When we tell them that we already have a record number of animals and can’t take on any more, often they threaten to put the animal on the streets. Saying no is a death sentence to many of these poor creatures,” she adds.

In addition, there have been numerous reports of animal abuse, with some really cruel tales. Stones narrates one such horror story.

“Some [pets] are abused by people too, such as a heavily pregnant dog we recently rescued in Al Ain which had had acid deliberately thrown on her and is now scarred for life,” she says.

“A high number of dogs in the UAE live on the streets and out in the desert, many of which are giving birth to litters of puppies. Some of these dogs may have grown up in the wild, while many are clearly abandoned pets left to fend for themselves,” she adds.

“The puppies are being born into an environment of extreme heat, little food and scarce fresh water, and many don’t survive.”

Around 700 animals have been rehomed by the volunteer group in the last four years since it was established, the group said. Animal Action, which operates primarily via a Facebook page, has supporters from across the UAE national and expatriate community but is struggling to cope under the weight of requests from people wanting to surrender their animals, it says.

“We don’t have a shelter and we rely on volunteers to provide foster homes while we look for permanent homes for all our animals.

“However, we’re desperately short of foster homes at this time. We’re urgently seeking new foster homes to come forward to help us cope with this record number of animals currently in our care,” urges Stones.

“Saying no is a very hard thing to do, because we know it can make the difference between life and death for that animal.

“However we have finite resources and we have already exceeded those. We work closely with other animal welfare groups in the UAE and everyone is saying the same thing: that this year is the worst they have ever known.

“We need to find more homes willing to take on these poor animals, whether temporarily or permanently.

“We also need to raise more money to cover the cost of our medical bills, as frequently the animals surrendered to us need immediate veterinary attention due to a lack of owner care. Any support is welcomed, no matter how small,” she urges.

Those interested adopting a homeless animal may visit Animal Action – Abu Dhabi’s Facebook page or email animal.action@hotmail.com.

via Abandoned pets in UAE: Worst summer ever – Emirates 24/7.

 

Animal shelters in UAE struggling for space | GulfNews.com

June 23, 2014

As summer approaches, animal welfare groups and shelters based in the UAE are already struggling to cope. Well before many residents head out of the country to beat the summer heat, most, if not all of the welfare groups and shelters are already posting ‘Sorry, we are full’ notices on their Facebook pages.

Emma Creswell, shelter manager for the Sharjah Cat and Dog Shelter SCADS says that there are an average of 14 animals abandoned every day.

She said: “In recent years, the summer months show an increase in that number, with 20 or more animals being left at the shelter daily. As a result, SCADS is overloaded.”And they are not alone.

A few days ago, K9 Friends announced on their Facebook page that this is the worst summer on record for pet abandonment.

They wrote: “What a sad and disheartening day at K9 Friends. We received 30 phone calls, out of which 23 were from people wanting to give up their dogs or having found abandoned dogs. We are sorry not to be of more help but we are full and can take no more for the foreseeable future. Our wait list now stands at over 90 dogs. This is potentially our worst summer on record for abandonment. Be aware if you call us about your own dog we cannot take them at all and you must find an alternative for your pet, preferably one that involves hanging on to them.”

Mel Stones, founder of Animal Action Abu Dhabi, is feeling the same. There are too many animals, more than the centre’s capacity, and they are feeling the pressure of the months to come.

Stones said: “I think the worst time of the year has already started. At least in May some people were still adopting. In the peak of summer they stop. Those leaving the country were trying to re-home their own pets, as they had to get ready to move in the summer.”

Lesley Muncey, chairwoman of Feline Friends Dubai, explained that they are at their current capacity of 100 cats, and with limited adoptions coming through they are not taking on any more cases.

She said: “We receive many calls for help on a daily basis. However, with limited adoptions, all we can do is offer advice.”

Jackie Covill, founder of Sandy Paws, says this month alone she has had 30 calls for help in re-homing family pets.

She explained: “We rely on foster homes to take in more animals, and with many of our foster carers leaving for the summer, we just can’t cope.”Kay, Founder of 38Smiles welfare group, explained that it is not about transferring responsibility.

She said: “People should be willing to go the extra mile instead of expecting to transfer the responsibility to a rescue group. Rescue groups are full most of the times simply because the population of stray animals in this region is enormous and growing by the day.”

If you are thinking about giving up your family pet, please reconsider. Please keep your pet. If you’re leaving the country or your lifestyle has changed, try everything in your power to keep the pet you committed to. Whether that is training, getting outside help or researching pet relocation, we beg you to try.

