Adopting a pet is much more than simply giving temporary refuge to a stray; you’re offering an animal the chance to become a part of your life. Yes, it’s a huge commitment not to be taken lightly but don’t worry, there are brilliant people who’ll walk you through the process. Here are just a few:

words David Young

Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter

“Don’t shop. Adopt. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting. At the shelter, we only give animals for adoption that are absolutely healthy,” says Dr Margit Muller of Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter (ADAS).

“But do think twice before you take a pet into your life. It’s not a toy. It’s a commitment that can be with you for many years.”

Softening, she adds: “It’s a beautiful addition to the family. I believe a pet makes a real difference. It teaches children how to be responsible…and how to be responsible for other people once they grow up. And adopted animals appreciate a loving home, having had a difficult life.”

Established just over a decade ago, ADAS, managed by Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, has been a pioneer from the very start.

In the Arab world, it was the first Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programme undertaken by government. Its humane and ultra-organised approach to controlling the emirate’s feral and stray animal populations has been extremely effective, with a commitment that meets international standards.

“Yes, ADAS is the foundation of animal welfare in the emirate,” says Dr. Margit, who was tasked in the 2000s by the Abu Dhabi government to develop a plan to tackle the significant stray animal population problem. “Since then, we’ve neutered more than 52,000 cats. It’s been a really successful programme.”

Today, ADAS proudly demonstrates best practices in its management of feral cats and stray dogs – standards that match initiatives in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and Germany. As a matter of course, when a cat is picked up, it is neutered, vaccinated, treated for worms and fleas, and microchipped, and its details are stored. The animal is then returned to where it was found by trained professionals, back to its own colony.

In ADAS, animals that can be homed reside in the catteries and kennels, in the hope of adoption.

If you do pay a visit, you’ll see how Dr Margit’s team accommodate quite the phenomenal population of cats and dogs. You can also pop next door, where about 10,000 birds are treated every year by the Abu Dhabi Falcon hospital.

Abu Dhabi Animal Shelter, Airport-Sweihan Road (beside Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital; between the airport and Shamkha). Contact: 02 575 5155 or email: [email protected]. For more information, visit abudhabianimalshelter.com

Emirates Animal Welfare Society

“The kindness you show to animals shows what kind of person you are,” says Aisha Al Romaithy, of the Emirates Animal Welfare Society (EAWS) – the only licensed and registered federal rescue group in the UAE.

The group’s objective is clear and simple – to help animals in the UAE have a happy life, which is echoed in the organisation’s motto: “We speak for those who have no voice.”

“There is a lot of animal abuse happening and people pretend that they don’t see it. Think about how the animal is living. How the animal feels. Put yourself in the animal’s position for one day…you wouldn’t like it,” says Aisha.

Incredulous of the choices people make, yet acutely aware of the shallow rationale behind animal dumping, she hasn’t given up on trying to get the public’s attention. “We get the cases where people dump their animals because they can’t (or just won’t) spend the money to send them back home when they lose their jobs, or if they just decide to move back home.”

“As human beings, we can go the police station, we can have a lawyer. We can to the courts and get our rights, but animals don’t have the voice. And they suffer,” says Aisha.

“You see a cat on the street that’s super skinny – it’s not because he’s hungry; he’s definitely sick. Pick it up. Take it to the vet. Don’t pretend you don’t see it. Do something. Don’t be quiet. You can help. By pretending that it’s not there, it doesn’t go away.”

With a focus on education, EAWS regularly runs sessions in universities. One simple message it’s trying to convey is about the roles cats play in your neighbourhood. They’re not the nuisance some see them to be.

Aisha explains: “You remove the cats and others will simply move in. When you understand that these animals keep the roaches, bugs, mice, and other cats away, you will realise – hey, this cat is a good thing.”

With the remit to raise the UAE’s animal welfare standards, Aisha knows there is a way to go yet. “EAWS is working with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and hopefully soon Kuwaiti animal welfare. We’re only babies when considered with Bahraini welfare. They’ve been going for forty years. So, we’re learning from them.”

Emirates Animal Welfare Society. Contact: 050 681 2986 or email: [email protected]. For further information, visit: eawsuae.ae

Ride to Rescue

“We are a sanctuary. We don’t rehabilitate horses to sell them. What comes to us, stays with us. We believe in creating herds and families,” explains Yasmin Sayyed. Her project, Ride to Rescue, is one of the handful of groups registered and recognised under the EAWS umbrella.

Having gained recognition as an official organisation, Ride to Rescue now faces the daunting task to find sponsorship for more than a dozen horses and meet monthly expenses in excess of AED 40,000.

Yasmin’s initiative has a particular perspective. “We don’t focus on horses to ride. We focus on horses that are moderately ridable or not ridable at all,” she says, detailing how the project is about the welfare and quality of life of the animal.

“The dream for Ride to Rescue is to have its own place. Its own home,” says Yasmin.

Ride to Rescue, Mandara Equestrian Club, Al Shahama, Abu Dhabi. Contact: 052 193 5544 or email [email protected].

Saluki International Rescue

A home-based organisation spanning Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Saluki International Rescue’s motto is Rescue, Rehabilitate, Rehome. And that’s exactly what they do.

Manuela and Rawan, a volunteer and incredibly dedicated duo, somehow manage to coordinate a group of volunteers to save the lives of homeless salukis and sighthounds – around the clock.

For more than seven years, they’ve been building up a network of foster homes and volunteers and successfully secure homes for salukis that have been left behind for a variety of reasons, from being abandoned to surrendered, and everything in between.

Saluki International Rescue. Contact: email [email protected]. For further information, visit: salukiinternationalrescue.com