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Here's how you can support and help our furry friends in need as a Dubai expat
14 July 2019
| Last updated on 18 April 2021
Want to know where and how to start supporting animal shelters in Dubai? Read on...
Most of the animal shelters in the UAE are non-profit, running largely on services and donations from volunteers, animal welfare activists, and help from the local community.
SEE ALSO: Animal shelters and rescue groups in Dubai and the UAE
Our furry friends look to the hard work volunteered by animal-lovers to rescue, protect, and nurture them with the hopes of finding a forever home for as many of the animals as possible. Animal shelters require a stocked pantry to provide food and supplies, or the shelters look to people volunteering to be a foster home for the pets.
So - just how great is the need for support?
In the UAE, the summer season typically finds a spike in abandoned pets. Oftentimes, residents don't want to pay the added costs of travelling with a pet when leaving for the summer holidays or if they're returning home. Sometimes the novelty of owning a pet wears off and because shelters are very limited in space, residents abandon their pets on the streets.
Every year the number of abandoned pets in Dubai is growing, with over 1,700 abandoned dogs in 2018 and 1,430 in 2017. More than 6,500 cats were rescued from the streets in 2018, doubling that of the estimated 3,000 caught in 2016.
SEE ALSO: How to adopt a dog in Dubai
Stray, missing, and abandoned animals in Dubai rely on the handful of animal shelters in the emirate, and unfortunately, the number of resources in animal shelters struggles to keep up with the growing amount of need.
If you're keen on helping out, monetary donations aren't the only way you can assist your local animal shelters. There are actually many ways you can aid pet shelters, whether it's through giving items that can be used or sold, or donating your time to walk a few dogs, here's how you can start supporting animal shelters in Dubai.
1. Fostering
If you can't be a forever family to a dog or cat in need of one, you can donate your time by fostering animals at home.
Here are some animal shelters in Dubai where you can foster animals:
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K9 Friends
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38smiles
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Friends of Animals DXB
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Animal Action UAE
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Helping Hands For Small Paws of the UAE
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Little Angels - Animal Rescue League
Foster: Dogs
Foster: Cats
Foster: Dogs and cats
Foster: Dogs and cats
Foster: Small animals like rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, etc.
Foster: Dogs and cats
2. Dog walking
If you can't adopt or foster a dog at the moment, then offering to donate your time walking a dog also helps. It provides dogs with great mental, physical, and social stimulation away from their kennels. If you're a frequent jogger, incorporating a dog or two into your routine would benefit you both.
Parents with kids who are interested in adopting a dog can opt for volunteering to walk one. It'll help parents and the child get to know the canine better as well as see if it's a lifestyle that'll fit into theirs, making for less uninformed adoption decisions.
Animal shelters that have a dog-walking programme include:
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K9 Friends
3. Donate food and pet supplies
Get involved by donating extra food, your unused items, and more to sheltered animals who really need them.
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Little Angels - Animal Rescue League
You can donate items like blankets, pet beds, toys, collars, etc. The rescued pups and cats will greatly appreciate it.
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38smiles
Pet items, food, and cash donations are welcomed. Feel free to donate other items as well - 38smiles takes part in flea markets and holds book sales to raise funds for the shelter.
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K9 Friends
K9 Friends accepts monetary donations all year round, simply check out their official website for details. The shelter is also accepting raffle prizes as donations for their annual Puppy Ball.
4. Sponsoring
Sponsoring can come in different forms. You can sponsor a dog, it can be corporate or personal sponsorships, or maybe even an air conditioner to keep the pets cool in the hot summer months.
Animal shelters that accept sponsorships in Dubai include:
K9 Friends
If you want to help stray and abandoned dogs in the UAE, consider sponsoring a canine at K9 Friends. It costs AED 370 per year to sponsor a K9 Friends dog.
For more details: k9friends.com/dog-sponsorship
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