If you still can’t keep your pet and have exhausted all of your options, opening the door and pushing your pet out is not the right thing to do. Pick up the phone and call, email and contact everyone you know. You at least owe your pet that. Remember your dog or cat is a member of the family and a life-long commitment. Do the right thing and be loyal to him or her as they are to you.

Can you help one of the many welfare groups or shelters across the country with a foster home or help pay a vet bill? Please visit http://www.adopt-me.ae and find contact details for all of the welfare groups/shelters across the country. The reader is the founder of adopt-me.ae and is based in Dubai.

via Animal shelters in UAE struggling for space | GulfNews.com.

 

UAE animal charities overwhelmed with ‘unprecedented’ rise in number of abandoned pets | The National

Jessica Hill June 1, 2014

DUBAI // The number of pets being dumped at animal shelters or abandoned on the streets has soared in the past month.

Animal charities are inundated with unwanted pets at the start of every summer but this year has been worse than ever.

K9 Friends dog shelter in Dubai is full and there are 90 dogs on its waiting list compared with only 30 dogs last June.

Chairwoman Jackie Ratcliffe said: “What a sad and disheartening time it’s been. We’re sorry not to be more help to people but we are full and can take no more dogs for the foreseeable future.

“It must be the fact there are more pet shops in Dubai than ever before and there are more people breeding dogs too. Every single call our volunteers took last week was from people trying to dump dogs on us.”

Ms Ratcliffe said: “At this time of year, the homing generally slows down because people don’t want to get a dog until they return from their summer break. So we always have a good month in September, and April, May and June are generally quite poor. But this summer is far worse than ever before for people trying to offload their own dogs on us.”

Ms Ratcliffe also said there was an increase in the number of puppies dumped across Dubai, including four crossbreeds from the same litter found in different locations around the city.

“What was frustrating last week was all the stupid phone calls we received. One was ‘I got a dog off you in 2002, my mum and dad are going back to India now and I can’t be bothered to look after it any more.’ This dog’s 14 years old, and she wanted to bring it back here to K9 Friends.

“Another was ‘we’re moving to an apartment – the landlord allows dogs, but it’s not big enough.’ I said ‘Our kennels are 2 metres by 2 metres – your apartment must be bigger than that.’

“It’s just people with no sense of responsibility. We are used to getting a lot of abuse on the phone. But last week our volunteers were going ‘I can’t believe what they’re saying to me.’”

Other animal organisations are also overwhelmed. Senior Dogs, Animal Action and Sniff do not have any available foster carers and Sharjah Cat and Dog Shelter is also full.

Charlotte Blackwell, a volunteer at Sniff, said: “We’re being inundated with emails and messages to take on abandoned pets. We attended an adoption day last weekend where one family surrendered their five-month-old puppy to us and then we were asked to take another three dogs. I was only able to say yes to one of these dogs and this was because he needed medical help for a very open sore on his nose.

“Unfortunately with the rental prices increasing, people are forced to move from villas to apartments, meaning they want their animals to be rehomed. This doesn’t help the already frighteningly high number of pets that are abandoned every summer.”

The boarding kennels are also full at this time of year. Ms Ratcliffe suggests booking kennels and cattery nearly a year in advance for the summer holidays.

She also suggested that people who had unwanted pets should offer them free on sites such as Dubizzle or expatwoman, as it is illegal to sell animals without a licence.

Organisations that care for pet cats also have similar problems.

The Feline Friends charity in Abu Dhabi provides foster homes to cats whose owners can no longer care of them, until they can be found more permanent homes. It has seen the number of available foster homes fall from 39 in June 2012 to 27 last month.

Lorraine Mohamed, deputy chairwoman of the charity’s executive committee, said: ”At the end of June when the long summer break begins, we lose another six of the 27 foster homes and despite frequent appeals for more foster parents, the uptake is slow to nil. We’re surprised that we don’t get more volunteers.”

Another Abu Dhabi cat rescue group, Sandy Paws, usually get five calls, emails or Facebook messages a week from people asking for help rehoming cats. Chairwoman Jackie Covill said it is now receiving five requests a day.

The increase comes despite the introduction of less stringent quarantine regulations in many countries, meaning it is easier to take pets abroad. For example, in the UK, Europe and America, all pet owners need is an up-to-date vaccination book and payment for the flights.

Ms Ratcliffe said: “In our family, we have a dog fund for our four dogs – we put away Dh100 every week so we know in however many years time when we leave, they’ll come with us.

