Visitors have been streaming to Dubai’s new Animal Welfare Shelter in Warsan, hoping to give stray cats permanent homes.
The shelter, at the Birds and Pets Market, was launched this week by Dubai Municipality with the support of Vets Fur Pets clinic and Phoenix Veterinary Clinic, as the emirate steps up efforts to improve animal welfare and reduce the number of stray cats on its streets.
The National on Thursday visited the centre, which vet Abdulla Al Hammadi said has been buzzing since its launch.
“We’ve been very busy in the last few days from people looking to adopt a cat. It’s an awesome show of support and love from the community,” said Mr Al Hammadi.
Amazing animals
Sara Izzat, 16, from Palestine, came with her two sisters to adopt her first cat.
“I always wanted to have a cat. Thanks to Dubai Municipality for opening this amazing place. I will get a white fluffy cat,” Ms Izzat told The National.
“Cats are amazing animals. They are clean, friendly and trained to act with humans.”
Nitya Kaul, an Indian resident in Dubai, came to the shelter trying to find a home for a stray cat she had found.
“I’m a pet rescuer also and we have been feeding stray cats in our community for a long time,” she said.
“This shelter is a fantastic government initiative. It is something we were waiting for and it will be amazing if this place can thrive and more volunteers participate.
“At the moment shelters are drowning with many abandoned cats and dogs. With the recent events, people left and didn’t know what to do with their pets and left them abandoned.”
The shelter can accommodate between 150 and 200 cats, and Mr Al Hammadi said each animal undergoes a full health check-up and vaccination process before it is put up for adoption.
“We provide medical treatment if needed. The centre also includes a fully equipped veterinary clinic, a state-of-the-art surgical operating theatre with ICU unit and isolation room.”
Dubai residents can call the municipality to report stray cats, and anyone who wants to adopt a cat can browse Dubai Municipality's website or use the DubaiNow app.
“They can come to see the cat in the dedicated interaction rooms,” said Mr Al Hammadi. “They will complete a form and answer questions to see if they are ready to adopt or if they have any allergies.”
To adopt, applicants must be over 21 and pay Dh230 to cover vaccination and registration.
The shelter also helps to reunite lost pets with their owners, and Dubai Municipality says it takes a scientific and humane approach to managing stray animal numbers.
This includes carrying out trap-neuter-return (TNR) and, where appropriate, trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) programmes.
Under these programmes, stray cats are returned to where they were found, as long as this does not pose a risk to public safety or the animals' well-being.
