Rachael Ryder (L) and a member of Mangrove Beach Cats group with rescued cats during the coronavirus pandemic. Victor Besa / The National
Rachael Ryder (L) and a member of Mangrove Beach Cats group with rescued cats during the coronavirus pandemic. Victor Besa / The National
Rachael Ryder (L) and a member of Mangrove Beach Cats group with rescued cats during the coronavirus pandemic. Victor Besa / The National
Rachael Ryder (L) and a member of Mangrove Beach Cats group with rescued cats during the coronavirus pandemic. Victor Besa / The National

Coronavirus: UAE rescuers struggle with dumped pets amid Covid-19 fears and pay cuts


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

Animal rescuers in the UAE are struggling to keep up with the number of animals being abandoned as the country fights the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shelters have reported a surge in surrendered pets since the start of the outbreak.

Some owners erroneously fear they could catch the virus from their cats or dogs, and others cannot afford to keep pets due to job losses and salary cuts.

Many residents who foster stray and abandoned animals cannot take in any more furry friends due to financial hardships.

“We used to use our extra for rescuing, whereas now there is no extra,” said Rachael Ryder, an Abu Dhabi rescuer, who is surviving on a 50 per cent salary cut.

Animal Action in Umm Al Quwain has more than 150 dogs and 30 cats awaiting new homes. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Animal Action in Umm Al Quwain has more than 150 dogs and 30 cats awaiting new homes. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ms Ryder estimates she has spent around Dh60,000 on veterinary bills to treat rescued animals she has picked from the street near Mina Port over the last two years.

She is still trying to do her best but pets are being “tossed out right, left and centre”.

Abandoned animals are the most difficult to deal with, because they often come with significant health issues.

“Most of them are in a really bad condition, with parvo, ringworm, eye infections, ear mites, injuries because they don’t know how to live on the streets, malnourished, dehydrated and with worm infestations,” she said.

We used to use our extra for rescuing, whereas now there is no extra

“And those with long hair have to be shaved. And these bills can go into the thousands. And then at the end of it, what do you do with a Persian or a Turkish angora? You can’t put it back on the streets.”

If Ms Ryder cannot find homes for abandoned pets in the UAE, she tries to send them abroad to new families.

Rehoming them in foreign countries is not possible at the moment due to travel restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic.

Simone Bester, of the Mangrove Beach Cats rescue group, said she can continue with her work as a salary cut has not come her way.

But some in her group have faced a reduction in incomes, which has impacted their ability to help.

A rescue centre in Umm Al Quwain helps foster homeless pets. Chris Whiteoak / The National
A rescue centre in Umm Al Quwain helps foster homeless pets. Chris Whiteoak / The National

They rescue cats in a small stretch of Reem Island and have noticed an upswing in dumped pets since the start of the pandemic.

“Just before the restrictions came in, my husband and I picked up two Persian mums with eight kittens that somebody had dumped just like that,” said the South African.

“Between my husband and I we have 23 cats in different foster homes that need to find homes in the next few months. We normally average between five and seven.”

She said the financial responsibility of foster cats lay with the rescuer, who was expected to shoulder the entire cost of any treatment until a new home is found for the animal.

But that has also become harder as a result of the pandemic.

“There are less resources and less people to adopt, because people are not sure about the future or their jobs,” she said.

Ms Bester fears for the future, but tries to help in ways she can afford to.

“You have to realise you can’t help them all. There are hundreds of thousands of strays in Abu Dhabi and we try and do what we can, with what we have, where we are,” she said.

“If I don’t tell myself that mantra, I would go nuts.”

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
The biog

Name: Salem Alkarbi

Age: 32

Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira

First started supporting Al Wasl: 7

Biggest rival: Al Nasr

How Beautiful this world is!
The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

Mina Cup winners

Under 12 – Minerva Academy

Under 14 – Unam Pumas

Under 16 – Fursan Hispania

Under 18 – Madenat

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 biog

Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi

Age: 23

How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them

Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need

Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman

Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs 

Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing

Small%20Things%20Like%20These
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A