“I’m sending my horse back this summer – that’s Dh30,000 – but I wouldn’t leave her here either. It’s got to be about more than money, this is a life you’re talking about.”newsdesk@thenational.ae

via UAE animal charities overwhelmed with ‘unprecedented’ rise in number of abandoned pets | The National.

 

Meet my dog…..

When we arrived in Dubai 20 months ago I had the opportunity to start working as a dog trainer (slightly different from working in the Police!) and I soon found myself surrounded by unwanted dogs. My boss at the time had a very big soft spot for one particular dog that was found at the side of a road extremely skinny and looking very ill.

This dog was taken to the nearest vets and then went on to recover and get better at a nearby animal shelter.  Here she slowly gained strength and got her health back, here she stayed for 8 months looking for her new family members.

This dog was a Pit bull who was named Hope!

 Hope attracted the wrong kind of interest from people as it was obvious she had been used for fighting previously and because Pit bulls are on the ‘band breeds’ list here in the UAE (I will talk about this fantastic list later!) they aren’t easy to get hold of.

I was sat in the car one busy afternoon with my boss and I mentioned how much I miss having a dog around as I grew up with them, as I starred at him I could see the grin getting bigger on his face. I knew what was coming….

So a few days later I went to visit Hope at the shelter, I felt an instant bond!

Hope settled in so well with me and my husband, she started off going for walks wearing a muzzle as we had no idea what she was going to be like around other dogs and we had to work on a level of trust with her. Pit bulls have been breed so that they have this amazingly strong jaw muscles exhibiting a bite, hold and shake method that can be impossible to get them to let go. Hope demonstrated that she had an extremely high pray drive, with the slightest of squeak or animal sound she wanted to bite.

“The Pit Bull Terrier was created by breeding Old English Terriers and Old English Bulldogs together to produce a dog that combined the gameness of the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_bull)

Gradually after months of training her, learning about her, developing trust with her and learning to read her the muzzle came off. We came to learn that HOPE LOVES BOYS! Boys with their manhood still intact even better 😉 She has a bunch of friends now that she plays with and goes for walks with but one eye will always be watching her.

Just to clarify Hope adores people, she has never shown any signs of aggression towards people she just wants to be loved! Unbelievable considering what some humans have done to her.

Me trying to teach Hope to swim!

This blog will follow the life of Hope and her fellow dog friends here in Dubai, the life that they lead. The other half of her story we will never know, but her scares remind us everyday of the reality of what some dogs go through here in the Middle East.

 

Related articles

• Are English Bulldogs related to Bull terriers?
• Pitbulls: Innocent? Killers? Or Just Regular Dogs?
• 7 Myths About Pit Bulls and Why You Shouldn’t Buy Into Them

Numbers of abandoned dogs in UAE soar as owners ‘lose interest’ | The National

Dog at animal shelter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DUBAI // Internet sales of pedigree dogs are leading to larger numbers being dumped on the streets or in shelters, animal welfare charities warn.

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Topic UAE Topics Abu Dhabi Dubai

Jackie Ratcliffe, chairwoman of K9 Friends, said people were buying pedigree breeds such as dobermans or huskies because they look “small and cute”, but lose interest when they get older and bigger.

“A lot are found in the street in a terrible state,” Ms Ratcliffe said. “They are covered in ticks and are starving. It is because people buy them as cute puppies and then throw them out.

“People buy a husky, for example, as a puppy thinking they look all cute but when the puppy gets bigger they don’t want it any more.

“They do not know how to handle it. It (the problem) is worse than ever. It is just crazy.”

Hector, a pointer, was found by a member of the public at just 10 months. He was severely malnourished. His protruding ribs were covered in ticks as he wandered the streets looking for food.

While his background is not known, it is thought he had been bought as a puppy then abandoned once he got bigger, said Ms Ratcliffe.

Two rottweilers are also new additions to the K9 centre. They were brought in by their owner who said he could no longer care for them.

A quick browse of the internet brings up dozens of sites offering “adorable pups” for sale in the UAE, but Ms Ratcliffe said people should remember that getting a dog is a big commitment.

“Don’t take on that cute puppy unless you are prepared to dedicate the next 15 years to their care,” she said.

“Animals should not become victims of the throwaway society that we have become.”

So far this year, 55 abandoned dogs have been taken in by the centre in the Jebel Ali industrial estate. Of these, 30 have been pedigree dogs, bucking a previous trend of crossbreeds.

Although the centre has the capacity to hold only 120 dogs, K9 Friends has 138 in boarding.

via Numbers of abandoned dogs in UAE soar as owners ‘lose interest’ | The National.