Furrballs, known as Para UAE in the past, is a self-funded rescue group in Dubai founded by Emirati sisters Fatima and Sarah Alzaaki. Last week, it announced it was shutting its doors after more than five years of rescuing animals. The group has a small shelter in Ajman that will stay open until homes are found for all the dogs but will not continue taking in anymore.
The group issued a statement on social media saying that the past two years have been difficult, as a key member of the team departed and they lost their rescue rates with veterinary clinics, plus not enough dogs were being adopted.
Scroll through the gallery above to see which dogs are still in need of a forever home.
“Rescue isn’t a one-man job, nor can you just one day decide to walk away from the animals,” read the post. "In reality there is only so much you can do. So we are making this post to let you know that we are officially stopping rescuing."
Since that was posted, there has been an outpouring of support from the UAE community.
“I would like to thank each and every person that has always been there by our side and made it possible for us to save so many animals," Sarah told The National.
"I would like to thank the families that have opened up their homes and adopted from us, foster parents for opening their hearts and homes and preparing our rescues for their forever homes. I would like to thank the team of volunteers for always helping us with rides for our rescues to our adoption days, and the volunteers that attend our adoption days helping out."
Sarah says shutting down has been on her mind since last April, but that making the decision has been extremely tough.
“My whole life has been dedicated to saving [and] rehabilitating animals. Saving animals is who I am, so leaving this behind is going to leave me purposeless, but emotions aside, I have to be realistic and take every factor into consideration.
“Running a shelter isn’t a one-person operation. It needs a team of committed animal lovers. It needs proper management as any other entity or organisation, and unfortunately this all needs a budget which adoption fees cannot cover.”
Sarah hasn't given up hope that Furrballs could return one day, however, and is exploring various means to cut costs in order to make a comeback.
“Maybe in the future I’ll be able to start again, you never know."
If you're interested in adopting, email adoptus@furrballs.org or visit www.facebook.com/furrballs.org
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
British Grand Prix free practice times in the third and final session at Silverstone on Saturday (top five):
1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:28.063 (18 laps)
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1:28.095 (14)
3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1:28.137 (20)
4. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) 1:28.732 (15)
5. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Renault) 1:29.480 (14)
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